And finally (for now)...

We'll be back on board in 12 days' time, starting out on our next proper trip on Caracol. Meanwhile here is a gratuitous post of the saloon, during one of its brief spells at being tidy:

Despite the dire weather warnings, Sunday started out spectacular: sunny but very blustery. Having discovered Hugin recently (free software for stitching panoramas together from your snaps) I took this one from the bridge above our overnight moorings. It doesn't really do the scene justice - it was lovely with the may blossom blowing through the air like snowflakes - but I'm pleased with this, my first attempt:

We took advantage of the sheltered stretch of the canal through the tunnel and locks (very, very busy through the locks today) and moored up in Braunston at lunchtime, and finally took the opportunity to properly enjoy the sunny, blustery weather and explore nearby Wolfhamcote Church on foot.

Braunston seen from the track to Wolfhampcote

Bank Holiday Weekend - Braunston and beyond

There's a bit of a theme developing here. Undecided about what to do with the weekend, what with dodgy weather forecasts and the possibility of a trip to Crick for the boat show, we decided that the only thing to do was the same thing we pretty much always do and head to Braunston.

A cool and showery start to the day, which was good for the nutters runners in the Grand Union race (good luck to them: Birmingham to London down the GU towpath, about 145 miles) who came past us in fits and starts all day. Braunston was as busy as ever, probably full of canaloraks like us who can't keep away.

We had a relatively quiet run through the locks and on through the tunnel. It's nice to see that they have finally finished the work to fix the landslide at the tunnel mouth. It looks a bit stark now but it will green up in no time, I'm sure. They've fixed the drainage through the towpath too, which no longer runs with water from the slope of the cuttings above.

Then on to the junction with the Leicester arm, where we turned Caracol and moored, then walked to the top of Buckby Locks for a swift 'alf.

Once more, with feeling

Another entirely unremarkable but thoroughly enjoyable trip to Braunston for the weekend. An early start through Calcutt locks, then a quiet pootle to the village in time for lunch on the sunny terrace outside the Boathouse. Then a mooch around the village and church, picked up a very nice dinner from the (excellent) butcher, and took a walk up to the tunnel to look at the works finally going on to fix the landslip at the tunnel mouth. Then back again on Sunday morning. Lovely.

Back home...

Braunston back to the marina this morning, ready to head back home after lunch.

...and back

Early start to take Caracol to the spot where we could wind, and then a slow pootle back through Rugby, a town which touches the canal relatively lightly. The urban bits are there all right, but you could be forgiven for not spotting them for much of the route.

Bluebells again...

I've seen blue ones, of course, and I've seen white ones, but I don't think that I have ever seen pink ones before. These were in the hedge at the edge of the towpath where we moored last night.

On to Hillmorton

Enjoying the all-too-rare opportunity to cruise beyond our normal weekend range, we pressed on through the paired locks at Hillmorton and then through Rugby and Newbold.