Hotel Narrowboats Day 1

After busy weeks, what better way to calm down and move at snail's pace than to have a week on a narrowboat on the canals of England. A new experience, and such a great way to travel around. The Duke and Duchess were waiting for us in Stone. Three of the passengers were frequent travellers on the boats amd two German ladies and I novices! Neil and his two crewmen, Mick and Jamie, made us feel very welcome.

We moored the first night in Stone, and after a scrumptious four- course meal with wine, I took a well- needed walk along the canal at sunset. Peace and quiet, no need to be in a hurry here!

One key member of the crew is Henry, Neil's gorgeous spaniel, who must have the best life a dog could ever hope for with a new group of six admirers and strokers arriving on every tour, endless new areas to explore and sniff, and kilometres of walks every day. He hops on and off the boats, charges around the locks seemingly checking up on what we are doing. 

My camping and my stays in the wine barrel have all made it easier to get used to the tiny rooms, which are remarkably well furnished and very cosy. There is no way you can get away with leaving things lying around! I have never been so tidy.

We have a well- stocked lounge area, especially for tea drinkers,  and the six bedrooms are all together on The Duchess. Can't say I love the cramped bathroom, but it certainly isbetter than nothing!

The Duke, with its motor, pulls the Duchess and here we have our dining room. Neil serves up the most amazing meals - it seems almost non- stop! Full breakfast, morning tea with freshly cooked biscuits, lunch with salad and fresh fruit, afternoon tea with home- baked cake and four delicious dinner courses with wine, and port with the cheeseboard. Considering the size of the kitchen area, it is remarkable!

The crew work prettyhard because we cannot take both 74- foot boats into the locks, so usually The Duchess has to be towed through by rope. They had horses doing this in the past.

We are travelling through some marvellous scenery, generally very close to industrial towns . The great thing is that we have a choice of gentlygliding down the canals on the boats or ambling along the tow paths. It is such easy walking after the hills of Zuoz and the few people you meet(90 percent with one or two dogs taking them for walks)  are so friendly. You always get a ready smile and a 'hello, darling/ lovely/ sweetie pie/gorgeous/my love' , which really makes you feel good!

Of course, some of the day is quite busy if there are flights of locks, or even single locks. With two boats, there is twice the work, but we qll get out to help, particularly the avid narrowboat cruisers. One of these is a 91-year-old lady, Pearl, who does 3 or 4 cruises a year and always insists on helping with the locks. Ahe is amazing. It seems this lifestyle and also the most incredible amount of butter on bread or toast, is the secret to her longevity! Getting out and about, travelling the world, etc, gives her a hearty appetite and so many experiences to talk about that her brain does not have time to stop. Brilliant!

The canals with their low, overhning branches of trees and lush verges are so serene and beautiful.

Even new housing estates adjacent to the canal provide colour and interest. I can just picturemyself with a wine, sitting at the end of my garden watching the colourful narrowboats passing by. Idyllic scene.

There are some interesting signs, depending on how you look at them. I like this sign which was supposed to give three messages, but I saw it as having to be careful of the low roof when bending down to pick up your dog's poo!

There isn't a lot of wildlife apart from a few squirrels, but this young heron seemed totally unphased by my arrival. He stayed for ages, so still that at first I honestly thought he was a statue!

I love the colourful paintings on our boats. They were apparently done by a famous painter, Ron Hough,  who has sadly passed away, and are quite traditional for narrowboats.

Today, just before leaving the Trent and Mersey Canal, we went through the Harecastle Tunnel. One mile long, and pitch black, with a very drippy roof. It took 45 minutes to go through, time I thought to write my blog, but Henry the dog had other thoughts and laid his head on my hand for the entire trip. Nice and warm, but impossible to do any writing!

As we tirned into the Macclesfield Canal under this pretty tunnel

The two boats were virtually at right angles to negotiate the bend. Great crewmen!