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Published: September 23rd 2019
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Karen loved this elephant cushion and the old style chair from India, very low to the ground. 12 September 2019, Thursday
Pangbourne to Reading, day 11 of Thames Path, day 27 of travel.
-The Elephant Hotel had an old India decor and charm with a husband/wife team comprising a Romanian bar tender and Jamaican waiter. We sat at the classy table and chairs for dinner. Chairs are made of large rough old boards and have 6 feet high backs. Several photos are included of the hotel including the knit elephant adorning our bed. The table was used for the fruit and cereal buffet the next morning.
-We have a delicious breakfast at The Elephant. By the time the specially ordered porridge arrives we have satiated ourselves with freshly made raspberry yoghurt, fresh fruit, and nuts and finished with lovely chocolate croissants.
-Fueled for the day we set off for Reading--a techie, business park, fast growing city.
We find our way to the river and look back on the wooden, white, Whitchurch Bridge, one of only two toll bridges on the Thames.
At the first lock, Mapledurham, we see a sign indicating we have 78.5 miles to go to London. We cross long green meadows as we walk. We see cormorants and herons fishing
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Jo says goodbye to this elephant in the river. At the locks we find salmon fish ladders. Cleaning up the Thames has restored much of the fish ecology to the river.
The track, now called New Hill Road, leaves the river and detours through a residential area. And here we thought we were finished with hills! The Thames River Conservancy is constantly trying to put together accesses, close to the river, for hikers to use. A slow process.
After quite a bit of meandering we finally got to the river again. But not before Karen manages to get snagged by several stinging nettles.
We see our first Aruacaria tree (native of Chile) and vivid colors of tree and vine leaves. We pass the welcome to Reading many miles from our hotel.
After a detour off the path we find a Waitrose grocery store and have good tomato basil soup and use the facilities. We are amused when they tell us they do not have the Persian Salad because they do not have the ingredients. We found the statement a little humorous as we are in a huge grocery store!
As we turned to find a toilet and lunch we see our
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The elephant just outside the front door of the hotel first marina gas pump for the hundreds of boats we have seen on and along the river. Probably not the first but the first we have seen.
-There are some magnificent homes and great scenes along the way. We see our first party boat on the river--The Caversham Princess. It is filled with merry-makers.
- We continue walking along the long Thames Promenade until we arrive at the Crown Plaza, right in front of the Cavesham-Reading bridge.
- We have a wonderful swim in the pool and enjoy the hot tub before heading over to the pub called the "Moderator." Norma has spotted the pub for dinner. It serves Asian foods and BBQ ribs. Very yummy.
- The town's prosperity has grown on three great Victorian businesses: the three B's: Huntley & Palmer's biscuit factory, Simonds brewery and Sutton Seeds bulbs.
- In Reading, the Crowne Plaza is a step up from the inns and BnBs we have been enjoying. It is nice to be pampered for an evening.
-Harlan heads to the RR station about a mile away with hopes of recovering his Tilley hat, but alas, no sign of it.
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The Whitchurch bridge. The second toll bridge across the Thames.
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