Canal Boating we go

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I headed from work on Monday night to Heathrow airport to pick up the folks who were flying in from Bangkok.
It had been 9 months since leaving Aus when Mum and Dad dropped Darren, Mai and I off at Sydney airport. So it was great to see them walk through the gateway. After a few hugs I led them down to the metro and headed to Walthamstow, which they would use as a base for the next 5 weeks.

After settling in, we went to see Spamalot in the west end, which was a riotous musical based on Monty Python’s Holy Grail. We visited Ronnie Scotts, a famous Jazz club, and they saw the sights and delights of London, including the Tower, The Tower Bridge, Soho and Oxford St.

The following weekend we grabbed a car and headed for Wales. When I was around 10, we did a week canal boat trip through Birmingham, and my folks had always wanted to do the Llangollen Canal in North Wales and so that’s what we did. Because it was just at the end of the season, canal boats can be picked up for a good discount and even though they are pretty expensive to hire, the experience is one of a kind. We picked ripe blackberries and apples beside the canal and feasted, breakfast lunch and dinner.

For those of you who are unaware of what a canal boat or narrowboat is, back in the days before rail, self powered boats and motor vehicles, the canals of England were used to transport goods. Narrowboats (around 60 feet in length) were pulled by horses along a towpath beside these canals, which were hand dug to meet the natural waterways of Britain. Locks are used to get up and down the hills. An amazing transportation infrastructure, and there are thousands of kilometers of canals throughout England.

On this specific canal, an amazing feat of engineering was carried out over 200 years ago. An aqueduct over a valley was constructed, to continue the canal over the river Dee. As we crosses the expanse, our narrowboat moves around in the wind and bangs on the side of the cast iron aqueduct. All that’s holding us, our boat and a few million liters of water from a 120 foot drop into the river, is an inch thick, cast iron, very long bathtub!

Over the next week we cruised around the canals, under old bridges, over a few more aqueducts, through 500 yard tunnels and the whole trip was very relaxing.

After dropping the boat back, we head off and visit two stunning medieval castles, Conwy and Carnarvon . In Conwy, we stay in a Fawlty Towers style bed and breakfast overlooking the castle walls.

On heading back into London it was work for me again, while Mum and Dad rested up for our next trip the following week to Southern England and the Continent.

Stay Tuned……………………

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Photos

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in north wales
Over 120 foot drop into the driver, with one inch of metal between the boat and the abyss. Also built over two centuries ago.

Crowded Tube
These Tubes can get so crowded. U wouldn't be allowed to transport cattle this way

The castles cat
This cat was so attentive, it crawled into dads lap and went to sleep in 30 seconds.

Comments

[chris ellis]

thanks
Rohan many thanks for the blogg. It is the first I have heard that they are safe and well - and even enjoying themselves. your mum is so tight with making phone calls!! Say hello for me and your boy and girls are well but being a bit spoilt. Lots of Love

[Anthony&Ness]

Looks like fun
Wow, that aqueduct looked amazing! Looks like a fun place to be. Look forward to the next update!