The Abandonned "Rock of Gibralter"

 Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th June 2025 in Thrupp.

 As we were having breakfast, we noticed a cow meandering rather randomly across the huge field. She was limping badly from the hip and didn't seem to know where she was going. After getting halfway across the field, she lay down and we were worried that she might not get up. After half an hour or so so got up and resumed her slow random progress.

We relieved to see the arrival of a Landrover which drew up in front of her. The driver got out and encouraged her to limp slowly back to the end of the field from which she had come. It was painfully slow progress.

This doesn't seem to have been treated as anything unusual, so we imagined the farmer saying in a resigned sort of way, "Oh dear, Daisy's gone off wandering again, I'll go and get her back".

The day was quite overcast and there is not much of interest on this stretch so M didn't take many photos. Our overnight mooring was in the middle of nowhere and the birdsong was really lovely but unusual in its volumn and variety.   

On Wednesday morning we set off through very wooded countryside.

Last November, this whole section of river and canal was flooded after heavy rain. Two boats ended up on the towpath when the water receeded. One was teetering on the towpath and the owner gave it a shove to get it back in the water - and it promptly sank. This boat nearby is still there and nobody is quite sure what to do about it as there is absolutely no access anywhere near it - so it still sits there.

We stopped at Enslow Marina for water; luckily Richard was there and we had a good catch up. Sadly Tiff was away for the day; we were disappointed to have missed her.

 After Enslow, we passed the "Rock of Gibraltar" pub opposite which MM was launched in 2011 and where we had a joyful celebration. It was a wonderful day. Sadly, the pub is now closed and the lovely gardens have reverted to wild.

We moored up in Thrupp. For once we were able to moor beside the main street, which is normally full but this time there were two spaces free!

Every year, M always plants geraniums and lobelia in troughs in the well deck and they usually make a very impressive display. But for some reason this year the geraniums have hardly done anything while the lobelia are blooming like mad. M thinks that the geraniums may have been a later flowering variety, so we still live in hope that they will flower eventually.  (note from M: they did!!!).

Today: 5 miles,2 locks and 3.1 hours.

Trip: 124 miles, 58 locks and 61.1 hours.