We moored at Anyho Wharf Monday night, I tried to walk in the village but it was just too dodgy with the fast traffic, no pavement and two jaywalking dogs!
On Tuesday morning we set off at the ungodly hour of 10.30 am! We shared the strange shaped weir lock with a smaller boat, very nice older couple on board; the chap helping Elaine with the lock asked her if her dad on the helm was looking after her OK......so either I look pretty old or Elaine looks very young -I think it is the latter :-(
We stopped at a farm shop advertising free range eggs, so we stopped for a restock, the only problem was when El went up to the farm, the hens were all stuffed in cages looking pretty manky, no eggs for us then.
But she did come out with a nice wicker basket?!
It was a nice mooring spot though.
Very friendly piggies, such a shame what happens to them ... just wish i had the willpower to be a veg head. I nearly did it a few years ago when I had a run in with some cows whilst out riding my Triumph Bonneville motorbike, but that is another story! I don't eat lamb, veal or venison, pretty piss weak I know but its a start.
Passed under a lift bridge then under the ever-busy M40. There is just so much traffic on the English motorways, they travel at much higher speeds on the motorways over here compared to Australia - down there they are virtually empty once you get out of the big cities, but if you go 5 ks over the limit you will get nicked, not a bad idea though as they are the world's worst drivers next to the Arabs. I keep going on about the Aussie drivers because I could never understand how they became so bad. On the motorways there is no lane discipline at all so they overtake on either side, zig zagging all over the place. I have always said they should send the Australian road safety guys over to the UK to see how the poms are taught to drive.
Now where was I.....aah yes, the peace and quiet of life at 1.88mph (that was yesterday's average speed)
Another deep lock ...
Elaine got a hand on a heavy gate, three birds on a beam!
Clouds of dust from the harvesting ...
Getting ready to jump back on the boat after walking doggies.
We passed 'NB No Problem' coming to Banbury, no sign of life on board though ...
We used the services right in the middle of Banbury for the fill and dump!
You certainly can't get much closer to the centre of a town and its shops, all the moorings were full so we had to carry on....phew!
We carried on to Croperdy, what a lovely little village, with a lovely pub. The Red Lion would be up there with our favourites. (Barmaid was bit of a sort as well!)
It was Tuesday night and the pub was pretty empty, the barmaid said its gets busy after 9.00pm when the band comes in after practice....band ?? ....Fairport Convention?????!!!!!! We never found out as we were starving and all ready had dinner semi prepared back at the good ship.
So here we are Wednesday in a very sunny (but suddenly windy) Croperdy, does life get any better.....
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteWe also sat at that table in that pub with no other customers other than ourselves, it didn't get any busier and sadly the barman wasn't a bit of a sort that night, it is however a lovely looking pub!
Paula