Walking in West Sussex and Realising it's Home.

It's been over two years since I last wrote and a lot has happened in that time (more about that in future posts) but I'm back. And because I'm entertaining the idea of writing a book at some point, I thought writing this blog would be good practice.  Jeremy (now my husband) and I have just spent a glorious week's holiday walking in West Sussex. We hired a cottage in Byworth - which is just outside Petworth - and with the help of Ordnance Survey Maps, went on some amazing walks along rivers, across the South Downs and through pretty West Sussex towns and villages including Burpham (The George is a great pub); West Dean  (where we had a delicious roast beef sandwich at The Dean and Ale Cider House) and Arundel. We saw thousands of wild daffodils in the West Dean Woods; had coffee and cake at the Aero Club Café in the Goodwood airfield whilst watching small planes land and take off into clear blue skies; and gave our muscles a good workout by climbing up to the Beacon Hill vista point.  At some point during the week it suddenly dawned on me that West Sussex is my home.  I always thought Brazil - and Sao Paulo in particular - was home. But the truth is I've lived in England for longer that I lived in Brazil (20 years in Brazil, 26 years in England). And as my parents settled in Sussex (mostly West Sussex) when they moved back here, it's where home has been ever since.  And still is. But I only realised it this week.

A Glorious Indian Summer!

Although lots has been said and written about the awful weather we've had this year, we've actually been out on the boat more times this year than last year. And other than a very rainy Sunday in September - see below - the weather's been fine. This weekend - 15/16 October - was exceptional, as you can see from the photo I took of the stretch between Henley & Hambleden. Gloriously warm days; cool, crisp evenings; a delicious dinner at The Little Angel in Henley and a fantastic breakdast at the Chocolate Theatre Cafe. What's not to love?

Boating in the Rain ...

... isn't much fun at all. This was a weekend in September - just before the glorious 'Indian Summer'. As it's my job to secure the ropes when we go through the locks, I got pretty wet. But luckily it was a Sunday and we were on our way home. And if I remember correctly, Saturday wasn't too bad. If it had been, we wouldn't have gone out on the boat. There's just no point.

Boating, Walking & Eating Along The River Thames

It's been ages since I last wrote, but not because we haven't been on the river. We've actually spent 11 glorious weekends boating, walking and eating along The River Thames since the Easter Bank Holiday. So I thought I'd share some of the highlights. On the walking front, we've discovered there are stunning fields to cross, woods to walk through and picturesque villages to visit within 5-10 miles of Henley. This weekend, for example, we did a 17.5 miles circular route that took us along the river to Hambleden and across wonderful countryside to Skirmett, Fingest, Turvil, Stonor House, Middle Assendon and then back to Henley through a beautiful deer park. A shorter, but equally gorgeous, walk is from Henley to Rotherfield Greys, then up to Greys Court (a National Trust House) and back through the Badgemore Park Golf Club. The options are endless and we're having a fantastic time exploring them. All that walking builds up an appetite, of course, but that's not a problem because when we plan our routes, we always make sure there's a country pub or restaurant along the way that serves fantastic food. A few worth mentioning are the Maltsters Arms in Rotherfield Greys, Orwells just about Shiplake, The Frog at Skirmett, The Chequers Inn at Fingest and The Bull & Butcher at Turvil. Long walks & great food during the day and cosy evenings on board at night. Life doesn't get much better than this!

Easter Bank Holiday: Gorgeous Goring

On Sunday morning we travelled the 8 miles back down to Goring, which was as gorgeous as ever. I have to admit I love the place. Stunning location, beautiful walks and the best food ever at the Pierreponts Cafe. So naturally that was our first stop once we'd moored up: a good lunch before our 8 miles walk through the bluebells in Wroxhills Wood, past The White Lion pub in Crays Pond and back to the boat. Then it was a quick drink with some friends on their boat before dinner and bed. Breakfast on Monday was at the Pierreponts Cafe - of course - and as it was a Bank Holiday I was very decadent: french toast with bananas, bacon and maple syrup! All in all, it was the most perfect weekend: glorious sunshine, great food, beautiful countryside, amazing walks and not a traffic jam or airline security queue in sight!

Easter Bank Holiday: Shillingford

On Saturday morning we covered the remaining 7.5 miles to Shillingford and moored up by the Shillingford Bridge Hotel. (It costs £10 to moor overnight and that includes electricity and the use of the hotel's facilities, which I think is good value.) The afternoon was spent walking up the river to Days Lock, enjoying lunch in the sunshine at the Fleur de Lys pub in Dorchester, walking back along the river to Shillingford and relaxing on the boat in the evening. There's a word for days like this: idyllic!

Easter Bank Holiday: Good Friday 'traffic' on the River Thames

We sorted out the problems with the motor (see below) and decided to take advantage of the 4-day Easter Bank Holiday to go as far upstream as we could: to Shillingford. It's 50 miles there and back, which isn't far in driving terms. But in boating terms it's quite a hike because you average about 3.5 miles p/hour on the river (taking into account the speed limit and the time spent getting in and out of locks). So we left London at 10am on Good Friday, arrived at the marina 45 minutes later and set off on the first leg of our trip: 17.5 miles to the The Leatherne Bottel riverside restaurant just above Goring, where we had dinner and moored overnight. It took 5 hours to get there, but as you can see from the photo, it's a very picturesque journey.

A frustrating start to the season...

We've been looking forward to getting back on the river for months! So we were very excited when we set off at 7pm on Friday night after a long and tiring week at work. The plan was to have dinner at the George and Dragon pub in Wargrave, overnight at the marina, and then head to Henley for our 'shake down' trip. The pub was fully booked and packed to the rafters (clealy a popular choice on a Friday night). So we drove to Henley and tried the Little Angel. Another very popular choice (judging by the car park). So we drove back to Wargrave and ate at the White Hart pub (not such a popular choice - we were the only ones eating - but a very friendly service). We were back on board by 10pm and asleep by 10.30pm. It was much colder than I expected (there's no heating) but lovely to be back on the river. Saturday morning was glorious. Warm sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. The perfect start to season. And it would have been ... if our engine hadn't konked out. And not just once. Four times in less than 10 minutes. Luckily we were just outside the marina so we managed to hobble back (or whatever the boating equivalent is) and moor up. As Dean the 'engine man' wasn't available to have a look at the problem, unfortunately there was nothing else we could do. So after a quick breakfast and stroll along the river in Henley, we headed home. Here's hoping that whatever's wrong with the engine can be sorted out this week - and that the glorious weather holds!

Last trip of the season: Wargrave to Wallingford & The Sweet Olive Restaurant

Our boating 'season' ended as it began - with clear blue skies and glorious sunshine. (Although somewhat colder. When we got up this morning there was ICE on the deck!) As it was our last weekend on the river, we decided to make the most of it: Sonning on Thursday night, up to Wallingford on Friday (a first for us), down to Goring on Saturday and then back to Wargrave on Sunday. The highlight of the weekend was a 14 miles walk around Goring on Saturday and the chance discovery of a gastro/gourmet pub tucked away in the village of Aston Tirrold: The Sweet Olive Restaurant at The Chequers Inn. It was superb. Great atmosphere, delicious food and a very impressive wine list. We'll definitely be back. That's the great thing about having a boat: you get to enjoy the river AND the countryside. It's what does it for us. Ok, so it's quite cold in October (we don't have heating on board). But on the plus side there's very little traffic on the river, you sail in and out of the locks in no time and when the sun breaks through it's divine.

Eating Along the River Thames: Richmond's Riverside Restaurant Reviews

I sometimes wonder whether I should change the name of this blog to 'Eating along the River Thames', because we do a lot of it! But there's a good reason for this. I see our weekends on the boat as a chance to get away from it all and relax. For me that means not having to cook, clean and wash up (in a tiny sink). So I take porridge & fruit for breakfast - and I make the porridge in advance by mixing it with apple juice and yogurt. Not only is it delicious, but it also eliminates the need to cook. And I take some cold cuts for lunch - although if we're going on long walk we often stop off at a country pub for a bite to eat instead. And in the evening we head to the nearest cafe or restaurant for dinner. Needless to say, as we've been spending quite a lot of time on the river since we got our boat last September, we've been to quite a few! La Bodega, the Green Olive, The Angel on the Bridge, Cafe Buendia and the Royal China in Henley; The Bull in Sonning; Ye Olde Dog & Badger in Medmenham; the Flower Pot in Aston; The Olde Bell in Hurley; The Ferry in Cookham; The Miller of Mansfield and the Pierrepont Cafe in Goring; the Ferryboat Inn in Whitchurch on Thames; Villa D'este in Marlow; the Stag & Huntsman in Hambleden ...and the list goes on. So you see, that's why I wonder whether I should rename this blog ' Eating Along the River Thames' and become a riverside restaurant reviewer! They say everyone has a book in them ... I have three: Richmond's Riverside Restaurant Reviews, How to Avoid Becoming a Boating Blob (I'll have to come up with some kind of exercise routine if I'm going to be eating out every weekend!) and Could you be a TV expert (a work book). I'll keep you posted!

A Family Affair

My sister, her husband and their 9 year old son came on board for the day on Sunday - and it was fantastic. They met us in Henley and we headed down the river to Hurley where we moored up, lit a BBQ and had bacon and sausage rolls for lunch. (We bought one of those £2.99 trays of coal and I have to say it was fantastic: small, easy to use and - most important of all when you have a small boat with no storage space - disposable!) Delicious food in an idyllic setting: boats coming and going through the lock, people milling around, glorious sunshine and lots of ducklings & goslings to feed. After a quick ice-cream from the local shop we went for a short walk through the village and along the river and then headed back to Henley for tea & biscuits and another walk: this time up to Marsh Lock and along the riverbank above it. Sunshine, good food, fresh air and brisk walks. A most perfect day.

A Man, A Woman, a Boat ... and a Camcorder!

I bought a Canon camcorder for work (findaTVexpert.com) and decided I'd test it out on the river. For some reason I can't seem to upload it onto my blog so here's the YouTube link. It's my first attempt at filming and editing so it's very basic and the music's really cheesy (didn't have many options!). But it's a start. And the dog in the picture? She was on one of the barges we passed on the river. Adorable isn't she?

Gorgeous Goring

Last weekend we made it up to Pangbourne and this weekend we put in the extra hour and went to Goring. We left Wargrave just before 3pm and moored up at 7.20pm. Four and a half hours is a long treck but I'd rather be in a boat on the river than in a car on the M4. Especially on a Bank Holiday Friday! Goring is really beautiful and we're looking forward to going on long walks in the surrounding countryside next time around. The only problem - apparently - is that it can be quite difficult to get a mooring because a) there aren't that many and b) it's a very popular spot. But it's worth if if you do. We had dinner at The Miller of Mansfield which is a restaurant, bar and hotel. The bar is very 'country pub' and the restaurant is very 'sleek boutique'. Great food and a very friendly service. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough lighting where we were sitting. I had to hold the menu over the tealight to be able to read it and couldn't really see all the yummy things that were in my salad, which meant I missed out on the visual pleasure of eating. And in the morning (as our toilet wasn't working - long story) we had a delicious breakfast at Pierrepont Cafe on the High Street. Then it was back to Wargrave to try and fix the toilet (which we did - hurrah!) and get to the bottom of why the engine cut out on us three times. After a bit of investigating we discovered there was a leak in the fuel system and air was getting into the engine. As it wasn't something we could fix ourselves, we decided to stay put at the Marina on Saturday night and head back to London on Sunday. A short bank holiday, but a lovely one regardless.

Theatre, Country Walks & Good Food

It's amazing how much you can pack into a weekend when you have a boat. We set off from Wargrave at 4.30pm and moored up in Sonning where, after a glass of wine on board, we walked to The Mill at Sonning for dinner and an Agatha Christie play: Love From a Stranger. (It's £42 p/person including a two course dinner and your theatre ticket, which I think is very good value for money.) On Saturday morning we headed to Pangbourne for the first time. The stretch of the Thames between Sonning and Pangbourne is quite dull but, on the plus side, there's a Tesco by the river in Reading which allows you to moor up, shop and go. Fantastic! We arrived in Pangbourne around lunchtime and headed to the high street for lunch: a deliciously fresh & crunchy salad at The Ditty. We then decided to walk the 8 miles to and from Goring along the Thames Path. It's a really lovely walk - but be prepared for some steep climbs! After a much needed half a pint of cider at the historical Swan in Pangbourne we went back to the boat and got ready for dinner at The Ferryboat in Whitchurch (just over the toll bridge). Great food and great service. The perfect end to a perfect day.

The facts: it's 12 miles from Wargrave to Pangbourne. You go through 4 locks - Shiplake, Sonning, Caversham and Mapledurham - and it takes between 3.5/4 hours.

A perfect start to the Boating Season

We went out on Happy Chance for the first time this year and it was idyllic: warm sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. And when you run your own business (findatvexpert.com) it's the perfect weekend away: no phone, no TV, no computer, no internet & no email. All I have to think about is what papers I want to read, which post I need to moor up to and whether or not I should put on sunfactor (which I did last weekend as it was so warm.) We were hoping to have a stereo installed but there's still some wiring to be done. The new cockpit lights are in though and they're fantastic: warm white LEDs. I like them because they give off a warm glow (instead of that cold, white LED light) and JJ's happy because they don't use much electricity and, as a result, don't run down the battery. Re the trip itself, we went to Henley, moored up, had a friend join us on the boat for cocktails at sunset and then headed to La Bodegas for dinner. For some reason we woke up at 6.30am and spent the next hour and a half (!) trying to access a radio via JJ's BlackBerry. We failed. As I'd forgotten to pack the milk - and as the water pump wasn't working (don't ask) - we had breakfast in town and then pootled down the river towards Hambleden Lock, where we moored up and went for a two hour walk. Still not a cloud in the sky. After a quick bite to eat at the Stag and Huntsman - and a lazy hour on the boat spent reading the papers and chilling out in the sunshine - we headed home. Other than a short delay at Marsh Lock (technical problems with the gates) it was the most perfect start to the boating season.

The Boat Show

JJ and I went to the London Boat Show yesterday and spent six and a half hours looking at ropes, boats, cleaning products, lifejackets, etc. Happy Chance is still out of the water but it won't be long before she's back in it and we can start enjoying weekends on the River again!

Wargrave to Marlow: a weekend of 'firsts'

This was our last weekend on Happy Chance as she's coming out of the water over the winter. So with the sun on our backs we headed down the river to Marlow. It was the first time we'd been to Marlow and the first time we'd operated the locks on our own. (The locks are manned most of the time but between 1-2pm during the day and after 4pm in the winter it's 'self-service'. And as there were so few people on the river we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to figure out how it's done.) Luckily the instructions are very straightforward and (apparently) there's no way you can flood the river or cause a major catastrophe, which I was very relieved to hear as I was operating the lock! Another first was dinner at Villa D'Este in Marlow - a great Italian restaurant. It's not cheap but it serves delicious food, has a buzzy atmosphere and is packed with lovely people (walk up the High Street, turn right at the top and it's just beyond the zebra crossing on the right). And if you want to grab a coffee and are tired of Starbucks, Cafe Nero, etc - try the Caffe Fego (on the right as you walk up the High Street). The 'final first' was dancing in the cockpit after dinner. We don't have a TV on board so we have to create out own entertainment. What a laugh!

We have a name!

We were going to keep part of her original name - Lady - but we've changed our mind. We've decided to call her Happy Chance, which I think is lovely.

You don't have to go far to have fun: Henley

Although it was raining on Friday night, we decided we'd spend the weekend on the boat regardless. And I'm glad we did because Saturday was absolutely glorious. We didn't go very far - just down the river to Henley - but we had a lovely time. Moored up past the bridge on the right, had lunch, read the papers in the sunshine (I even got the sun block out!), went for a walk around town and then had dinner at The Little Angel (not to be confused with The Angel just beside the bridge), which was superb: great food, great atmosphere and great service. The perfect end to a great day. And this morning we were treated to a display of fit & disciplined athletes: rowers on the river and runners (the Henley Half Marathon) on the towpath. So all in all a superb weekend.

You can tell we're new to this!

As gale force winds were forecast for yesterday, we decided we wouldn't go out on the river. Instead, we'd go to the boat, drop off all our latest purchases - plates, lump hammer, wind up torch, kettle, cups, etc - and give her a good clean. So we packed up all our bits and pieces, including the hoover (I wanted to hoover all the upholstery) and set off along the M4. At about exit 6 (and our exit is 8/9) we suddenly remembered we'd forgotten to pack the most important item: the boat key! Luckily we didn't have to drive back through all the traffic and roadworks because when we bought the boat it was suggested we leave a spare set of keys at the Marina. Which we did. Phew!