Yesterday & Today

MR & MRS RICHARDSON:-  PREPARE YOURSELVES TO BE AMAZED!

We were up and out of the marina BEFORE 9a.m.!  Now, I know to you two that this is the middle of the morning,  but to us it’s still dawn!!

The joys of the canals being busy with boats:                                                                                                                                        Having help from other boaters and the lock keeper, we descended the Watford Flight in record time.  I have never seen the flight looking so well kept – someone involved obviously has very green fingers because there are masses of assorted containers of beautiful flowers all over the site.  Again, with help at every lock on the Braunston Flight and being able to go straight in every lock as boats came out, we cleared it in 45 minutes!  Unheard of!!  Today, we have been just as fortunate at Hillmorton.

When we left Willoughby Wharf this morning we had it in mind to put in a few long days to get some miles behind us.  We stopped at Hillmorton for lunch and ……….. we’re still here!  Hopeless!

A new marina is being established at Barby.  When we came by last October work appeared to have stopped and we were told that the developers had run out of money.  Well, things are now well back on course.  It’s all been dug out and filled with water and, as we came by, a digger was breaking through the bank to make an entrance from the canal.  It looked like he was moving the self-same soil he was perched on!!

When you read about the original ideas behind the development and look at some of the plans it all sounds very sophisticated and alluring.

 

We watched the development of Yelvertoft Marina from start to finish and now,  that appears to be almost full of boats and well-established.   No doubt by this time next year things will be similar at this site.

Maggie and Maisie have both quickly re-discovered the joys of towpath walking and so have I.  Today they were focused on chasing rabbits and I was focused on the numerous and varied butterflies.   

According to my reference chart, this lovely butterfly is called a Gatekeeper. 

 

 

Something else I saw today:- boat livery at it’s most extraordinary.

Both sides of this boat have been painted with scenes of the countryside.  The longer you stand and look at it, the more you see – animals, birds, insects, trees, flowers, a water wheel, a bridge, a moored boat to name but a few things.

Each side is different. 

 

 

Finally for today – an update regarding Megan.

She has arrived safely in Buenos Aires where she has enrolled in a language school in order to have a crash course to learn Spanish.  There are only three students in the class (the other two are both female and both in their 30’s) and, apparently, she is the worst!  Being bottom of the class for a change will be a useful experience for her!  They have all made friends and intend to do lots of things together.  I think this involves learning to tango!  She says that what she has seen of the city so far, she really likes. Apparently, however, things are not as inexpensive as she was led to believe. She is then going to do another intense course for a month in order to attain a qualification to teach English as a second language.  She assures me she’s not interested in teaching children; it’s the businessmen she wants to support!!  It remains to be seen what will happen after that!  It’s all just so far away and so, well …………..foreign!!   xxoo