Sunday, 15 June 2014

London Catch Up.....




Arrived in London Central early arvo on a Saturday. Lovely hot weather and as usual every one wanted to have their boat moored there as well.

As the canal passed through Little Venice the NB,s were moored in some places three abreast so we carried on.






Entering the junction where left heads to Camden and onto Limehouse basin or straight ahead to hopefully a mooring at Paddington basin.

There were no official vacancies like in legal mooring spaces but we squeezed into a mooring with only one third of the boat illegally parked. Hoping someone would be moving tomorrow, Sunday, or early Monday before the Basin Sherriff came by..





Our first Paddington mooring... not too bad....

Next morning the sun was strong so it was....



Breakfast on the patio....  Nobody had moved either...

Moored next door were..



Legendary NBers and music connoisseurs  Del and Al on Derwent6... They'd been doing London town for a couple of weeks so we took in some good advice... Also learnt they'd be moving off  the next morning so as they did we moved NB Firefly across to the perfect mooring...

 
 
As we chatted this live aboard came looking for a mooring to no avail...



The young fella though had all sorts of gadgets flying off the boat and was towing a boat of his own.... Bet there was no "Kill the Cops' computer games going on in his mind...


Sunday we walked from Tower Bridge along the south embankment to Westminster Bridge. A hot day brings out he best of everything and along  the whole embankment there's entertainment and refreshments..



It was either the sunglasses or the shirt or the belt buckle or the "soft shoe" dance steps that captured the passers by attention and the singer seemed to fade away in the background... there was nothing wrong with the music either...


Passing past the old "clink", goal, this dude reminded me of....



Times past when the novelty of  having a favourite  Guinea Pig or pet Mouse in a cage had worn off ....

In an arcade this...



Futuristic looking  statue in copper and bronze was appealing...





 
Even in central London there is...



 
A White sandy beach.... The tide was out...




And the Band played on... with the hope  that the punters chucked their spare 2 pound coins down onto their blanket... some did...


Farther along this....



Mad Aussie from Newcastle was getting bound in chains and padlocked up.... And like most Aussies, doesn't  matter wether it's during a Sexual experience or watching a One Dayer at the Gabber, he never shut up. Got the public to hold a cover up to neck height surrounding his body then escaped,  as he said, "just like Houdini", within 2 minutes then waited for the coins and did say he accepted notes as well...

Climbing a stairway to be enveloped with...




 
 
 Angles and reflections...


Had to walk across...



The Millenium bridge... Saint Pauls in the rear ground...

Food stalls are aplenty but this one...



The Ol, VW Splitty was Tasty...


Then the Proud Mary song...

 
 
 
 

"Big Wheels Keep On Turning".... came to mind...


Next day was on the bus for a short trip to...




The Camden markets... looking down toward the markets in the old stables...





In the stables market...

And outside, canal side...



The food stalls feature takeaways of many nationalities.... 

Then when it's time to eat...



Park your Butt on a scooter with a water view.. Rich people pay 'Quids" for a water view...


 
 Walked past a "Mota"..


 

"Kiwi Boy" must be doing "Good"...

Another day we spent some time at the Victoria and Albert museum....
 
 
 
 

This front façade off a house...




 And this stair case were like 900 years old...



The inner court yard at the museum... was only one shower of rain..

Our son Tait, well his best buddy Nick has arrived recently in the city for his OE...
So it was only right for us to meet up, visit some pubs then...



Take him onboard and give him a meal.....and some more beer..

And then....

 
Send him on his way with some of Leonies fresh baking... Chocolate rough slice and a Carrot cake....
 
 
 

Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Through the Middle...



Today was looming to be an exciting and adventurous time on NB FireflyNZ.
Why?, because the time to travel along the Thames river and under the spectacular Tower Bridge had arrived.

Motored down from Paddington Basin to Limehouse Basin yesterday and moored the night in the basin. Booked in with the lock keeper and was told to enter the lock at 9.45am to catch the last couple of hours of the incoming tide for a fast ride to Teddington lock, the end of the tidal section.

Same as the night before Xmas, didn't need no alarm to awake early, was up and rearing to go. Only took two shouts from the lock keeper to get us there on time.







Limehouse....










Basin....


Moored with the lock ahead on the left...


Next morning, today,  a nice fine day...




Third and last NB into lock... NB Pukeko with Jim and Dawn from Takapuna NZ and a hire boat...

Jim taking a photo of us as I'm doing like wise ...







Looking back as we exit the lock...



 
Drop down to the Thames about eight feet..


Turn right some one said...

 



So we  did and.. bloody hell there's a lot of water out here.. There was quite a strong wind blowing against the tide and for the first 6 -7 miles when a big cat, passenger ferry,  or barge raced by, they do not slow down, it got sloppy.

Next to turn right was...






NB Pukeko....


Looking behind and...

 

Canary wharf with the tallest building, One Canada Square, in the UK.. 800ft..

Keep to the RH side...



Soon the...



Shard comes into view...

One of those fast...



Passenger Cats...

And got passed by a...



Couple of barges carrying containers of refuse...

The wash from a barge...


Smashes about a couple of moored boats..

And then the mighty  Tower bridge is getting closer..




 
NB Pukeko approaches...

And lines up..




The centre arch...

 
NB Firefly NZ follows...





 
And also through the centre span... the only one that Qualifies as a Pass.....

Out the other side...




 
And Leonie takes over....

Getting further away but that memory will always stay as close as...

 


Onwards toward the west....

And the familiar landmarks come to sight...



The Golden Hind...




 
Shakespeare Globe Theatre...




Saint Pauls Cathederal..


 
And the old....




Battersea Power Station...



 

The London Eye..

And the best way to see the many bridges that cross the Thames is from the water...

A selection...


Of some of the bridges we passed under..
 







 






 













 


 










 

 
Looking to the right as you pass the Westminster bridge the most famous...




Time piece in the world... Big Ben...

 
And the...



Houses of..




Parliament...








 

The wind dropped and the sun came out.....

Twenty miles in 3.5 hours to Teddington lock..
Purchased a License to proceed on the Thames, sixty nine pounds and fifty pence for 7 days, so onwards toward Bath we go...



 
Sharing the sun and the driving.....

Parked up tonight at Kingston....
 


The view out the side hatch....