Thames Gems

Here we are on a River and the Thames it be.
We left our home for the last month of the Kennet and Avon to lurch ourselves into river life for a bit.  We left Newbury on Monday, travelled to Aldermaston, then onto Pangbourne, Shillingford last night and we are now in Abingdon.  Pretty little place, I had a break from my kitchen duties and went and sat in the Abbey gardens, reading my fabulous book.  Lovely.

Travelling through Reading was great, seeing it from the water was odd but very cool.  For anyone that knows that part of the K&A, OMG!!!  It is mental!  The boat took a right old beating that day!  On the approach to the town centre there is a large bridge, going round a tight corner and a lock at the end of the corner!  Quite impossible to manoeuvre a 70ft steel beast around I tell you! (Or more accurately he boss would!)  I nearly got bumped into the drink several times, trying to keep control with the rope, failing badly! Our bedroom looked like it had exploded and them been sat on by a giant!
 Then you have a lock and some traffic lights to get into town, then this mental lock which was like the Crystal Maze!!  Reading, you sure did make certain that Tuesday was not dull!  We tiredly limped to Pangbourne Meadows and parked up with a load of Gin palaces.  I was not jealous of the people having cocktails on there boat roof terrace at all as I slogged up the path to find a mooring at half 7 with 2 more hours of work left!!

The bird life on the Thames is certainly more prolific, Herons, Great Crested Grebes, lots of Red Kites (not on the water clearly!), many varieties of duck and goose, not all of which I know.  I know one!!
Babies babies everywhere.  I have seen in the last couple of days, Coot babies, Moorhen babies, Canada Geese babies, Mallard babies, Another type of goose babies and Swan babies!
If a baby swan is a cygnet, what is a baby Coot???  Hmmmm, wonderingment of the day.

Off to Oxford tomorrow yey!

Smile moment of the day:  My guests telling me how lovely my food is.
Foody moment of the day:  Successfully making Millionaire shortbread with my own caramel and pork pies for lunch!
Achievement of yesterday:  Successfully managing to steer the boat, no crashing, no angry boaters, no bird injuries!  Even went under a bridge! Weeeeeeee.
Thing to remember of the day:  Keep Green Bouys to the right and Red to the left when going upstream!!!  Do not forget or get this confused Rosieness!

Back to my kitchen, for smoked salmon soufflee, chicken and coconut casserole and lemon trifle!

Rxxx