CROPREDY

December 28^th

 

I seem to have a few recurring themes in my blog…food, weather and locks. Well, after more than 20 posts, not much has changed, I’m afraid.

We were moored in Napton on the Hill for Christmas Day and decided to take a walk into town. We chose to start on the narrow muddy tow path that was cut very close to the water’s edge. I walked gingerly but somehow tweaked my left leg and aggravated a pulled muscle I had nursed since Munich.  We walked 3 miles to get back to the boat and I was really in misery.

                                                  Sweet house in Napton on the Hill

                                                   A gorgeous view along our walk in the village

The next morning, we planned to continue our journey to Fenny Compton. The spirit was willing, but my body was not. I spent what turned out to be a pleasant sunny day in bed just resting.  I think those beastly locks on the Grand Union Canal did me in and my body was reacting to it. I relished the time for my body to rebound.

While we were wasting a beautiful day for boating, several boats passed by taking advantage of the weather break. The next day when we finally did shove off, it was rainy, cold, and windy. We had nine locks to tackle and after my struggle with those on the Grand Union, the locks on the Oxford Canal seemed like a cinch. The ease in which it seemed we got through them lifted my spirits considerably.

                                                        Early morning departure

The wind was blowing angrily throughout our cruise. David ended up having two different hats blown off and rescued from the water. It became difficult to maneuver with such pulls and pushes from the wind. We did, fortunately, make it to Fenny Compton and were glad for it. We had stopped on our way up the Oxford Canal in November and had a lovely meal at the Wharf. We enjoyed another tasty meal which equaled our first dining experience.

                  It's unusual to see sections of the canal not maintained

We had 7 miles to travel today and again we were met with rain, cold and wind. It was a day of dreariness through narrow overgrown sections of the canal. We again were met with a series of locks…nine in all. These proved harder for some reason. They took a bit more muscle. It was a busy day on the locks, as well. We usually see no one, but today there were three other boats, and everyone helped each other which is always appreciated.

                                                    Outstanding in their field

People on the locks are often curious about us Yanks. They are always surprised when they ask how long we will be vacationing, and we tell them 3 months (how lucky are we!). A woman today said, “You are going to have some huge muscles when you return home!”  I laughingly told Ashley that Michele Obama would surely be jealous of my “guns” after this trip.

                                     This carving was a delightful surprise along the canal

In our last lock, there was a 6-inch plank about 4 feet long blocking the gate from closing. Again, our trusty pole was engaged to dislodge the board. We were both concerned where that plank would end up in the lock. You must be so careful of obstacles hitting or attaching themselves to the prop. Luckily, it floated out of harm’s way.

David had found a marina where we could get fuel and coal in Croperdy. Getting through the narrow opening to the marina was a challenge but landing our boat at the fuel dock without bumping into other boats took everything out of David. When asked how much fuel David thought he needed by the attendant, he said about 130 liters. It ended up being 129.9 liters!

 We had to back off the dock and swing into the open space of the marina to turn and aim for the exit. It was like going out into the open seas with the wind whipping up the water.  David did a masterful job despite the difficulty.

We have enjoyed the small village of Croperdy which is filled with winding streets and brick buildings. Each August they host a Folk Festival which began in 1979. The pub where we dined today is called The Brasenose Arms. They still had all their Christmas decorations up and each place setting had a Christmas cracker. We took ours back to the boat to crack open on New Year’s Eve.

It is 4:45 and the wind is pushing us into the canal bank. Sure hope it settles down tomorrow.

Along our travels yesterday, we heard gunshots coming from across a meadow. They continued for quite some time and were a bit unsettling. David recognized them as sounds from shotguns and thought maybe they were hunting ducks.

Let’s review…did I cover food? Yes?   Weather?  Yes!  Locks? Yes!  My work is done.

 

Fun Boat names:  Goody Two Shoes       Satisfaction

   BOB…Both On Board

                      "Gypsie Wagons" used by some boaters alongside their permanent moorings

                                                               Landlocked canal boat

                                                          Flock of birds taking flight

                     Date of rebuild carved into side of canal lock, original canal was built in 1790

                              These geese chased our boat honking in disapproval the entire time

                                                   Thatched roof in Napton on the Hill

                                                           An impressive stone wall

                                                                    Get It?