Happy 2018

We hope you all had a good 2017. It appears that in this modern media world blogging and social media sites are becoming ever more important so we shall try to blog daily as we cruise on our narrowboat Tempranillo throughout 2018. Last year we just used Facebook and built an amazing number of faithful followers but perhaps this blog site may gain us even more friends. We intend to start our 2018 cruising in the Spring. So watch this space.

Just waiting to cruise again.

We thought we should let you know that we are both still alive and kicking......and itching to get cruising again.

Roll on Spring.

October 2014

All sort of stuff happening but just not had the time to update. As the winter sets in, if it ever does, I should be able to give the attention to this blog that I originally intended. I have lots of photographs to add like this one:

Tight fit in a lock on the Grand Union.

Lots more to come. Please check back soon.

Long Time...No Post

Sorry followers. I must apologise for not updating this blog recently. I will endeavour to do so in the near future. We have lots to blog about regarding our voyage cruising our new home "Patience" from Napton On The Hill to  Caen Hill Marina in Devizes, Wiltshire. 

Southward Navigation Continues

Having successfully passed through the Blissworth Tunnel and only getting slightly damp, we cruised onwards passing the museum in Stoke Bruerne. We didn't stop this time as we visited it when we passed in Tempranillo a couple of years ago.

View of Tempranillo from Museum at Stoke Bruerne (2011)

Our voyage down the Grand Union Canal has been quite uneventful but really enjoyable as the weather has been just perfect. Not too hot with a cool breeze. Our days of soaking up the sun and trying to top up our tans are passed. Well maybe if we were sat by a pool with a large G & T we might be thinking differently! But as it is we are just taking in the English countryside and wildlife.

We stopped for a pleasant sunny evening in Fenny Strattford. Though romantic as it sounds, the place itself was a little disappointing.

Fenny Stratford Lock which has a swing bridge right across its centre.

One evening we moored near a a White Lion.

There is a White Lion in this picture, if you look carefully.

South of Leighton Buzzard on the hillside in the distance we could clearly see the Chalk Lion of Whipsnade which was cut in 1933 as an advertisement for the nearby Zoo. Unfortunately I didn't have a long enough lens to get a decent photo of it. 

At Cowroast we started the climb down from the Tring summit which is about one and a half miles long through a wooded glade. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was quite glad of the shade. The dappled sunlight looked wonderful and apart from passing two moored boats, we had it all to ourselves. I was enjoying it so much, I was too relaxed to remember to take a photo! Then at Berkhamsted we passed a Totem Pole (sorry, no piccie again).

The Grand Union Canal is no longer the 'M1' of the Inland Waterways as it originally was before the railways and eventually the roads took over. Most of the industrial presence is now long gone and I am pleasantly surprised at how rural and beautiful, and relaxing most of it now is.

As we approach the M25 it will start to get more built up and noisy.

Blissworth Tunnel

The morning arrived when we were to navigate Blissworth Tunnel but it wasn't Alex who was there to meet us at 8:00am. Unfortunately we didn't get to know the name of the CaRT worker who turned up but he was equally as chatty and helpful as Alex. It was a cool morning and there was a mist inside the tunnel and so we were not able to see the light at the end of the tunnel until we were well into it.

Patiently waiting for the all clear.

Tunnel entrance North.

Blissworth Tunnel is 3076 yards long. That's about one and three quarter miles so it took us about half and hour before emerging from the dark, dank atmosphere. It was extremely wet and one of the vertical air vents in the roof of the arch was more like a waterfall, which I had no choice but to cruise right through.

Light at the end of the tunnel.

It took a great deal of concentration on my part to avoid scraping the walls and was very glad to stop and devour the full english breakfast that Sue conjured up soon after we were back in fresh air and moored up.

Tunnel Passage Booked

The next "challenge" to face us on our travels is Blissworth tunnel and again, like Braunston, we have to pre-book our passage as we are 10ft wide. So I have just called Mr Alex Goode of the Canal & River Trust and made the booking for 2days time at 8:00am sharp. 

Alex is extremely helpful and when he guided us through Braunston he was a delight to chat with. We look forward to meeting him again in two days time.