First day in Bucharest

Think I got off the train here for a cigarette en-route to Amsterdam. Many years ago. Obviously, that doesn’t count as having visited a country.

Having met so many Romanians through work, it’s long summer and the fact that I originally planned to come here before I got made redundant have meant that I ‘stuck to my original plan’ and came here anyway.

Cycling

I brought my bike, with Wizz air this time.

It arrived with only a minor injury, the front brake disk has warped. This can happen very easily just a hefty weight for a couple of hours will warp the disk. It’s happened before whilst moving the boat around. Luckily, disks are easy to pick up. Got one today for £5.50 from the bike shop. Took 5 minutes to put on.

The bike is ready to roll!

Cost £161 with the bike from Luton if anyone is interested.

Looking around Bucharest

I haven’t yet. :)

Went out last night and got picked up by a working girl who took me around all the Gogo bars in town. Or at least it seemed that way. Prices are high. Having been to Thailand, a fact I didn’t mention to the girls, it really seemed like they were wasting their time. It was fun though. I did buy my companion a few drinks and by the time we finished off, I was pretty wasted.

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Cowroast to Leighton Buzzard

A late start after my bank holiday weekend boozing.

Managed to get going for around 11am.

Tring, which is the pound up, is the summit pound for the Grand Union south. On the Oxford Canal, the summit pound is Napton. It’s been closed south from Napton for the last 2 months.

There was plenty of water in Tring.

Day of locks

Bonnie at the locks
Bonnie at the locks

No let up with the locks, probably about 12-15 individual locks for a 6 hour day.

The countryside is less urban. More rural. There’s livestock or arable farmland in the fields. Not sounds of traffic or airplanes, or motorways. It’s all quite and serene.

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King’s Langley to Cowroast

Basically a full day of locks.

Locking up - Apsley Grand Union
Locking up – Apsley Grand Union

Bank holiday Monday. The sun was out, birds singing. After catching my fish, I managed to get an early start at around 8am. When I finished the day, maybe it was 7.30pm. Stopped for about 20 mins for lunch. So almost 11 hours sailing to the day.

Had a few drinks on the way. Dropped in at Aldi.

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Bratchworth to King’s Langley

Bratchworth to Kings Langley
Bratchworth to Kings Langley

Slow starting Sunday, the weather was bright and sunny which made the last few locks coming out of London pleasant in the bright, warm sunshine.

Saw some nice boats coming out and around Rickmansworth to Cassio, through Watford.

Baltic - The Ice Breaker - Cassiobury Grand Union
Baltic – The Ice Breaker – Cassiobury Grand Union

These aren’t sunk.

The people obviously take care of them….

Cassiobury

Last stop on the Tube… Technically, out of London as you come out of Watford and Cassiobury. There’s a large country park in Cassiobury and crowds gather to walk their dogs, escort their children to take in the woods and waterways and suchlike. A park scene.

The End of the Line - Watford Grand Union
The End of the Line – Watford Grand Union

I was locking up at this time. And coming through the park, there were many visitors watching me and taking pictures of Bonnie.

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Hanwell to Batchworth – Bonnie in Wonderland

Hanwell to Batchworth

Only 15 miles. For a full 10 hours of sailing.

Double locking

To get out of Hanwell, we doubled up, me and a boat from Penkridge I’d met the previous day queuing up for Teddington Lock.

Double locking
Tying up boats – Double locking

Probably cut the locking down from 3 hours to 1 hour and 40 minutes. What we basically did was tie the tow boats together. I went and set the locks for the coming boats and another crew member opened the locks to let the boats out. Third crew member was steering the boats.

We all did our jobs impeccably. It led to a lot less effort in me having to climb out of the boat and up the side of the lock ladder each time to help with the locks.

Double locking - Hanwell flight
Double locking – Hanwell flight

I had to stop for water at the top. I met the same boat later on in Uxbridge where they stopped for the night. I carried on.

It was really slow going on the GU. I’d put that down to the amount of moored boats I had to come past which is at a snails pace, 2mph or less usually.

I managed 15 miles in a day of around 9 hours.

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