Back on the rollercoaster Part 1 Saturday 7 June

On Saturday morning we stayed in bed listening to the rain and thunder outside – it was lovely. Several boats came past us even though it was persisting down, steerers with umbrellas up, rain gear on, but looking serene enough as opposed to trying to avoid the rain as people generally do – must be something about being on holiday!

I decided to cook a green chicken and veg curry for dinner, using a bought green curry base paste. I discovered when I’d mixed everything in that the bought paste is far, far, far, far hotter than Donna Hay’s gc paste ... There is no way I could eat it – one small piece of potato and I needed half a cup of milk to take the heat off my throat. So score for David - 3 servings into the freezer and one for his dinner.

Early in the afternoon, the weather cleared and it was a beautiful day. We decided to stay put rather than cruise, but walked the mile into Willington for a drink at the Green Man pub – as the last of the big drinkers, we had a lager shandy each! One of the patrons at the pub brought his pet owl, I kid you not, to show the staff. It is a baby hence very fluffy. The magpie on the roof was not happy and stalked up and down cawing like mad. The owl had a tether like hawkers use (not sure hawker is the right word for a person who trains hawks – any clues, people?)

 
We went back to the boat, eating Magnums, feeling pleased with life, the universe and everything, and feeling like we now understood our boat. I was even moved to consider writing an email to the previous owners to tell them we loved the boat (most of our communications thus far have been questions to allay concerns).

Fortunately, I didn’t do so …