Sizzle, sizzle...

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Well, Birdsong was terrific, excellent production! Perhaps wasn’t the best night to choose to go to theatre though… it was supposed to have air-con, but couldn’t detect it! Good prep on Captain’s part taking a torch for walk back to boat.

Thursday dawned (oh no) with not a cloud in the sky, and already scorching by 9.30. A few domestics and then into Windsor to stock up on provisions (mostly liquid of the non-alcoholic kind!). Glad to be sorted by late morning and then a lovely lazy afternoon spent reading under the trees. Strangely windy, which was so welcome. Laura and Phil arrived for supper, and we sat under the stars in the shadow of the model Hurricane catching up on news.

Decided to continue our journey downstream on Friday, the weather feeling slightly less blistering than previous days. Didn’t last…! In the eternal search for shady moorings, we pootled on for many miles and finally stopped at 7.00pm at Weybridge, just down from Shepperton Lock (sight of the small accident last year!).

Sat 20th: …yes, cloudy and overcast on waking…joy!!! Began to feel vaguely human again and found that we could function almost normally without breaking out into a sweat. Indeed, we even started communicating again using more than a grunt… Reached our destination of Teddington earlier than planned, having failed to find suitable moorings before then. The river below Windsor is really not that attractive with a serious lack of non-urban moorings available. But we did pass the queen's boat Gloriana en route, minus the Queen unfortunately. Anyway, we spent a lovely evening in a local restaurant with Richard and Anne, but, unlike last year, we were not in need of their showering and washing facilities.

Decided to make our way back upstream on Sunday and arrived back at our Weybridge mooring again at about 5.00, in time for a much needed dip to cool off. On the way we stopped off for a lovely lunchtime break just outside Hampton Court and walked into nearby East Molesey for a sandwich lunch and read the Sunday papers... still no royal baby yet!

The river is so different to this time last year, when it was all but deserted. Now it's buzzing with all manner of craft... canoeists, rowers, sailors, cruisers, barges, swimmers. There are numerous local regattas taking place, children paddling, birthday celebrations. Moorings are snapped up early, queues appear for locks, the smell of barbeques in the air... ah, the British summer is here! It's brill to be able to enjoy the great outdoors, and in this weather, our rather basic little boat is perfectly adequate. Long may it last!

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Comments

[Pauline]

You sound more up beat!
I didn't realise you were down to grunting at each other but I did think your recent blogs sounded a little subdued. Who would have thought that the heat would be harder than the rain. I think it gets to us all but I am not complaining. Luckily the overcast Saturday was perfect timing for Susie's Peter Pan themed 3rd birthday party - no sizzling of little ones! xx Pauline

[Cynthia]

Chalk and Cheese!
We were only talking about you today as we sat eating breakfast in the garden!!! I heard that we are likely to have our warmest summer for 20 years! Unbelievable that this point last year it rained relentlessly for pretty much the whole of your trip and this time blistering, glorious sunshine!

[Derek & Maria]

Contrasts
Rosemary, whilst you are immersed in the Thames to cool down, in Canberra it is nought degrees and raining! But the family is up on the ski slopes, enjoying the conditions for snow-boarding. Enjoy your holiday!