We have a mooring slot at Springfield Marina (on the river bank) for another week). The security has been improved, so that should prepare us for returning to the big wide world of 'continuous cruising'.
We are moored outside the bar but I will move the boat up to its temporary mooring after work tonight.
Feelin tired, 'headachey' and full of hay fever.
Our tresspassers also robbed the cafe across the river. Took some computer games.
Friday, 29 May 2009
280509
On bus - 253. They've got the bloody heating on.
Went to the marina office this morning and met Guy - the general manager. Lesley is not in until tomorrow morning.
270509
Our tresspassers are described by a fellow boater. A stocky black man and a tall thin white man. Very agressive. Saw them sitting on the back of our boat - having got on board another - the red wide beam by the footbridge.
Back on the boat checking on the work done to the doors.
Return from M and Vs (and A) in Breda.
Checked the Mark / Dintel and the Albert Canal on Google.
Found a young bird on the path on the way to Breda rail station.
Long walk out to end of Albert Canal on outskirts of Antwerp.
Good cheap hotel in the diamond district. Massive bedroom with kitchenette and big bathroom.
30 kilometre plus bike ride out to Wagenberg from Breda. Crossed the Mark by ferry. Lovely harbour and community.
Cycling with the baby trike and S on V's bike.
Electrical storm over Breda on our last night. Monday night.
Took A to the park on our last day and met up with V later for a meal and coffee.
Saw a black and white rabbit in the park and A chased. Also saw soldiers and baby moorhens 2 and ducklings.
Wandered around Breda during the Jazz Festival and had a brunch with M, V and A.
A drunk on the train. We go 1st class on recommendation from V. A nice compartment to ourselves.
Had lovely spag bol in Cafe des Artistes in Antwerp. Nice beer too (Martin's Pale Ale and Blond Leffe).
Ferry trip boat moored in Antwerp and walked past the closed maritime museum.
Had a drink in the Princess ? - a 'flotel' in one of the old docks in Antwerp.
Discussion on whether to upgrade on Eurostar. Decide not worth it. Played scrabble on way back. S wins by 4 points - pipping me at the last.
Back at flat around 8. Play some AEF strings and unpack whilst S goes to get spare boat key from D who's been for an interview and the ask him to do three weeks unpaid probation.
Back on the boat checking on the work done to the doors.
Return from M and Vs (and A) in Breda.
Checked the Mark / Dintel and the Albert Canal on Google.
Found a young bird on the path on the way to Breda rail station.
Long walk out to end of Albert Canal on outskirts of Antwerp.
Good cheap hotel in the diamond district. Massive bedroom with kitchenette and big bathroom.
30 kilometre plus bike ride out to Wagenberg from Breda. Crossed the Mark by ferry. Lovely harbour and community.
Cycling with the baby trike and S on V's bike.
Electrical storm over Breda on our last night. Monday night.
Took A to the park on our last day and met up with V later for a meal and coffee.
Saw a black and white rabbit in the park and A chased. Also saw soldiers and baby moorhens 2 and ducklings.
Wandered around Breda during the Jazz Festival and had a brunch with M, V and A.
A drunk on the train. We go 1st class on recommendation from V. A nice compartment to ourselves.
Had lovely spag bol in Cafe des Artistes in Antwerp. Nice beer too (Martin's Pale Ale and Blond Leffe).
Ferry trip boat moored in Antwerp and walked past the closed maritime museum.
Had a drink in the Princess ? - a 'flotel' in one of the old docks in Antwerp.
Discussion on whether to upgrade on Eurostar. Decide not worth it. Played scrabble on way back. S wins by 4 points - pipping me at the last.
Back at flat around 8. Play some AEF strings and unpack whilst S goes to get spare boat key from D who's been for an interview and the ask him to do three weeks unpaid probation.
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
190509
The boat was broken in to yesterday during the day.
S and I came home from work - we had met up at the bus stop outside Morrisons. It was lovely seeing her there at the junction as I got off the bus. She looked beautiful and we gave each other a big hug. We bought a few things and there was a man in front of us at the checkout. s nearly packed his purchases for him.
We made our way back down Spring Hill - slowly - my blistered feet were making progress painful. And back to the boat. All seemed fine. I went through the boat and saw the i-pod box opened on the bed and thought nothing of it. Had a wee and then went around the outside to the back to get the engine running for a few minutes - to recharge the domestics. On the back deck now and I notice that the back door is ajar but the hatch is still locked so it must have just swung open slightly during the day as you can't get in without sliding the hatch back. Once the engine was ticking over nicely I went back to the front of the boat and mentioned to s that the back door was open. Well ajar. That's funny she said - because the i-pod box is out on the bed. 'You didn't leave it there this morning'? Someones been on the boat. We exchanged concerned glances and decided that was all that had been taken until s noticed that the i-pod nano by the radio in the front cabin was also not there. The realisation that we had had 'guests' on the boat then sunk in and s called the police.
S and I came home from work - we had met up at the bus stop outside Morrisons. It was lovely seeing her there at the junction as I got off the bus. She looked beautiful and we gave each other a big hug. We bought a few things and there was a man in front of us at the checkout. s nearly packed his purchases for him.
We made our way back down Spring Hill - slowly - my blistered feet were making progress painful. And back to the boat. All seemed fine. I went through the boat and saw the i-pod box opened on the bed and thought nothing of it. Had a wee and then went around the outside to the back to get the engine running for a few minutes - to recharge the domestics. On the back deck now and I notice that the back door is ajar but the hatch is still locked so it must have just swung open slightly during the day as you can't get in without sliding the hatch back. Once the engine was ticking over nicely I went back to the front of the boat and mentioned to s that the back door was open. Well ajar. That's funny she said - because the i-pod box is out on the bed. 'You didn't leave it there this morning'? Someones been on the boat. We exchanged concerned glances and decided that was all that had been taken until s noticed that the i-pod nano by the radio in the front cabin was also not there. The realisation that we had had 'guests' on the boat then sunk in and s called the police.
Monday, 18 May 2009
180509
And so, another weekend passeth. Another Eurovision - of some spectacle it has to be said - has also come and gone (an evening in front of the tele with a chinese take-away, courtesy of Duncs). Well done Norway, for getting the most points 'ever'. As the BBC website put it,'The vast Olympic stadium in central Moscow was certainly packed with an enthusiastic crowd, which was entertained with the usual mix of the bold, the beautiful, the bad and the utterly bizarre'....which is probably why it appeals to the surrealist in me. I look on the whole thing as 'pop' performance art.
On Sunday...we took Lysander down river to Old Ford Lock - having finally caught up with K and B. It was an enjoyable little afternoon run with two all-too-rarely-seen friends. An added comedic ingredient being the muppet on a tupperware boat who pitched up as we were filling up our tank with water in the lock. This chap was straight out of an Ealing comedy - complete with reverse baseball cap, and rock blaring from his 'flying bridge'. S thought he was drunk. He couldn't hear any of our responses to his febrile attempts to say anything remotely comprehensible. Not from where I was standing.
Returning from Old Ford Lock back to Springfield, I chanced to open up the throttle on Lysander like I've never done before...the result: 4 mph according to the GPS and a substantial bow-wave. I could smell the heat of the old Lister below our feet.
Later that evening as S and I were out for an evening walk we saw our tupperware boat come steaming by in the opposite direction - this time a power-ballad the soundtrack to his progress. He was crying as he went passed.
On Sunday...we took Lysander down river to Old Ford Lock - having finally caught up with K and B. It was an enjoyable little afternoon run with two all-too-rarely-seen friends. An added comedic ingredient being the muppet on a tupperware boat who pitched up as we were filling up our tank with water in the lock. This chap was straight out of an Ealing comedy - complete with reverse baseball cap, and rock blaring from his 'flying bridge'. S thought he was drunk. He couldn't hear any of our responses to his febrile attempts to say anything remotely comprehensible. Not from where I was standing.
Returning from Old Ford Lock back to Springfield, I chanced to open up the throttle on Lysander like I've never done before...the result: 4 mph according to the GPS and a substantial bow-wave. I could smell the heat of the old Lister below our feet.
Later that evening as S and I were out for an evening walk we saw our tupperware boat come steaming by in the opposite direction - this time a power-ballad the soundtrack to his progress. He was crying as he went passed.
150509
Took a punt on the tube from TH again and got a seat after one stop.
When I get to work I'll go up in the lift. Less distance from exiting the doors on the 2nd floor to my desk. And I've got my squeaky shoes on again after the Loakes I was wearing yesterday wore the skin of the top of my left big toe.
The worst bit is walking back and forth between my desk and the loo. I've adopted a kind if limp in order to keep down the volume of the squeak.
I think these shoes niff a bit as well. Especially when my feet get hot - normally in the afternoon. Someone enquired about a smell today. Was it gas? Even the facilities chap turned up the other day after someone in the office had reported the smell of gas.
And so, Friday early evening and I've just had a welcome chat with B about this evening's social arrangements. I hope B and K will join us. I think Sa and D are coming as well.
Will need to fill up with water this weekend - and diesel too. It keeps the riverside suppliers sweet if you buy something from them as well. There's no dosh in just dispensing water.
When I get to work I'll go up in the lift. Less distance from exiting the doors on the 2nd floor to my desk. And I've got my squeaky shoes on again after the Loakes I was wearing yesterday wore the skin of the top of my left big toe.
The worst bit is walking back and forth between my desk and the loo. I've adopted a kind if limp in order to keep down the volume of the squeak.
I think these shoes niff a bit as well. Especially when my feet get hot - normally in the afternoon. Someone enquired about a smell today. Was it gas? Even the facilities chap turned up the other day after someone in the office had reported the smell of gas.
And so, Friday early evening and I've just had a welcome chat with B about this evening's social arrangements. I hope B and K will join us. I think Sa and D are coming as well.
Will need to fill up with water this weekend - and diesel too. It keeps the riverside suppliers sweet if you buy something from them as well. There's no dosh in just dispensing water.
Friday, 15 May 2009
140509
The tube.
No air - no grace.
Back to Lysander on the bus then. A very fat person has just sat down next to me - the bulky imposition jolting me out of my internal reveries. The fat person pushes a bag into my thigh and starts scanning the evening free-sheet. The head appears to be attached directly to the shoulders which appear encased in a coat made out of a blue blanket. The fat person constantly sniffles into a tissue as another nearby sneezes repeatedly. The fat person gets off at The Angel.
A small person with two extra large plastic bags sits down. The forecast 'heavy rain' has not materialised.
I've just noticed that the small person has gone. Must have been whilst I was in conversation with my boss. A normal sized person with a normal sized bag is sitting next to me now.
The boat is isolated at its mooring now as our neighbours fore and aft (as they say) have departed. The new lettering on the side looks good I think.
Being a fat person myself - nearly two stone overweight according to the machine at Homerton Hospital - I wonder what it's like sitting next to me on a bus - I close my eyes and long for the obliteration of sleep. I love sleeping. It brings forth not monsters (it used to in pre-pubescence) but warmth and tenderness. I'm a better person in my dreams and the night will not be long enough.
So...It's been one of those days which I just wanted to get through with the minimum of fuss and effort. I wanted nothing to happen of any significance.
Achieved.
My nose has been running all day - I've had (and still do have) a dull headache and I feel exhausted. I hate the way feeling unwell has made me more ungenerous and ratty than normal...
I don't like what I've written today but two of the (connected) rules I've set myself with this blog is never re-write - and go with what emerges. Don't spend time pre-meditating. Is that three?
No air - no grace.
Back to Lysander on the bus then. A very fat person has just sat down next to me - the bulky imposition jolting me out of my internal reveries. The fat person pushes a bag into my thigh and starts scanning the evening free-sheet. The head appears to be attached directly to the shoulders which appear encased in a coat made out of a blue blanket. The fat person constantly sniffles into a tissue as another nearby sneezes repeatedly. The fat person gets off at The Angel.
A small person with two extra large plastic bags sits down. The forecast 'heavy rain' has not materialised.
I've just noticed that the small person has gone. Must have been whilst I was in conversation with my boss. A normal sized person with a normal sized bag is sitting next to me now.
The boat is isolated at its mooring now as our neighbours fore and aft (as they say) have departed. The new lettering on the side looks good I think.
Being a fat person myself - nearly two stone overweight according to the machine at Homerton Hospital - I wonder what it's like sitting next to me on a bus - I close my eyes and long for the obliteration of sleep. I love sleeping. It brings forth not monsters (it used to in pre-pubescence) but warmth and tenderness. I'm a better person in my dreams and the night will not be long enough.
So...It's been one of those days which I just wanted to get through with the minimum of fuss and effort. I wanted nothing to happen of any significance.
Achieved.
My nose has been running all day - I've had (and still do have) a dull headache and I feel exhausted. I hate the way feeling unwell has made me more ungenerous and ratty than normal...
I don't like what I've written today but two of the (connected) rules I've set myself with this blog is never re-write - and go with what emerges. Don't spend time pre-meditating. Is that three?
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