From ad830@chebucto.ns.caMon Apr 28 12:26:26 1997 Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 19:27:02 -0300 From: Joan Payzant Reply to: canals@blacksheep.org To: canals@blacksheep.org Subject: Home again! (Longish trip account) We arrived home at Halifax International Airport yesterday afternoon, after a wonderful two-week holiday on the Grand Union between Linslade/Leighton Buzzard and Little Venice, and then back up to the winding point between the first and second locks at Soulbury. Until the last day when it poured, we had wonderful weather - cold but sunny for the most part. Our crew was composed of husband Pete, son Alan, and me. Alan had never been overseas before, and was very impressed with the beautiful canal scenery, our luxurious Wyvern Shipping narrowboat, the number of double locks, and the energy required throughout a typical day. He was amazed that his old parents had done this for nineteen previous trips - a good many of them on their own. Air Canada arrives at Heathrow at an ungodly hour - 4 a.m. Atlantic Daylight Time, after a sleepless night. So it was heavenly to be picked up by a taxi sent from Wyvern Shipping, with cheery driver Chris. We were whisked through lovely countryside and villages to Leighton Buzzard, but couldn't help but think how much more beautiful it is from the canal as contrasted to the busy motorways. Mooched around Leighton Buzzard getting a few last minute groceries at the Tesco, had lunch at the Globe Inn (right on the GU), and then off to pick up our boat, "Coral". Nothing can really beat the feeling of excitement as one steps aboard and looks forward to two weeks of adventure. And we did have a wonderful holiday. We couldn't get over the number of herons on this stretch, and they were extraordinarily tame. One perched on the roof of a narrowboat across from us, and seemed to pose, letting us photograph him in profile from both sides, as well as looking directly into our lenses. Passed Linda (Tinhat)! Very interesting to see her and exchange greetings, she with her large roof banner proclaiming her, "Artist Afloat". Passed David Mann's "Caldon" at Alperton, spotting the sign of the Web in a window. Also saw lots of coconuts - previously, on the mail list I hadn't been sure whether or not the coconut discussion was for real. Saw restaurants advertising Baltis, but instead we bought Balti sauce in a Tesco, added cut up fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and baked it in a casserole dish, then served it over basmati rice. We liked it so much we had it three different times. Got a grand mooring in Little Venice, and stayed there for four days. Took a coach sight-seeing tour, and nearly perished on the open top of the double-decker bus. When the recorded guide announced that we were in the neighbourhood of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, we remembered a previous lunch there, so quickly hopped off the coach and made our way to an excellent and warming meal. Left Little Venice on Monday, Apr. 21. Were lucky to meet Americans in a boat from Napton, returning from a two-week London Ring cruise, and desperately trying to make it back to Napton by Saturday. They were glad to share the locking and so were we, but I'm sure they wouldn't be back by their deadline. We left them at the Soulbury locks late on Thursday afternoon, and so they had a long way to go, and Friday was a very nasty rainy day. I wonder what happens in a case like that? Especially if the boat was hired out by others for Saturday afternoon. All together it was a wonderful holiday, in spite of the fact that I sprained my ankle (was wearing bi-focal prescription sun glasses as I jumped off "Coral", and I swear the ground came up and hit me). Then Pete had a nasty fall in the front cockpit as he was pulling out a mooring pin. It popped out suddenly and he fell backwards, hitting his ribs on the cockpit seat. From a previous experience, he recognizes the resulting pain as broken ribs. Alan says he's going to put us both in body casts before he goes away with us again. We're both feeling like very clumsy types, but it was all worth it. On Saturday morning very early we sadly packed up, cleaned the boat, and stepped ashore to our waiting taxi and its cheerful driver, Chris, and whisked off to Heathrow. So ended our twentieth canal holiday.