Ken went to a quiet pub just across the bridge to get away from his two odd travelling companions. It was so quiet it didn’t look open but the door was unlocked and I went into the kind of pub I was hoping to find. No live music with a “crowd pleasing” musician playing country roads, West Virginia take me home in front of a crowd of Americans like the last one. Just a few older folks catching up on the local affairs with the proprietor. Nice and warm and dry so I bought a dollop of Irish whiskey and had a seat next to a guy my age. Turned out he was passing through too, in a caravan. It took me a minute to understand that it was trailer, not an RV and once I did I asked him if it was the same size as the one in the Father Ted episode. That broke the craic wide open and we spent the next hour yakking it up about Father Ted, old cars and music.. It was gratifying to show him some good Canuck stuff he hadn’t heard of, even some Irish musicians he had never encountered. I must say that this was the pub experience I had been looking for and off we went after only a couple back to our lovely wives!
Casting off.Oh no!Whew. Made it.The swallows were flying on this calm morning. A hundred birds had been sitting on the wire over the lift bridge.Some times you needed the binoculars to find the next buoys.And then the drizzle and mist starts. These are what count as “hills” here. We were expecting some topography along the river but it was almost completely flat, with the exception of the esker hills bt the old monastery.Only five locks on this section of the river, which meant only five opportunities for Captain Bligh to yell at what he considers his slow inept rope crew. No comment from the captain as he has to live with the crew he would have preferred to keelhaul. We had a great chat with the lock keeper. First he gave us a gold medal for being the first through the lock tat day. He also told us that as this is the first lock for boaters who start from the Carrick base, and many are inexperienced, he sees some interesting performances from the newbies. The worst was when an old man fell off of boat full of guys who had had beer for breakfast and they left without noticing he was hanging onto an emergency chain in the lock with no life jacket The lock keeper had already left and it was a guy mowing the lawn who heard his cries. The Swiss boaters were already at the next lock and hadn’t even noticed the guy was missing. The next lock keeper told them to count who was on the boat. Oops. Apparently they didn’t learn the lesson and were back at the Guiness for breakfast the next morning. Luckily the guy who fell wasn’t terribly injured. By that standard we had a very proficient performance. (Terry’s thoughts: oooh, is this Ken admitting Peter and Terry were good rope crew?!? Will wonders never cease?) Oh and he hates Trump. A common sentiment especially during Trump’s visit to Ireland to go golfing. We’re glad he’s flying out of Dublin a few days before we are. Top of the morning to yas…is what they said to us. A very short stretch of canal. This is what we were used to on previous boating trips and, to be honest, I much prefer the canals over a wide river and lakes. Peter 3D printed these. Ken thought this tree was giving someone the finger. This guy was literally five feet from the front of the boat and just wouldn’t move. No swans were harmed in the making of this photo.This boat eventually passed us and they yelled out that it was the slowest race ever. Ken told them that on our first boat he was outrun by a 4 yer old on a tricycle who seemed to be having a great time racing the boat. Keep the red to your left and green to your right.Ken was just starting to back into this spot when the engine quit. Peter and I were already in our rope crew positions and had to hold on because our boat slid forward and hit a boat on the other jetty. Ken had to jump down to the inside wheel to try to restart it, which he did. Then he managed a perfect reverse into the spot. We smashed right between the big boat and the green dinghy. No boats or ducks were harmed in the making of this photo. Patiently filling the water tank.Peter sees a map with a walking trail past points of interest so off we go again. 👣I think these are wind harps. His name is Harvey. He’s a labradoodle puppy. Adorable.Two “take one-leave one” libraries, one for children’s books. I have to admit to acquiring a new book even though I had lightened my load by leaving a book in Ballyleague. Maybe Ken will carry it for me. (Ken’s thoughts: eh, no!) Pretty cool to think this was a lovely tree for a couple hundred years and now is a lovely sculpture for a couple hundred more. Hee hee… A dog’s lending library… With sticks.European Robin. Every utity box in this town is decorated. Carrick is a constant winner of the Ireland Tidy Town competition. And it is easy to see why. 100 Kurdish refugees had been sent to Carrick in 2005 by the Irish immigration center. They found a welcome in this town and set up this garden boat as a thank you. Carrick has several memorials to the Irish Potato Famine. The Earl Grey girls – between 1848 and 1850 over 4000 mostly orphaned female workhouse inmates were transported to Australia. This was apparently to reduce numbers of people in the work houses, address the shortage of females in Australia and provide servants. Named after Earl Gray, the secretary of state for the colonies. See the Irish choral scholars video of a song called orphan girl to get a personal view of how it happened. But Earl Grey Tea was named after a previous Earl Grey who was a Prime Minister in the 1830s.Famine pot. There were so many people in the work houses they had to use the huge pots to make soup. Down to the Famine Memorial Garden. This is actually where the dead from the workhouse were buried en masse. The fountain starts when you walk past the motion sensor. The health center is attached. They have a cow and sheep in their garden for a touch of whimsy. We did not make it past this sweet shop. The “I had an ice cream and you didn’t” competition continues! For Mary Ann. Oh no. Ken found a used and rare book store… With music. Turns out the guy was from Canada long ago and the two of them spent an hour talking books and music and old cars and more music and more old cars.See the piece of wood in the photo below? That would be the piece of art called Redwood 2013.Ken was disgusted. He says he has many such artworks lying around his yard. Terry’s thoughts: maybe he should clean up all that artwork lying around our yard. Evidence of the nap. The library. This is made with plastic bottle tops! That’s amazing. I have to say – I really like this town and it deserves the award! The dog was going down to the water and the nasty swan paddled across the marina to hiss at it. The dog wasn’t even close to it. The owner pulled the dog right away. I don’t think swans are nice people.Then this guy swam over as I was getting out of the boat – no parents in sight but he has already learned to mooch. I gave him some bites of apple which he ate…then turned his nose up at it after a while and kept asking for something better. Time for our friends to get packed up as it is our last night on the boat. The adult swan in the back has a dead leg lying over his back. He’s swimming okay but I suspect he cannot fly. I told the LeBoat girl and she emailed Ireland Waterways, whom she says look after the swans in the rivers. The River Shannon is extremely popular with fisherman and the swans get caught up in the fishing line. Poor thing. But his begging skills are still superior. Unlike England, Ireland has a bottle return policy for cans and plastic bottles. The city has set up these bins if you want to donate them. Otherwise, there are places to get your deposit back but you have to insert your can or bottle individually so it can read the bar code. Compare that to the LLB bottle depot where people show up up with a truckload of bags full of bottles. Sad to leave my carnation behind. I hope someone keeps it. Needed a cart for all our bags. And to think we arrived a month ago with a small backpack each. Ken is NOT impressed. He’s back. Breakfast. Hot chocolate in Ireland comes with whipped cream and marshmallows. The Brits could learn something from this.Actually everything seems to come with five pounds of whipped cream. We had left some food on the boat and the flowers I’d found in Dublin over a week ago. But we met a couple from Virginia who were just starting out and happily took all of our leftovers. Including my carnations. Even the train station won an award for Best Station. Ken told the station manager that he’d been in a lot of train stations over the past few years and this was by far the nicest one. She was right pleased 😊Too bad my mouth was full of toast! One final 3 km walk in the rain.
Now to try to pack…a feat of Tetris.
As usual, once we get home and rest in one place for a bit, we’ll look at this trip from a different perspective. But for now, we are grateful for the experience…and we are tired…and broke😬 . Good thing we paid for the plane tickets months ago 😜.
There was a huge storm during the night. Even behind the breakwall we could feel the waves in the marina, moving the boat around and sloshing the water in our tanks. The weather has not been our friend on this trip, although we never had driving rain while driving the boat, mostly cold wind and drizzle.
But the day started out dry.Get out of the way! There are usually toilets and sometimes showers at the marinas. You get a smart card with “units” when you pick up the boat and use it to access shore electricity (2 units) and showers or water. Although you don’t always need the card. Swan butt. I found this sign odd. I could understand if it said “danger deep water”. But I think most people could tell there was water present. This town has an outfit called “Access for All” – they offer river cruises for people in wheelchairs. This boat has a front ramp which lowers down so you can push the chairs on. Very refreshing to see.We’ve seen a few solitary cormorants along the way. They are smaller and lighter coloured than our double crested black cormorants back home. The buoys are all numbered so that if you run into trouble you can pinpoint your location. We were supposed to tie up to this jetty but this woman was having a bath (shampooing her hair and all) and wouldn’t get out of the way. So we had to circle around even though the guide said not to. Some people’s kids. Oh well. But it did make Peter want to go for a swim too.We had to go under a lift bridge. But had to wait for the truck to get off.This boat has about 6 inches to spare before the water comes sloshing in. Ken was careful to not create too much wake.Not the best photo but we’ve seen a lot of crested grebes. It’s our buddy from last night, patiently waiting for the lock keeper’s lunch to be over so we can go through the lock. Ken was pretty tired so we decided to stay in this small town as it was the last opportunity for mooring for a couple of hours. Peter and I off for another walk. No, please don’t! Sigh. Waiting out the rain under the trees. It never lasts long. The weather here changes constantly – sunshine, drizzle, sunshine, cloud, drizzle, sunshine, rain – all in the space of 2 minutes. Poor BugSnax. I’ve carried them on so many long walks but never brought them out until today.
After a scrounged supper, Ken went off to the local pub. He’s been disappointed as the villages along the river have been few and far between and he has not been getting the Irish pub music that he was hoping for. But last night he met a fellow that he could at least talk music with and even introduced him to some Irish groups and music that the Irishman hadn’t heard of. And of course Ken promoted his weekly radio show. He’d had a similar experience in a bar in Dublin with another music aficionado.
Look who made supper last night?We left quite early for us (800 am) as there was a big lake to cross -(takes 4 hours) and it is not recommended when its windy. Beautifully calm. But it doesn’t last. Ken had to pee. We didn’t get rained on but it was cold. We had to use binoculars to find some of the buoys – you would run aground without the way markers. I hardly took any pictures on the lake as there was really nothing to see.Arrival in Lanesborough and Ballyleague. Separate towns in separate counties on either side of the river. I dropped a book off. First one of these libraries that I’ve seen with “easy” reads. I think us boat people drop them off.Ballyleague is promoting beautification and ecological sustainability. They’ve set up an easel for artists to use for painting. No clue what this is supposed to represent.There was a curcular goose and duck pond. Strange orange knob on his beak. There was an escapee!Not sure what they mean by “semi-native” but off Peter and I go on another hike. The pink caught my eye. How cute is this little fairy door!I got turned around on this trail but Peter knew where we were and a lovely couple and their dog Lady pointed us in the right direction.Terminator Squirrel. Not sure this is appropriate for a children’s playground.Ken had ice cream yesterday and Peter didn’t, so Peter had to even the score.Our neighbour in the marina. Waiting for the laundry. Don’t tell Peter that Ken got another ice lolly.Ken thought this raffle for a Load of Turf was pretty funny and asked if they delivered to Canada. Sadly not. But the store owner gave Ken a chunk of turf. I don’t think we can bring it back but apparently it is “cooked” and there is nothing left alive. We could smell turf burning in Shannonbridge. We’ve now seen two big derelict power plants that used to generate power using peat. Waiting for our supper. Where is Chef Scott when you need him?For Mary Ann. Catholic.This was so sad. They lost their 4 year old son in January and their 7 year old in April. Was there some disease happening in 1959?Church of Ireland.As a forester, I should have taken the time to follow the tree trail.Oops. We have seen loads of boys in every village fishing. The River Shannon is a fishing mecca and it was good to see so many kids outside instead of on their screens. And by themselves too, quite often. We noticed tha in England, too – lots of outdoor play, like when Ken and I were growing up (be in when the streetlights came on).
And off we go, leaving Portumna. We overnighted at the base.First of only five locks.Our first lock and who do we meet? Aiden was the person who gave us a very in-depth briefing on the boat. He was on the river rescuing a boat. He called across to Ken to not to do that too. We will find it to be very different from the canals we’ve done in the past.The boat on the right got its rudder caught up in a steel chain, so they are bringing it back to Portumna. Because of the winds and the current, you can’t simply tow the boat. It has to go side by side.Our turn in the lock with a small sailboat and another cruiser. After all the maneuvering the lock-keeper told Ken that he passed the test. Made the old geezer glow with pride.Peter wanted to walk over this long footbridge but there was nowhere to stop.The river is actually very wide, so I find I always have to use a zoom to get larger objects.No speeding, Ken.Coming into Banagher, our stop for the night.No electrical hookup here but bathrooms and showers. We try to use shore facilities when possible. Unfortunately the wall was quite high and it wasn’t easy to get on and off the boat.I named him Sid. He knew a sucker when he saw one and came swimmungcright over.We have seen no geese, but lots of ducks and some swans. England was the opposite, tons of geese and barely any ducksA multi-tasker.Peter brought an army but he didn’t pull them out until we were on the boat.BlueGreen AlgaeEuropean Robin. So cute. The old fortifications. Now changing rooms and toilets for the pool. This outdoor pool is fed by the river. Pretty cold, I think, but ladies were swimming.Peter was worried taking this picture would be disrespectful but I said I thought the little girl would be happy to know someone was thinking of her.
Then off to ShannonBridge…
Don’t leave me, Ken!!!Ken modelling his new Irish toque. It’s actually been quite cold and drizzly at times. The weather here changes constantly throughout the day. I had to run outside and take a picture of this camper van for Ken. Don’t ask why he couldn’t go himself, I have no idea. Old toll house?This dog would drop his ball over the gate so people would throw it for him.Dum dum dum dum (theme from Jaws, as Ken didn’t get the reference). A candle for Mary Ann.He looks in bad shape but the guy in the grocery store next door says he lives in the house next door. So that make five cats we saw in England and 1 cat in Ireland. I have more cats than that living in my house.My little moth wife What fun to have two donkeys in the backyard of the house beside the marina.Yet another ancient bridge with an old Fort, which is now privately owned. Old fortifications to prevent attacks on the bridge by the French during the Napoleonic wars…although Napoleon never actually invaded Ireland. Probably thought it was too cold and drizzly.Trust Peter to find a trail to walk down.They were lying down in the field but when they saw us the cows got up and started walking towards us. I should turn this into a flip book.Musket holes.The small armed army…I got the impression this was a communal grain thrashing rather than the name of a band.Snail cemetery. Peter was going to pick up more snail shells but realized they were all broken. He figures the birds were eating them. Must have been French birds enjoying their escargot.View of the fort from the bridge. There are very few bridges that we’ve gone under, all dating violently 1700s or early 1800s and several have old forts protecting them.Only one outlet for shore power so Peter set up in the dining area. There are 2 USB ports and one outlet hooked up to boat battery but the latter is taken up by the WiFi. Fun trying to keep everything charged up.Off we go the next morning. I’m not posting tons of photos from the cruising part because it’s all the same, flat terrain, wide river, thick reed beds on both sides, no villages, and only the occasional swan or other boat. We stopped at this ancient monastery. Someone’s dog stepped right in the middle.When we left this sign was lying on the ground. The parking guy said the bull uses it for a scratching post and keeps knocking it over. We never did meet the bull. Luckily Ken was not wearing his red jacket. A lot of tour busses here today.The guy very kindly let Peter take some pictures and gave him some treats.Arriving in Athlone, a larger center.Rope crew has to wear life jackets in the lock. I found it ironic that the one person on the boat who didn’t have to wear a life jacket can’t swim! Many memorials to the rebellion of 1916.A hopeful but ultimately disappointed duck.Peter survived the mobbing by pigeons and ducks.
I have to admit, once the Thames River Path walk was over, I didn’t have much energy to keep up with the blog. But here we go again, for our last week.
We spent September 3rd in London, flew to Dublin on the 4th from Heathrow, spent the 5th and 6th in Dublin, then travelled by train and bus to Portumna to pick up our boat for our cruise up the River Shannon.
I must ask why it’s the River Shannon and the River Thames, as opposed to the Shannon River, as we would call it.
Central London along the Thames, with its Parliament Buildings and newer buildings, seems shiny and clean and is expensive. In stark contrast, while it was also inundated with tourists, Dublin was old and somewhat gritty. Not dirty, just not polished like London.The streets along the Liffey were lined with small independent shops, pubs and restaurants, not much for tourist junk, and very few buildings more than a handful of stories high. It all comes down to where the money is.
Oops. I put Peter’s snail shells to soak so we could wash them and this little guy was alive – he had crawled out of his bath (luckily I hadn’t added any soap). So we took him outside and tucked him in the garden. Happy to say he was still alive and moving the next morning. We got pretty good at the trains and underground travelling back and forth as we were finishing our Wal. Hammersmith is a great place to stay, with easy access to the underground and direct route to Heathrow. I suspect he makes a pretty good living at this. Really REALLY long escalator. We went to see The Mousetrap – mostly because it is iconic and the longest running play ever…since 1951…a run which only COVID has disrupted. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Would have loved to gone to this but it’s in two parts – a few hours in the afternoon and the rest in the evening. Peter was happy to find these waffle ice creams that he’d had in Japan (in 2008 – his memory is phenomenal). I need an Air Floorce One in my house! And maybe even an Air Floorce Two. Our house for four nights. Who needs Google Maps? As we left our house for the 800 m walk to the grocery store, I spotted this little lady marching very determinedly down the street and figured she was heading to the store too. So we just followed her… Every cafe and pub serves hot chocolate. My morning staple. Sorry, Ken. No. St Patrick’s Cathedral. Disappointing as it was filled with cruise ship passengers. A tourist trap instead of a place of peace and reflection. But the floor was lovely… And unusual for a Cathedral. The band was setting up… The candles were an afterthought apparently, shoved against a pillar, instead of at a chapel or icon. Regardless, I lit one for Mary Ann, who has always held her Irish heritage close to her heart. They use these pencil posts in front of the schools! Peter spotted this fox in the creek by our house. Ken had also seen a fox as we left the Angel Pub in London. Fox plus heron on the grass. I have to pay good money for a small fuschia in a pot and here they grow them in bushes. Heavy sigh. We decided to take a boat tour on the River Liffey. According to the tour guide, this is the Irish navy. The Customs House, built by the British, burnt in 1916 by the Irish. I thought my sister Dana would love this. She’d be joining right in on this knitting bee. This was in the big emigration museum.This set of statues is called “Departure”. It is one half of a set, with the other half being in Toronto, with those statues called “Arrival”. Of note is that 7 people departed but only 5 arrived, because so many died on the voyage and were buried at sea. But the possibility of dying at sea and moving to a new unknown life in a different country was no deterrent when faced with starvation. It was interesting to see that Jean Chretien helped sponsor these statues as Canadian Prime Minister, but also as ordinary citizen John and Aline Chretien. British lion, Irish harp, Scot unicornThis was our tour boat. The Liffey is tidal, so we were pretty low when we went as it was low tide. This ice cream truck was whipping around the neighbourhood, playing Yankee Doodle Dandy. But it didn’t stop for me. More heavy sighs. Waiting for the taxi that never showed. Grrrr. So we had to call another and by the time he came, he said we would never make our train. But he did his best, whipped us as close to the platform as he could, told us which platform, and to run like heck. They actually held the train a few seconds for us. Whew. At the Ballinasloe train station. Given the anti-British sentiment here, it was surprising to see this post box from the King Edward the 7th era (1901 to 1910ish) survived. But all they did was paint it Irish green.I could read this. I could not read that. Our home for a week, a Crusader. It’s quite big as there were supposed to be five of us, possibly 6, and it turned out there were only three. 3 cabins and 3 bathrooms. That’s more bathrooms than our house has. Gotta love a poster showing a Canadian flag. This company (LeBoat) operates in Ottawa as well. It’s on our bucket list. Our first LeBoat canal trip was in 2005.
September 7 marked 25 years for Ken and me. And we’re still talking! ❤️
Ken’s windup. So this was it. The last day that ended at a pub, as it should. If I looked a bit pained in some of these pictures I have to admit my right knee was telling me all day that maybe Ive walked enough this year. Sort of hobbling by the end of the day. However to have followed this trail from essentially a trickle of water next to dried out pastures tripping over a plethora of animal shit and treacherous tree roots to this highly urban and wealthy epicentre of the British empire and tidewater was totally worth it to get a real sense of this great country. . To me it hits a lot of notes about myself right now to seeing just how focussed and determined Terry is day to day (even to pounding out this blog every damn day!) and how solid Peter is now that he is in the long walk groove. It kind of funny that it doesn’t have the same purposeful feeling as that other walks we’ve done but we’re ok with inventing one for ourselves.
Judgmental pigeon wondering why we are catching the tube instead of walking. Don’t worry. We will. Eventually. After the Uber boat ride. Do they leave them out all night in the rain? Only £1 per book.Putney Bridge. Just checking my stock portfolio or something like that. (Terry’s comment – I wish!) Meanwhile I’m out enjoying watching the Thames Path go by.Once featured on a pink Floyd album cover. The scrounger happily scrounging. I found this lovely piece of very old tile. Does that make me an official mudlarker now? So many details that you can easily miss.This face always happens when Ken tells her to look… Lambeth Palace.Monument to Special Operating Executives. 177 operatives sent into France during World War 2 to work with the French Resistance. The statue is of Violet Szabo, one of many who did not return.When I think of all those COVID deniers, here is the sobering truth. The National COVID Memorial Wall is about 1/2 kilometer in length. What a touching thing to do. Ken decided to do the tourist thing and go u in the London Eye… For a mere £117 pounds ($240 Cdn). Ouch. That is the same red rowing boat we saw when were on the Uber Thames Clipper. What? I missed another opportunity for high tea? I knew should have bought that “high tea” hat!That looks so…appetizing!?Skateboard. We watched a guy fly over the stairs and fall at the bottom. But he just kept popping up and trying again (I would still be on the ground whimpering after the first fall). He made it on the 7th try and I heard him say “finally”. He got a big round of applause from those of us watching. In all of our trips to London, we have yet to make it to St Paul’s Cathedral. I am not the only one who feeds the birds. He must feed them regularly as the swans would take the food out of his hand. Ken hired the “Poet for Hire”. He says he makes a steady income at this. Ken told him the story of our walk and this is what the Poet typed.Just a random giant lobster. Southwark Cathedral. I admit to getting emotional here. This for me was the end of our Thames River Path walk…because it was also the beginning of our Via Francigena pilgrimage in 2022 and the Francigena Britannica in 2025.On previous walks I found candles to light all across France, Switzerland, Italy and Spain. But Southwark Cathedral has been the only place to do so on this trip. But it seems fitting somehow, as this place means so much to me. So… The three top candles on the left top are for my friend Ethel who left us last November, for my friend Momma Mary to bring her joy, and for my friend Mary Ann to bring her peace. 44 panels. 10 years. 25 million stitches. Wow! The Belfast. This ship supported Canadian troops at Juno Beach during the DDay Landings. Last year Peter wanted to get the stuffed cat but he couldn’t as we were embarking on a 1200 km hike. So he said “some day” so apparently today was “some day”. The ship of course had a cat to keep rodents under control. Ken’s ancestor Jean Cote emigrated from Brittany to Quebec in 1635.Hays Galleria. Steam punk ship. The patiently waiting pose. A micro-park. Great idea. Tower Bridge. The end of the 2nd last stage of the Thames Path. The official end is the Thames Barrier but we walked that route in both 2022 and 2025.Tower of LondonTower BridgeKen was fascinated by this hole. This really symbolizes London to me. Nice shiny stuff on top of old garbage and debris which will in turn be old garbage buried in its turn. A living city I guess. We had not yet seen this post box – of Queen Victoria vintage. One of the originals. 1888.Shad Thames. Sticky Mango by Peter LloydThe other pilings had cans and bottles shoved in them but this was special. This is where they hung the pirates. Even by the end of the walk we still had hopes we’d meet a spot where Dave the Goblin had been. No luck in London. We had run across his sticker on signposts all over the Camino last year and he was almost an old friend. Dave, if you’re out there, get a hold of us? Their anti-climb paint didn’t stop me from sticking my phone through the fence to take a picture of their unfriendly garden. The last time we will see the acorn symbol of the Thames Path.I don’t know what those red things are for. We stopped at this pub in 2025. We are retracing our steps to Ken’s end point of this walk – the Angel Pub. The fountain wasn’t fountain-ing and the square was sadly not green.The dog was chasing a squirrel.HazelnutsTells the story of these statues. Ken’s end goal – his favourite pub. It literally hangs over the Thames. Waiting for our friend Nick, who is the Chair of the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome, which provides wonderful services for those embarking on the Via Francigena. We had met him at the Angel almost exactly a year ago. Attitude with a capital A! Nick. Hammersmith was our home for 6 nights. We were a 5 minute walk from the station. The 10.99 is actual walking distance.
The blog will continue in a couple of days – we have a day in London and then fly to Dublin on September 4th. We’ll have a couple days their and then get on our self-drive boat on the River Shannon for a week.
But this is the last post of the Thames Path portion.
Some days you can only walk as far as your jam will let you.
Yesterday’s walk was so different, at least for the first half from Kingston to Richmond Bridge. It was a bank holiday, the weather was ideal and the whole of London seemed to be out for a walk, a stroll, a jog, a bike ride. We always seemed to be within touching distance of other people. While I appreciated that so many people were out and about, families, couples, dogs, fathers and sons, sons and their old moms, it was difficult. Difficult to walk at a steady pace. Constantly dodging bicycles. I found it…annoying, especially having often had the trail to ourselves.
Luckily the last half was much less crowded and today’s walk was much better. Lovely wide trail, almost always in the shade. Watching the river change directions in late afternoon.
The day started with an early morning run to the launderette (be there for 8:00 am). Yay. At least on the way back I got to see this guy.
We’ve met two million, six hundred and thirty two thousand, five hundred and ninety one and a half dogs. This is only the 5th cat we have seen on our entire journey (not that I am counting, says the unapologetic cat lady). Looks like my second kitty Tequila (born 1987).Free outdoor pingpong. This is what helps make a livable city.7Finally a bank that might keep Scott and Peter in funds.Our ride. Tide is out. Someone was mad at this company!
We had to go past the gelato place again this morning. There’s various small businesses housed within the arches of Kew Bridge.
Ken was enthralled at this garage housed in one of the arches under Kew Bridge. Spotless and well organized. He will keep this as a fantasy in his mind forever. (In Terry’s too)I don’t how these palms are establishing themselves on the concrete embankment.He’s moulting.Certainly a river with a different, maybe grubbier? Personality from a few days ago. That’s tidal water for you.Boiled cabbage and carrots. But offset by a delicious cheese and beef shortcrust pie.Doris stared at me with big imploring puppy dog eyes the entire time I was eating my lunch. But when I tried to take her picture, she wouldn’t even look at me. We had a great conversation with her human. This is the first time we’ve seen this sign. It is admittedly a bit of a problem once the Path hits the population centers. These are stunning. We saw so few flowers on this trip as there have been hose bans during the heat wave and drought. This derelict building turned out to be the old Budweiser brewery. Parts of it have been turned into apartments. The shadow on the river is actually the shadow of an airplane approaching its landing at Heathrow. Watch the video below until the end (its only 22 seconds) to watch it. Throwing rocks in the river… I managed to capture the splash. I couldn’t tell what this was at first but realized it was a pile of baby Egyptian goslings. Mom and dad were nearby. See below. These four puppers were perfectly posed on the steps. The owner and I both pulled out our phones at the same time to get a photo – and the little rats all walked away. Should I put a polka dotted cow on my deck? I hate to (but must) admit these short-legged guys kept passing us! Such cool fungi on these old tree stumps. This poor tree still has its identification tag on it. Silver tag. The tide is starting to come in – I’m not sure what these geese and crow were picking at. Hammersmith BridgeI was struck by these two men sitting on separate benches staring at their phones. Why not share the bench and say hello? We look like we still like each other! We are heading to the Blue Anchor Pub. Ken and I enjoy watching British detective shows and just finished watching the full 12 seasons of New Tricks a few days before we left. In the final season the main characters often gathered at The Blue Anchor. It’s probably the main reason why I booked our hotel base in Hammersmith. A Chinook. One of only two living snails we saw. Usually we would see hundreds. Peter picked up a lot of shells. I guess they just could not survive the drought. What a great idea! Across the aisle from IKEA, which is not a separate big box store but part of a shopping center. IKEA food vending machine. What a cute little Volkswagen, just like my 1988 Westy.
Breakfast of champions. Top left. Lemon meringue for Terry. Bottom left. Jammie Dodger for Ken. Red velvet and a Homer Simpson for Peter. As chosen by Peter. This trip is Not a weight loss endeavour!This was also a free WiFi station, in addition to the defibrillator. Travelling back and forth between walking start/stop points and our Hammersmith hotel has involved: the District Line from Hammersmith to Earls Court. The Picadilly Line to Wimbledon. The Southwest Railway from Wimbledon to Kungston, to Shepperton, to Staines, etc. Ken’s morning coffee at Wimbledon.Kingston Bridge has a number of statues.Me taking a picture of Ken taking a picture of Peter taking a picture of the Hippo and Rabbit Woman.The UK coots are bigger than Canadian coots…unless the coots is Ken. But dont tell him I said that!The biggest bollard we’ve ever seen. Ken figures if you just let them grow they get that big. My eyes are starting to hurt from rolling so much. If it looks like Ken is doing something unsavory in public,(which he could do) in this case he is just unzipping his lower pants legs off for the serious walking to come.They tried to turn the tree stump into a chair but the stump is happily sprouting new shoots.A boat slum.I would like a turret. Ken, please build me a turret.I liked the variegated colours on the dachshund but their big brother wanted in the picture as well. He looks angry but he just wanted pets.Teddington Lock…divides the tidal and non-tidal portions of the Thames.Ken and Peter sharing a loving moment, maybe. Actually, Ken wrote that bit. I think Peter might say something different. Ham House.Sign for Sea Scouts.Such adorable floofballs! This is Ken thumbing his nose at Scott because Ken is having an Almdudler and Scott is not. I have never seen such a huge ginkgo tree.This barge is a puppet theatre. Not sure parking this old boat in front of the Keep our City Vibrant sign is the epitome of vibrancy. Tide is out. I did not know there were seals in the Thames. These two little guys were fascinated by a tiny pond in all those leaves and the big one was trying to get the little one to jump in. The duckweed is spectacularly green. I overheard a lady asking if it was blue green algae, as there have been several signs about not swimming and keeping your dogs out of the water. I told her it was duckweed, not the algae, and she was quite relieved. Apparently her hypochondriac friend had gone swimming and now thought she was going to die of liver disease. I told her the signs were old as there was no sign at all of the algae anymore, and other people were now swimming, especially with the river tidal or constantly flowing. I told her what it looks like in Lac La Biche when it’s in full bloom – as if someone had dumped a bucket of turquoise paint on the water. Now that we are in the tidal section of the Thames, we have to get used to seeing the river occasionally flowing the “wrong” way. We walk by, but not through, Kew Gardens.Parrots in London? They are rose-ringed parakeets. There are large flocks of them in London parks and we were lucky enough to see (and hear) them. They are very noisy – we also a flock of them chasing a Canada goose. I didn’t think anything could or would stand up to a Canada goose! Sometimes you need a bathroom, so you have to buy a gelato.By some stroke of luck, the bus back to Hammersmith stopped at the top of the stairs, so we didn’t need to navigate the underground and the trains. Heading to Hammersmith Station for some evening snacks.
Last night on our 2 minute walk from the subway to our hotel, Peter “the Eye” noticed some people in cosplay. He asked at the hotel if there was an anime convention – hotel staff looked it up and sure enough, there is an anime convention happening about a 10 minute walk from here. So, in yet another attempt to not be my mother, Peter went to the convention and Ken and I walked by ourselves today.
It took about an hour to get back to Shepperton and 2.5 km to get back to the river path. Being the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend, the path was often crowded with strollers joggers, cyclists, every café was crowded. Just a little too people-y for us, especially compared to the first few days when we met virtually no one.
And please note I took no pictures of swans and I fed no ducks.
I would buy flowers every day!I don’t think I should trust him with the guidebook after yesterday’s extra grinder walk.He was eating the blossoms on the bush. I want to be that guy. Lying back, feet up, someone else doing all the work, just floating down the river. Finally a wood dove willing to sit still long enough for me to get a picture! 3 options… This dog was in heaven, being brushed. As opposed to being registered with Rude and Inconsiderate Constructors.Each block talks about a point of interest but the whole thing is a giant sundial. You stood on the circle that had the current month, and your shadow would act as the short hand. It actually. Unfortunately silly me did not take a good photo of it. The girls decided to get a job for the day. The very nice ice cream man didn’t want to ruin the picture so he stayed out of sight. I always find it funny hearing Ken ask for his favourite orange “ice lolly”. These are nasty caterpillars – this species is only on oak trees. If you touch them, their hairs are toxic and can cause itchy skin rashes, sore throats and eye infections plus pets can get very ill. They are a reportable insect. Terry finally gets the drink she has needed for years. Please note that Ken wrote that. Ken is a good boy. Please note that Ken wrote that. I understand that they don’t want the throw bags stolen but… Someone could drown before you phone, get the code, get the throw bag, run to the bank… And hope the person is within your throwing distance. They use the same “phone for a code” system for all the AED/control heavy bleed g stations that are scattered everywhere. But quicker than calling 911.The trail was completely different going around the very large palace grounds. Sweet peas. Ken trying to guess the tree’s diameter or something like that maybe. How Romantic! Why is the train empty? And it’s disconcerting because you can see all the way to the other end.A very happy Peter loaded with loot from the Anime convention. He had a great time and connected with a few people.New buddies… James and… One of the vendors… Ty
As we are getting pressed for time because we are walking shorter distances than expected, we skipped the Windsor to Saines section (about 12 km). Instead, we taxied over to Staines and started from there.
We had our first day of rain and drizzle, and even some sunshine where it continued to rain. Go figure. But after months of drought here, the rain is welcome.
Last day of walking with packs as we are basing ourselves out of London (Hammersmith) for the rest of our time. And will travel back and forth daily.
The Queen’s Walk in Windsor. Ken had to have his morning coffee.How does McDonald’s actually believe they can be zero waste? As Scouts we often do roadside cleanup – we see a lot of McDonald’s “zero waste”. Not that it is McDonald’s fault that people litter. Peter took this photo. We’ve seen a few homeless people now who set up their spaces with little items. Some seem to try to sell them but others just seem to collect them. They also just leave their spaces untended. It’s sad. I don’t know what the solution is. Ken was freaked out by the big teeth in the upper windows. I thought this was a heron but now I realize it’s a kingfisher. I have yet to glimpse one on this trip. The London Stone (well, a replica). Richard 1 aka the Lion Heart needed money for the Crusades, so he sold the rights to the Thames to the City of London. This stone marks the boundary of where the City has the rights to. I think this is more swans? No idea who this is. But this is Ken. I suspect this building was once associated with the church, as there is an empty niche where a religious statue would fit nicely. Egyptian geese. I have never seen shiny completely black ducks before. AN MGB, about late 1960s. Apparently a sweetheart of a car.The tiny little sign above the “Respect squirrels” sign is anti-boat. Good luck with that campaign.Perhaps one of the original cabins before the tich people moved in? Why would anyone think this is fun? Says the person who seems to think endless walking is also fun.Trailer park. Somewhat unexpected.A fried haloumi burger. Yum. That’s quite the fishing net.What is fly grazing and why is it not permitted? More permanent house boat. First there was one. Terry catering to the moochers just like she does back home with deer. And as with the deer, first there was one, then the word spread and soon there was a crowd.Then there were twenty. The Thames path continues on the other side of the river. There is no bridge so you have to take a small pedestrian ferry. Time for ice cream! Lots of cool things in this place. Minor glitch with the signs to the train station so we had to walk along the “grinder” for a while. Thankfully there was a cycling lane. Maybe 1st Lac La Biche Scouts should attach a plaque to the post office, where we met for years…except it would say 1992.This was Sue. We both missed the train at the last minute so we got chatting. She was really helpful in giving us directions on the nest way to get to Hammersmith – train to Wimbledon (no tennis happening), switch to District line tube, get off at Earl’s Court and switch to Piccadilly line, then 2 stops and you’re there. She even tested us to make sure. She was very chatty, likes walking and boat trips, gave us suggestions for plays to see (The Mouse Trap has been playing for more than 70 years), and would have gone to Earl’s Court with us on the tube but the bus drops her closer to home. One benefit of walking are these special moments when you connect with a local.Ok. We didn’t actually walk 31.14 km (although we did walk 32 km in a day once on the Camino in Spain). I forgot to turn off MapMyWalk. We walked 10.69 km on the trail plus 2.5 extra to the train station.
