040609

Had a pleasant walk along the river after a good night's sleep. Yesterday on my way back to Lysander, as for the last few days, I passed by a duck 'couple' in exactly the same spot on the path. They seemed understandably wary each time I passed (the path is narrow here) but only the first time did they launch themselves from the bank into the water. Walking along this path is like walking through a series of back gardens / yards and allotments. Sometimes people have their 'back door' open and the sound of living drifts out across the path.

So I've had the operation (an hour late) and my 'wart' has been replaced by scarlet scab the size of a five pence piece. The consultant 'shaved off' the offending protruberance and said it will leave a scar. 'It may grow back again', she added. She almost seemed to be trying to put me off getting it done. 'It's probably a viral wart with a sub-hemo-globin supeona underneath it', she said. Or something like that. Just a lot of medical lingo that just went over my head as I was all too conscious of the young medical student smiling beatifically at me across the room from a chair in the corner. She came from up north somewhere and we exchanged a few words about how Homerton was a real community-based hospital and me walking in to the hospital from a canal boat around the corner on the River Lee/Lea. All this was while unseen activity was swirling around my now prone body. Somebody said something about 'silver nitrate'? (Or something like that). I thought blimey I've come in to get this 'wart' off my cheek not to get plated. No, of course I didn't. But it was all very disorientating being encompassed by all this bustle of unseen incarnate efficiency.

She said it would look like a cigarette burn for a week or too - as if I knew what that looked like.

So back to the boat along the tow-path in the sunshine and a late (a half 3) breakfast at the riverside cafe where a young black labradoodle was playing among the tables and its posh owner was explaining its genetic mix to a less doggy-knowledgeable person sitting at another table nearby.

After pausing on the footbridge to watch our upstream neighbour pass beneath I made my way back to Lysander and caught sight of the Cruising Club bar-tender reading on the back of her boat. Got back, put a pair of shorts on and a polo shirt and looked in the mirror.

Blimey - it's big. The bloody result of my 'shave'. Bigger than I thought it would be and there is a reddened line about a centimetre long - presumably where the needle went in for the local anaesthetic. Oh well. Job done.

Now to get my teeth fixed. A rower splashes passed, the boat rocks and gurgles at its mooring.

030609

Did some more work last night on the boat. I have spent some time over the last few days putting together a small demountable wall panel for the bathroom. It is intended to be a stub-wall perpendicular to the rear bulkhead - extending 18 inches out. It will assist in affording some privacy when visitors make use of our sophisticated lavatory services. If we were a sailing boat it would be referred to as 'the heads'. S not convinced at the moment. But the selling point is that it is not fixed permanently.

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I was up earlier this morning in order to get over to London Bridge by 8 to assist with a bit of team coaching. I think it went well. They were good people and very responsive - 'up for it'. Got back to the office around 15.00 and sorted through some e-mails.

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Tomorrow I'm off to Homerton to get this thing removed from my left cheek so don't anticipate being in the office at all. Tiredness and hayfever is starting to overtake me and I can't wait to get back to our lovely Lysander. Just a few more days at Springfield Marina and then - Saturday - we are off again back to Limehouse with guests on board. S has planned the day (such that it is). Its only going to take a couple of hours although taking on water and emptying the porta-pottis will add to the overall journey time.

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The weather has turned cloudy.

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21.50
There is still light in the sky and I'm listening - on and off - to Radio 4. Its a cool evening which is a welcome contrast to the heat of the last few days. The rowers and their coaches have gone and just walkers, cyclists and chair pushers make their way up and down the path on the other side of the river. The glow of tungsten lights in the homes opposite is punctuated by the cold yellow of flourescent tubes in bathrooms and kitchens. These are reflected in the gently shimmering water of the river as it makes its way down to the River via Bow Locks and Limehouse. I'm ready for a sleep now after a long day and will text S before I shut my eyes and open myself to the viscissitudes of dream. Talking of which I've been re-reading Ian Marchant's book that W gave me. It's an enjoyable read but no great work. Its conversational laddish tone tends to get a bit tedious after a while. The writing style does not sustain the length of the book methinks. It would be a better book if it were shorter and didn't constantly play to the gallery. But I applaud its thesis with respect to 'The Railway of Dreams'.

Time for bed.

020609

The weather is expected to change tomorrow.

290509

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.

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.

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.