To date : 179 miles, 124 locks, 20 lift bridges, 7 tunnels, 7 aqueducts
Big day today! We had a few miles ahead of us and 11 locks. It was a lovely morning with the sun out and the temperature mild. As we progressed the wind picked up... as usual. By the time we'd dealt with the first few locks it was becoming a nuisance. Before one lock the boat was pinned against the bank and a lady walking past to the lock before helped push the boat away from the bank so Mick could get the boat moving.
The last few locks are closely spaced and it was a pleasant surprise to discover some volunteer lock-keepers there to assist. That certainly made the process a bit quicker and we chatted with each one. Although it's tiring, we thoroughly enjoy the locks. We also got chatting to a couple from New Zealand. Everyone has a story to tell about how and why they are boating.
Once we were moored up in Atherstone we checked out the town centre and did a quick shop at Aldi. What a lovely town Atherstone is. It's fantastic to have such great access to shops along the canal. I guess it's one benefit of a country with such a large population. We drive 20kms at home to the next town that has a supermarket! We are looking forward to market day tomorrow in the market square. When I checked on the internet to make sure it's still running on Tuesdays it said that this market has been running in the market square for 750 years!
Each day our mooring is different. Some days we look out of our windows at houses, sometimes at industrial buildings, sometimes at trees and sometimes at green fields. It's like having a new backyard every day.
Photos :
1. Unusual duck
2. A pretty bridge
3. Help to push the boat out from the bank - you can see the wind across the water
4. - 6. Working the locks
7. - 9. The market square in Atherstone
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