Do they mean us?

So Reader, last night when we went to bed on a considerable slant, I went off to sleep thinking ahead of how I was going to effect an escape from here.  As you may have gathered I am not any sort of a helm at close quarters so David would have to be onboard.  Friends once had a nasty experience when on a river when there was a bit of a lick on the flow, the man jumped off to secure the rope but he couldn't manage it and the wife was left on board.  I can't tell you what happened as this is the stuff of nightmares and I stopped listening then.  But nobody died.

So I was thinking pole levering, pushing, flagging down another passing narrowboat for a tow and finally calling the EA.
None of these were required as on rising we found that the boat had risen too.  
Big sigh of relief.

We set off pretty early as we had thought we would have a bash at mooring at Dorney. This is the other side of Windsor and not a huge space but getting there early would be good.

Fair amount of these here last night.

So we left Runnymede.  Left screaming jets.  Not too sorry about that, later I was to learn from George from NB Still Rockin'   HERE   that depending on the wind the jets either go directly over Runnymede, or Windsor.  Bet the Queen gets a bit pissed off, although they did stop at about 11:30pm and actually they didn't keep me awake.  It was amazing how some are earth shatteringly loud and some pretty "Quiet"....

That was our mooring on the concrete wall, as you can se a big gap between us and the road.

This also looks a good one, all snuggled amongst the trees.

What a great eye-catching pair.

I just loved this wooden curved cabin. (But very glad I don't do the rubbing down and varnishing.

After a fair while this came into view from the riverbank.  The riverbank is clear and inviting however if you land on her lawn you will end up terribly quickly in jail.  
They are watching.

So my Readers from overseas, yes this is Windsor Castle, weekend home of our reigning Monarch.

I think I read that she has her private apartments on this quite side, so you may be looking into her bedroom.

We had absolutely no intension of stopping in Windsor.  The tourists are most welcome, but you are knee deep in them here.
Two years ago we had stopped in Windsor, on Bath Island, ankle deep in swan poo with all the world and his mother looking in the kitchen windows.
I wasn't really up for that again.

Swans, speeding trip boats and people.

Riverside properties, former warehouse slums probably.

This is part of the castle as seen from the river.

Then I saw this space.  STOP!!  I yelled at the driver, 
What here? But.....?
Yes look!

So by 10:30 am and we moored up for the day.  A small change of plans.
A gap between WaL and the bank of course but I really like it here.  
Chairs out, coffee served and kindles fetched.  I am not sure I read much as there are so many boats to look at on the river, to consider, to ask oneself  "Whatever do they want THAT boat for" and to be pleased that the swans mostly stay over the other side of the river, bloody things.

(Kath I have almost finished The Winthrop Woman)  

Such a great mooring for us today, part of the castle behind.

He is waiting for me to take the rope but I am busy.

Still loving these wooden cruisers.

Two companies operate these trip boats, this company go slowly but the other one tears along like things possessed.

Dutch Barge with rear canopy I liked.

Just a few minutes after we sat down with coffee, a weeny boat whizzed ashore inches in front of WaL, I was a bit taken aback as the driver then slipped as he was getting off and I was about to leap in a get him, but he was the money collector.  £8 for any amount of time up to 24hours.  Bargain.

As we sat there I became aware of calling, someone was calling or cooing...  I looked behind us to see a couple walking away so it wasn't them.  More calling, then over the water were arms waving.  Oh they are calling someone on a boat then, more waving, maybe a bit more frantic now....  I looked behind again and then David says Oh its George and Carol and indeed was.  Click  HERE   to see picture of the daft pair!!

The sun went in finally and the sky darkened.  Bikes out and lets go see stuff.

Tourist Central

First stop here, I was returning a top to a shop in the arcade and even the bike racks were full.  I quite liked cycling up the main high street, holding my own against the buses and Chelsea Tractors.
But to get out of town it meant retracing our steps towards Old Windsor, in our efforts to get into The Great Park, this is as it says, a huge park that has public access and is part of the Queen's back garden. 
The bloody rain came, it was forecast for tonight but it was definitely rain so we pulled into a Garden Centre, well these places always have cafés don't they?

After chatting to a cycling couple next to us who assured us that the access into the Great Park from here was up a killer hill, I decided against that idea and instead when the rain stopped we went to Eton.
So Eton School takes up the greater part of Eton.  You may know that Prince William and Harry went to school here.  

Yes it is as old as it looks.

Click   HERE   to read all about it.  The grounds are criss-crossed by public footpaths, so at least in holiday times, you can bicycle all around the place.

There are an awful lot of these around Eton;

And these;

and frankly far too many of these;

And from Eton Bridge adjoining Windsor to Eton you can see this monstrous carbuncle as the dear Prince of Wales might  say;

What were the council thinking in allowing this on the historic waterfront?

Now look over David's left shoulder, the last buildings immediately before the trees?  Hold that thought for a jiffy...

Glad the children have life jackets on with these WHIZZING trip boats.

This was an unusual one.

Yes these houses.

So one of these has just been sold, for £2.5 MILLION, ok you heard that alright? £2.5 million.  Nice south facing balconies but sad to say no evening sun, (We checked that) so morning and afternoon sun when you are out at work, well the view is good of the Castle and all but I doubt the Queen pops in for tea.  The worst thing about these?  There is public access right in front of them so cyclists can wander through and take pictures, even take a picnic on your frontage as  a group of jolly gentlemen we met here with their whiskey bottles, so that is just marvellous isn't it?

I couldn't resist it.

Sunset from my front conservatory window.  Those apartments didn't get this view tonight either.

Supper was leek risotto with a rather good bottle of cab sav merlot.