London

Tesco's in Rickmansworth provide moorings for boat shoppers, as do several supermarkets down here.





Saw this piece of "Art"on the way in.

The last lock before London

Paddington Basin, our second choice of mooring.

Little Venice, our first choice. All boats are moored two a breast here due to popularity of site.

Well we finally arrived at Little Venice in the Borough of Westminster on Saturday afternoon and managed to moor up on a couple of boats already tied to the bank. On Sunday afternoon we swapped around and found a slot for Bendigedig with Shush on the outside. You are allowed to stay up to a maximum of 14 days here. There are a lot of boats around this weekend according to the locals but it's all very friendly, and boat people are helpful souls on the whole.

We had a good run down this week, the weather has been great. We stopped out in the country Monday night, Rickmansworth for two nights, (Erics back has been giving him trouble this week and he has been in a lot of pain), then a night out in the country again, Friday night we were at Tesco's Bulls Bridge, and Saturday we did the last 13 miles into Little Venice.

There are a lot bars and restaurants in this area and they seem pretty well suplied with customers, especialy as it has been so warm this weekend. We plan to do some sightseeing this coming week.

Double Breasted

Last uphill lock before the summit at Tring, from here on it's all down hill

Waiting for the lock to empty

This was the 14th and last lock of the day, so the lockies are getting a bit tired.

"I've just bought this"!

We are in Hemel Hempstead for the weekend and although we are in the middle of the town with some very nice houses along the towpath, it's so quiet and peaceful here you would think your out in the country. There are so many boats moored around here, there wasn't enough room to moor one in front of the other as we usualy do, so we breasted up with Bendigedig on the inside, due to the fact that this is a wide canal we can get away with it.

The supermarket is 400 yds one way and the pub is about the same the other, sat reception is great so it's a very good spot!!. The weather has been good too this weekend, some showers on Sat morn, sunny pm and all day Sunday it has been warm and sunny.

Last week we had a lot of locks, and it will be the same for the start of this week, we still have 26 locks and 33 miles to go. However, we will get there in our own time, it's not a race and the idea is to enjoy it at a pace that suits us, and thats what we are doing.

Leighton Buzzard

Here we are in LB the towpath is a bit overgrown here,you have to cut a path in the grass before you can moor up.

The local canoe club had a race today and several dozen boats were going up and down the canal.

This is Ben, Eric and Elsie's dog, he loves to watch the world go by.

Having spent a couple of very pleasant days in Milton Keynes earlier this week, (although the canal meanders right through the centre of the town, you feel your in the country it is so quiet). We walked across a lovely park into the main shopping centre on Weds before we cruised down to Leighton Buzzard. Elsie had to go home to Newport this weekend so we are here till Monday, it's a nice town, plenty of shops and eating places.

Martin called on Friday evening with a new camera I'd ordered and had delivered to him, so no excuses now, and Sarah, Sophie's mum came for lunch today so we caught up on a multitude of things. The weather this week has been very good, dry and warm for the most part.

A week nearer London

Daylight at last, coming out of Blisworth tunnel 3057 yds long

Another lock in the Stoke Bruerne flight

No by-wash on this canal any excess water comes straight over the top of the gates

Both the girls waiting for the lock to empty.

It's been a funny few days this week, we started ok on Mon, then due to the torrential rain on Tues we didn't move that day. Weds & Thurs we made progress, then on Fri, Martin and our lovely grandsons Ethan & Ptolemy came to see us, we had a great day and they left in the evening after a very nice meal in the local pub. Sat was a rest day and we started again on Sun. Firstly we filled with diesel at 86.3 ppl, we passed one yard selling at 93.2 ppl but left it in the pump, did Blisworth tunnel, 7 locks, filled up with water after the locks and then did a couple of miles, now moored up in the country with the satelite on watching the Canadian grand prix. It's a hard life on the cut !!!

Photo's from Sunday and Monday

Braunston Church

Both boats from the church

Monday

First wide lock

First mate waiting for lock to level

Shush emerging from Braunston tunnel

Last day on the narrow canals

This weekend we are at Braunston Turn where the Oxford and Grand Union canals meet, we arrived on Friday and managed to find room to stay on the 14 day moorings, just before the turn onto the GU. The village is very pretty, with a church that is visible for miles due to it being on a hill. I'm having trouble with my internet signal and can't upload the photo's at the moment, I will try tomorrow

We bought diesel this week at 84.2 ppl, it's going up at quite a rate of knots at the moment. The weather has been very kind this w/end, we walked on Sat pm for a couple of hours and had a pint in one of the local pubs. Saw nb Dover in the marina here that's the boat that was rebuilt on the tv series, she has a new owner.

Tomorrow we start down the Grand Union canal, 6 locks first then Braunston tunnel 2042 yds long, because this is a wide canal all the locks from here to London take 2 boats side by side, so it makes locking through a bit quicker for us. From here we have 103 miles and 90 locks to go.