Sawley to Shardlow

Leaving Sawley Marina

Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station

We set off at 7 am....an unearthly hour saying we are on holiday. This means we got a good head start and managed to leapfrog some hireboats. It was a sunny day but windy.

We went through Shardlow and saw the pub which is a converted warehouse.

Passed the entrance to the as yet unrestored Derby Canal.

For the first few hours it was very quiet. We saw some calves with their mother.

We didn't stop for lunch but called briefly at Willington water point.

Sappho always likes to go to bed with a good book. For reference, Thackeray's Vanity Fair.

We ran out of petrol unexpectedly after Dalton Lock.

We then got caught behind a geologically slow hire boat, with a huge crew but clueless at doing locks efficiently. We followed them up to Fradley Junction, where we turned on to the Coventry Canal. We moored for the night as soon as there was a space.

On the boat

Last year we wanted to do the Warwickshire ring in June. However the floods in the UK put pay to that. So we are going to try again this year.

We're a bit late starting as we had to watch the German GP. And it was worth it as Lewis Hamilton did a sublime drive, despite his team messing up on the tactics.

It is very windy here at Sawley Marina, but hopefully the weather will improve tomorrow. This blog will not be as exciting as our Chile one, but the idea of mobile blogging is utterly tantalising.

Battery is flat on the boat, but we hope to charge it up so we can keep this up!

On the boat at last!!

Sappho makes herself at home

The boat has been undergoing renovation for several months. And today we finally got her out of the marina if only up to Shardlow. Had to queue at Trent Lock whilst four other boats went through. Ate diner at the New Inn and then tried out blogging on the boat! If you are reading this, it works.

Where we moored

Below: Dog full of chips!

New York?

"New York, New York" - so good they named it after a place in England

Friday 11th January

We left for the airport with a taxi-driver who was determined to talk about just every aspect of the Chilean economy. Not too bad, but he did it in Spanish.

At Santiago, it was slow to board, but we eventually got off just before midnight.

After a night of fitful sleep, we arrived in New York, got through immigration, packed off our luggage, and caught a taxi into town. We bought a trip on a tour bus, thought the weather was cold and there was a mist. The guide, who was obviously an aficionado of New York architecture, had to keep apologising as the key buildings disappeared into the clouds. (His joke was that someone had stolen the Empire State Building the night previous.)

The gorrilla's in the mist!

We saw Times Square, Broadway, Greenwich Village, Madison Square Gardens, Wall Street, the bottom of the Empire State and Woolworth buildings, Soho, Little Italy and Chinatown, as well as “Ground Zero.”

"Ground Zero"

We couldn’t be bothered to get off the bus to see the Statue of Liberty, but luckily there was a miniature version at JFK airport so we don’t feel we missed out.

Joan got off the bus because she wanted to see the Seagram building on Park Avenue, but she could not remember what it looked like. (It is famous for its Philip Johnson designed restaurant, which originally was going to be decorated with Mark Rothko murals which now are in Tate Modern. Hence “Rothko”, the most evil and beloved Dalmatian.)

Both not the Seagram building

We were told off by a security guard who told us off for trying to photograph another building from his plaza. On Park Avenue there are lots of yellow taxis, like in films.

We took lunch in a French bistro, but we couldn’t quite shake off speaking Spanish.

In general, we weren’t that taken with New York. The skyscrapers are oppressive, and the people are a tad too loud!!

We managed a shot of the Empire State from our yellow taxi back to the airport. The taxi driver had to wake us both when we arrived, as we were so riveted by the city.

The plane to Stansted was empty, very empty. We each had a whole row to sleep on. We bought a couple of drinks and then the hostess gave us a freebie (maybe because we had bought some Chanel no 5).

Back at Stansted, Ken picked us up and ran us home.

We slept well, and were awakened by breakfast.

Wine, mainly

Wine barrels

Fermentation vats
Thursday 10th January

Having seen most of Valparaiso and Vina, we decided to take an organised excursion to the Casablanca valley and the vineyards. Our guide was an ex-Naval captain from the Pinochet era. His political views were not perhaps the same as ours and he didn’t seem to think much of “leftistas”, particularly women. He explained that one his classmates was now in gaol for atrocities in the Pinochet era.

We were accompanied by four Canadians from Ottawa, who were over for a wedding.

The first vineyard we visited was Vinamar, which was laid out in pristine rows with roses at the end. There was a grand reception building where we eat lunch overlooking the vines and sampling their delicious wines.

After that we visited a Croatian run vineyard, where they make only organic wines. It was built into the side of the hill, and was a much smaller operation. We only stopped for a degustation.

Then it was back to the Hotel Ultramar to await our taxi.

This is the view from the balcony of the hotel - our last of the Pacific for a while, but hopefully not too long!!

Hanging around

Trolley buses

Wednesday 9th January

Today we walked down Independia to visit Ascensor Polanco. The only vertical lift in Valparaiso. However it was closed for renovation. We went past the National Congress building.


Then wewalked along Avenida Brasil, to the market. They still use horses to deliver the food to the market.

We ate lunch at the Poets Café, before going up the hill to try and sort out tomorrow.

The view of the Valparaiso sprawl was amazing.

Poet's Cafe

Vina del Mar

Our hotel, complete with dog

Tuesday 8th January

A lazy day.

We caught the train to Vina del Mar which is just north of Valparaiso. It is Chile’s main seaside resort. A lagoon, the Marga Marga splits the commercial part of town from the beaches.

Castillo Wolff was another house built for a nitrate baron.

Apart from the beaches, which were busy, there wasn’t much to see.

The pier which is derelict

Kevin, of course