Row, row your boat...

Click the pic to see animated Gif of the boat ride


We have always lived by the sea and now we live in Coventry which is smack in the heart of the UK, and as far as possible from the sea as you can get. The guy upstairs was really testing us. The nearest beach is 5 hours drive West to our old haunt, Aberystwyth or East to unchartered (yet) Norfolk. Luckily, we are surrounded by canals, rivers and lakes.

The highlight for me was when we went for a narrowboat ride during the weekend. We'd always fancy living on a narrowboat and this was the next best thing. We started from the Coventry Canal Basin which was opened to traffic in 1769.

The rest of the passengers, including Kevin, were seated in the cabin. But not me. I sat outside on the helm with 2 young boys and their grandfather, happily clicking away. It was a very slow ride meandering through the waters.

Alongside the canal, there were people fishing, cycling and walking. Old industrial buildings were replaced by modern housing developments and offices. Some distinctive old buildings have been saved including the Daimler Power House and Cash's Hundred Houses, now converted to canalside flats. Electric Wharf, Conventry's first power station , was converted into live/work units and commercial offices in 2005.

The only complaint about the trip was that the canal was full of rubbish and overgrown. More should be done to promote this historical waterway. It passes through some of Coventry's important industrial heritage and past life. There's also a green corridor, thriving with wildlife and even a unique outdoor art gallery. I am considering to volunteer with the Urban Rangers which regularly do canal clean-ups and on the plus side another narrowboat ride for me.

We also checked out Draycote Water Reservoir near Rugby. The site was packed with visitors who are either running, walking, cycling, skating, fishing or sailing. But we were more interested in the antics of the swallows flying in and out of the beams, feeding their young. Wagtails were playing hide-and-seek among the rocks and terns making use of an anchored boat as a creche. The bird hide was too far for Kevin to walk to. Next time, we must remember to bring the scooter with us.

On the way home, drove through Dunchurch with its lovely thatched cottages. The town was wellknown for its involvement during the Gunpowder Plot. Unfortunately, we couldn't stop and wander around. Definitely next rendezvous...

KS is leaving us to try her luck in the capital. We'd a party in a lovely 18th century timber building which houses the Pizza Express. I was more interested in the interior than the food. It was kinda fantastic for the building with its original fixtures and painted walls to withstand the hustle-bustle of modern living. I bet the house never dreamt that its gonna be a pizza parlour when it grew old. They kept on topping KS glass. Bet she will have a serious hangover.

The next day, another leaving do for KS. I contributed spring rolls and prawn crackers to the pot-luck. The table was heaving. Laughter, hugs and tears all rolled into one. All the best, KS.