Through Chester

Yesterday we set off from Christleton to get through Chester.  Between “The Cheshire Cat” at Christleton and Chester city centre there are 5 heavy, double locks.  No other boats were going our way so we just had to get on with it on our own!  Downstream paddles – 45 turns up (each!) and 45 turns down (each!).  Counting?  It helps to pass the time!We stopped off at Tesco’s to replenish stocks and then set off again to go down the formidable Northgate Staircase locks.  There are three of them and they have been hewn out of solid rock.  They are SO deep – lowering the canal by 33 feet and the connecting gates are enormous!  Just as we were ready to go into the middle lock another boat arrived at the top.  Typical!  However, there were 4 chaps on board and they helped me with the gates – just as well because I needed it!

We didn’t moor in the basin at the bottom (we plan to do that on the way back up) but carried on to bridge 130.  I had forgotten how nice the 1st part of this section of the canal is.  From bridge 130 it’s about 2 miles to a retail outlet called ‘Cheshire Oaks’.  Friend, Lynn, says it’s a very good outlet.  About half a mile away is Chester Zoo which is meant to be one of the top conservation zoos in the country.  Apparently, from here, if the wind is in the right direction, you can hear the monkeys!!

Today we are going to get to the basin at Ellesmere Port and go into the museum.  Can’t compete with the excitement going on over the other side of the world!  Where Meg is now looks absolutely beautiful and it’s obviously much warmer than it was in Buenis Aires!

Megan at the Iguazu Falls on the boarders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

            

                                                     Crossing the boarder.

Not exactly a back-packer!      

                                     

                                                    Next ‘stop’ – Florianopolis….

                                                                          On the beach near her apartment.

   View from her apartment.  

                                                                                                                                                      Florianopolis             

Now here is somewhere I would like to see!   …………………. maybe one day!!