It was a cold grey blustery day, but we wanted to see what Windsor was like, before the current starts up again, and the locks get closed for their Winter maintainence. It took us four pleasant, but uneventful hours to cruise 'dogma' down the river. Stopped for lunch by the racecourse, and negotiated the last couple of twisty bends into town, without getting rained on.
When we got there, there were hordes of swans, tourists, and trip boats. Not the sort of place we'd have a peaceful night at, so we turned around just past the Windsor/Eton footbridge, and moored up by the leisure centre. Where we found a big bag of smokeless coal, abandoned underneath a tree. Bonus.
Enjoyed a nice stroll around Windsor and Eton, but felt out of place with my scruffy clothes, Sumo, and wooly hat. The town centre was like everywhere else in the UK, except that it had a massive castle stuck in the middle of it. There were plenty of bourgeois 'bistro' type eating establishments all around, but nowhere evident that sold vegetables or "foodstuffs". No butchers, bakers, or greengrocers. We found it a bit pedestrianised, sterile, and dull. It boasted all the big brand shops you can find everywhere else in the UK, but it had no character left. We could have been anywhere at all. Thankfully, Eton (just across the bridge) with it's red brick buildings, art galleries, and expensive gents outfitters, at least, felt a bit more 'historic'.
Boveney lock was very picturesque, and the lock keeper was very friendly and helpful. But it's going to be closed from 1st to 27th of November, so it's unlikely we'll be coming down this far again.
Our mooring spot was very quiet and peaceful, despite the railway bridge being so close. There was a cat on the Dutch barge behind us, but thankfully Sumo didn't see it.
It was very cold in the morning, but the engine started up OK, and we enjoyed a lovely sunny cruise back to the jetty at Bourne End. Didn't ram into anything, or crash into any bridges. And we negotiated all the locks without embarrassing ourselves. So all-in-all, another successful voyage. Curiousity satisfied.
When we got there, there were hordes of swans, tourists, and trip boats. Not the sort of place we'd have a peaceful night at, so we turned around just past the Windsor/Eton footbridge, and moored up by the leisure centre. Where we found a big bag of smokeless coal, abandoned underneath a tree. Bonus.
Enjoyed a nice stroll around Windsor and Eton, but felt out of place with my scruffy clothes, Sumo, and wooly hat. The town centre was like everywhere else in the UK, except that it had a massive castle stuck in the middle of it. There were plenty of bourgeois 'bistro' type eating establishments all around, but nowhere evident that sold vegetables or "foodstuffs". No butchers, bakers, or greengrocers. We found it a bit pedestrianised, sterile, and dull. It boasted all the big brand shops you can find everywhere else in the UK, but it had no character left. We could have been anywhere at all. Thankfully, Eton (just across the bridge) with it's red brick buildings, art galleries, and expensive gents outfitters, at least, felt a bit more 'historic'. 
Boveney lock was very picturesque, and the lock keeper was very friendly and helpful. But it's going to be closed from 1st to 27th of November, so it's unlikely we'll be coming down this far again.
Our mooring spot was very quiet and peaceful, despite the railway bridge being so close. There was a cat on the Dutch barge behind us, but thankfully Sumo didn't see it.
It was very cold in the morning, but the engine started up OK, and we enjoyed a lovely sunny cruise back to the jetty at Bourne End. Didn't ram into anything, or crash into any bridges. And we negotiated all the locks without embarrassing ourselves. So all-in-all, another successful voyage. Curiousity satisfied.
