All Aboard Cap'n

I knew it was coming. The tell tale sniffles started yesterday morning, followed by the slightly space cadet feeling in my head. The end of term and beginning of the holidays cold was rearing it's ugly head!

Last night was supposed to be an evening of sedate chilling on board J and J's canal boat. My car was packed ready for the journey north this morning and my overnight bag and bottle of Vino were in grabbing distance on the passenger seat.

Having done my best to ignore the not so subtle hints from my visiting cold I battled through the traffic, narrowly avoiding not one but two white vans who decided they'd like to get up close and personal with my car. Traffic negotiated, car parked on the pavement (and I mean on the pavement - only in London could you get a ticket for NOT parking all four wheels on the pavement, but that is the rule in this particular corner of Bow!) and I'm ready to rock and roll.

I grabbed the overnight bag and Pinot and headed for the canal path. The rain, which had started as few gentle drops had now developed into a full blown downpour. With the added Brucie Bonus of thunder and lightening. The first crash of thunder was spectacular in its length and noise level. But it was the second crash that disturbed me more despite being quieter and shorter. This is because when the second crash arrived I was balancing precariously across the top of the lock gate on a metal trimmed footway (approximately 12 inches wide) with a solid metal handrail keeping me from the stagnant canal water. What to do? Run like the clappers and risk falling in the gloop? Or take it slow and steady and risk being fried by a freak bolt of lightening? Ah the choices we have to face...

Having negotiated the lock, I squelched up the canal bank to my refuge for the night. As ever, the narrow boat is cosy and warm with a lovely wood stove casting a warm and welcoming glow across the boat.

There's no getting away from it, I'm feeling as rough as a bear but I'm determined to enjoy the first night of my holidays. Dinner is sumptuous, the company is great and the animals (2 cats, 1 dog) add the cute factor.

The narrow boat has all the luxuries you could wish for - comfy sofa, flat screen telly, shower, cooker, fridge, washing machine. It really is like a mobile flat. And yet just a few months ago, it was nothing but an empty shell. I stayed on board then as well. And although it was fun, I have to say the renovations are a definite improvement!

The Pinot has been finished, the spag bol and treacle tart devoured and the gentle rocking of the boat is like lying in a hammock. Before long, my cold filled eyes are drooping and the animals have joined me on the sofa bed. They beat any hot water bottle believe me. Yes, I'm feeling rough, yes, I am aching all over but let me tell you, if you have to suffer a horrid cold, there are far worse places to do it than this!