Saga in Rouen

Our car insurers would only cover us for 90 days in Europe, no good as the vehicle would be the other side of the channel for 160 days. Got the heads up from Mojacar Macey to try Saga - why not - I've been old for a few years now. Result, 365 days cover for under £100 was possible a couple of add ons including legal cover raised it to £140 a considerable saving from current insurers.

The same thing with breakdown cover, our AA cover is for 104 days per visit, to take it up to the 160 days would be a whopping extra £817 on top  - with Saga £118 for 365 days in any European country included.

So with that sorted we headed for the Chunnel:

Felt like we were driving to France through the train.

Calais was sunny as we exited the train, we didn't see any sign of the jungle on our way to the A16 - we did see van loads of Gendarmes heading out of Calais perhaps the job was already completed.

A three hour drive got us to our first stop in Rouen.

A large city on the banks of the Seine, Rouen is where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake. We spent what was left of daylight exploring a small part of the city

Large hotel boats cruise the river.

Cathedral of Notre Dame

Could almost be Chester

The Gros Horloge

Still operating in France.

Joan of Arc Museum at the site of her death.

A two hour cruise.

A metal slipper launch maybe.

The grass is always tastier on the other side of the hedge.

2 x AA's

A dry blustery day today, we haven't moved far - went to Wigrams Turn marina to brim the fuel tanks then moved to moor at Lower Shuckburgh. 

I really want to knock on the door and ask how much I'd get for the used  power units out of my toothbrush.

I've been trying my best to learn a bit of Spanish apart from having a couple of Spanish apps on the phone I am also using the Michel Thomas method which I have downloaded to a tablet. He proclaims any student can learn without books, without writing anything down and without memorising.

The last part I was particularly interested in as I cant memorise what I did yesterday.  

Basically you listen to Michel teaching two students and with the use of the pause button you join in as the third student.  Time will tell if any of it sinks into my greying matter.

Tomorrow is maintenance day engine - oil & filter to change, gearbox oil to change and battery terminals to be cleaned and sealed - their's twelve of those.

New cratch cover

Went into the Three store in Rugby today, they appear to be doing some good deals for existing customers as well as new - I managed to get 5GB more data on the mifi and 18GB more data of tethering on the mobile phone for £2 a month less than I'm paying now. I also got an updated mifi unit foc.

Braunston marina photo.

We are now moored a couple of miles south of Braunston junction after a late afternoon cruise.

Over the hedge shot.

New cratch cover.

A foody celebration

We had a meal in the Braunstons Boathouse with Martin & Cathy on Sue's birthday - the following day we had a meal at The Mill in Stone with friends, a big thank you to Roly who drove down the M6 to collect us from the marina.

The Mill is a family run business - welcoming, friendly service and excellent food - the tapas were tasty and the paellas perfect, we can truly recommend it if you are ever in Stone.

The Mill restaurant

Sue Roly & Dot.

Gordon, Bev & Andy.

We booked a room for the night and headed down for breakfast in the morning, where we had a little trouble trying to understand the waitress. Not feeling hungry enough to do the full English justice, I asked for egg on toast but was served a toasted bacon banjo!..... I've been swatting up on my Spanish too. 'No soy muy bueno'.

The following morning we said goodbye to the gang (I managed to lever the last of a batch of Cornish pasties from Dots freezer) and headed back to Braunston with Sunday lunch sorted.

Keep Out

We have stopped at All Oaks Wood a few times but have not ventured away from the tow path, I thought today I would have a stroll through the oak wood.

An oak wood was created back home to celebrate the millennium by every primary school child on the island planting an acorn which they had germinated at home, on a parcel of land. Sixteen years later there still isn't much of an oak wood to see. So I was interested to see a mature wood..

 A road borders the wood from canal side and this is as far as I got. I hadn't realised it was a private wood.. signs to keep riff raff like me out.

Moorings at All Oak's Wood

We set off around 09:00, plenty of boats on the move, at the Hillmorton's top lock Sue announced that it's the last lock we will be doing for six months.

All Saints church spire meant Braunston was close.

Moved on to Braunston where we met up with friends Martin & Cathy of NB  Moriarty for a pleasant evening in The Boathouse.

Hawkesbury Junction

A low sun reflecting of the water and solar panals made cruising into shadows interesting for the first part of our cruise to Hawkesbury junction.

 

An early sort of router to send emails 

Springwood Haven

If you would like to see  pictures of working boat people from the 1940's taken at Hawkesbury  junction (click here). There is one of an old power station that has long gone, I think the flats below are now built on the site but not sure.

A photo taken today from near the spot.

We had lunch in the Greyhound which was as usual very busy.

Later I took down the shower extractor fan which had given up the ghost during the week - cleaned out a build up of dead skin cells and changed the spade connectors, it's working fine now.

Del boy's Reliant Robin.

Stopped at Brindley Aqueduct Richard & Sharon and Dit & Grod.

Pasty perfection's by Dot. 

The little people outside the Stag's Leap. 

The Stags Leap  was a 10 minute walk from the moorings where we had a good lunch with Dit, Grod, Richard and Sharon. After goodbye's the following morning we headed off to the Junction at Fradley for an overnight stop. From there we will make our way down the Coventry Canal towards Hawkesbury Junction.

Always plenty happening at this busy yard.

King's Orchard bridge.

The Red Red Robin.

Hay walls in Staffordshire.

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First stopping point was Tamworth, Delboy's Reliant Robin was manufactured here along with Scimitar sports cars.

Del boy & Rodders with their Reliant van

Moored opposite Alvecote marina with the adjacent Samuel Barlow pub, Richard & Sharon joined us for a Happy Friday drink. We stayed a little longer than we expected, we were all torchless fumbling our way back to the boats.


Today we set off at about 08:30 first stop was the water point at Bradley Green before tackling the eleven locks that make up the Atherstone flight. The further up the flight we went the more boats we met descending and at the top lock a jolly volunteer lockie helped us through.

Richard & Sharon under Bradley Green bridge

Entering one of the Atherstone locks.

Top lock cottage

Grandad said he used to tow the narrowboats...........

We called it a day after a six-hour cruise and pulled in at Apple Pie lane bridge before Harthill Yard.

Our time in Stone..

... comes to an end, we had a good week, visiting familiar haunts, friends and our favourite landlady at the Royal Exchange - Michelle always welcomes us as if we haven't been away cruising for the preceding seven months.

Our stay coincided with the Stone food & drink festival where we enjoyed an afternoon sampling a few of the wares on offer with Roly & Bev.

The car has been to the garage twice, once to have a service and secondly to have an oil leak rectified, hopefully it is all good to get us to Spain.

We are now slowly wending our way back southwards for an appointment for FL to have her new cratch cover fitted.
 
It's two weeks into Autumn and the countryside is still green, few leaves have changed colour and even fewer fallen, there is still some warmth to the afternoon sun but temperatures plummet at sunset.

We have lit the stove for the first time this year, as I type this, a pot of homemade soup is warming on top.

I like this door on a shed at Colwich lock

Colwich lock shed is on the left.

We have stopped for the night at Taft Bridge opposite the small holding, Sue likes to look out the windows and see the live stock especially the pigs and alpaca.