Rowkin Rovings Blog

Part Two of our 2022 holiday saga. We had been home for ten days from Australia to “recentre” as they say and get ready to head out again. Maybe it is our age and that we have not been able to travel for the last two and a half years, but the jetlag we suffered on our return from Oz was long lasting and discombobulating. We both had that out of body surreal sensation for more than five days.

We spent our return productively catching up with friends and repacking our bags as the new adventure involves going to wet, cool Scotland, UK as well as to warm (hopefully) sunny climes of Croatia. Whilst home, we need to mention here, that our very good friend Patti had a surprise retirement party whilst we were back in Calgary, and oh, what an absolute blast of a night. If all retirement parties are like that, we put up our hands to be invited. It was a pleasure to be able to participate in the surprise!!

Our only other comment of our ten days back home was how the apartment felt empty and quiet without the Toque monster. She is only 10 pound but what a difference she makes to the place. We kept imagining she was there and it got so bad that Di even tried to feed her. Our walks around the neighbourhood didn’t feel complete without her sniffing every blade of grass and watering anything that was vertical. Updates from Joannie and Simon in Montreal are that she has settled in well and appears to have transferred her allegiances quite easily.

So Tuesday 17^th May saw us head out our front door to LHR from YYC for the 8.5 hour direct flight – ugh!!

It was an overnight flight but of course neither of us slept well.

Onto the tube for the hour long ride to Euston Station. The rule is that you are to wear masks on the tube but not a lot of evidence of it. By now we had been breathing into our masks for 10+ hours as dumbos forgot to back additional masks to change into – oh, very rancid indeed.

When we changed from the tube to Euston Station we popped outside for the first time and the weather was amazingly beautiful at a balmy 27c. Here is hoping this is a precursor to what our summer will be like here.

It was a two hour trip from London to Crewe (close to Manchester) where we were met on the station platform by Wolfgang. A 15 minute car ride to the Overwater Marina where Ange De L’Eau is being moored whilst we are in Scotland, to meet Marlene.

Seeing these guys is like putting on very comforatble old socks (clean though) – this is very much a compliment. We have not seen one another for three years yet their English is even better whilst our German is totally abysmal. We will feel better in Scotland as we might, and it is a big might, be able to translate for them.

Ange has undergone some refurbishments since we last saw her with new curtains, linoleum and carpet and is looking very spruced up. So four adults are living on a 57 foot narrowboat which sounds doable until you put in the width of 6.5 foot wide. We have managed to trash her with just our two suitcases.

Our goal was to stay awake until about 9.00pm before hitting the sack and we were successful enough to make it to 10.00pm because of the great conversation and lots of laughter.

Brief disclaimer – for some reason, we are unable to get the spell checker to work on our word documents, so please forgive us for sepliling errors. If anyone knows the solution, please let us know.