Here’s where it all becomes serious: our cross-Channel pilot, David Piper (the founder of Piper Boats), met us at Sunbury Lock, three locks downriver from Penton Hook.
He was jumping ship from another Piper boat, Otium, coming upstream from Richmond. Another couple of locks took us to the long layby for Teddington Lock, where the Thames becomes tidal, and we moored for the night.
Only a few days to go before Roy and I say goodbye to the Thames & Kennet Marina and head downriver on our Dutch barge Karanja – all the way downriver to London – before embarking on the Channel crossing to Calais.
We’ve been through Thames locks Sonning, Shiplake, Marsh, Hambleden, Hurley, Temple, Marlow and Cookham. Now we’ll spend a few leisurely days going through Boulters, Bray, Boveny, Romney, Old Windsor, Bell Weir, Penton Hook, Chertsey, Shepperton, Sunbury and Molesey – before picking up our experienced pilot, David Piper, at Teddington. That’s where the non-tidal Thames becomes tidal and a tad less tame.
Reluctant to leave Burgundy without doing at least one wine-tasting, we took a drive to Chablis – an easy 15km from Auxerre, and of course the home of the appellation Chablis. You drive past vineyards and through several wine villages to get there, and it’s all very picturesque.
Staunchly resisting the Garmin’s attempts to keep us on the straight and wide, i.e. the A6, for the hour and three-quarter trip from Chalon-sur-Saône to Auxerre, we instead chose a route slightly less travelled, the D906 via Chagny.
This is the heart of Burgundy, passing through gorgeous little villages, and farmhouses covered in autumnal vines and creepers. But you’ll have to take my word for it – Roy was on a mission to pass lorries, and was in no mood to stop the car, especially if it meant having to pass them again.
In all these riverside towns we’re visiting, taking a boat tour on the river is one of the things to do. Though I sort of feel I’d like to, I know there’s little chance – “What on earth for, when we’re coming back next summer in our own boat?”, my husband would respond to such a suggestion. (Pick your battles, I say.)
Not having time to research your destination in advance can sometimes be a good thing. Yes, you miss out on the smugly virtuous feeling of having done your homework – but instead, you could have the unexpected fun of landing up in the middle of something as delightful as the old city of Dijon.
Once he’s got going, my husband does not like to stop unnecessarily (if at all) en route – but he must perforce stop for fuel. When the aire (layby) he was aiming for turned out to be more about hiking and picnicking than petrol, we clicked on “Places of Interest” and then “Fuel” on the Garmin, which took us on an enjoyable sortie along narrow country lanes to a single-pump affair where a smart lady in lavender suit with matching jewellery pumped gas for us.
If there’s one thing Roy hates – and I think I’m justified in saying that there are quite a few such things – it’s having to wait until I’ve photographed his food before he can eat it. (You can actually hear teeth grinding.) This selection of photos, taken over the past few days, reflects the five different stages of grief – progressing from denial, to anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance.
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
After nearly four months in England, it’s time to head to France for a 10-day driving holiday – staying at interesting little hotels, speaking the language as best we can, and checking out a couple of rivers, canals and locks in advance of Summer 2017. Testing the waters, so to speak.
In an era where travel has become an everyday sort of thing for so many people, there’s been a rise in special-focus travel: healthy holidays, like a wellness workshop in Warsaw; giving-back-to-your-fellow-man getaways, such as house-building in Cambodia; or culinary escapes, like cooking classes in Katmandu. Our current visit to France is even more niche – we’re seeking out waterways!
