We spent all day going down from Hatton to Warwick – 6 hours, 21 locks, and only around 2 miles! I did 13 of the locks (with some help from Barry I must say) and then decided that I had the hardest part and would give the driving a go instead – luckily it wasn’t too hard and I didn’t scrape the boat at all! I still find it really challenging to keep the boat in one place and straight when we have to wait in between locks that are close together, but I probably just need more practice rather than avoiding it - like most challenges in life they're best met head on. The plague of greenflies is back with a vengeance, a very muggy and warm day, and my hay fever is making my eyes sore and watery which is making life rather unpleasant for me :-(!
The daunting look of only part of the 21 locks ahead
The insect life was enormous! (An amazing looking stainless steel sculpture)
We’re moored on a little arm of the canal here, Saltisford Canal Trust (http://www.saltisfordcanal.co.uk/ or email info@saltisfordcanal.co.uk), and met a fellow Kiwi (John) from north of Auckland who's here for 4 months and has been doing what we're doing for the past 3 years. He and his wife initially came to England for 6 months in 1995 and bought and sold a boat during that visit, but then had a boat made and have a permanent mooring here.
We had a stroll into Warwick and tried to see as much of the Castle as possible, but it’s mostly hidden behind walls! As it’s £19 each entry and looks more like a theme park than a castle, we won’t be partaking of its inner pleasures! A well kept town, with some nice looking buildings but a lot of through traffic – then again we did see it at rush hour but I suspect it is busy much of the day. A trip to Sainsbury's just up the road, and the food cupboards and fridge are well stocked once more.
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