On our way!

Well at last we have left the marina where we have stayed for the last three months, but what a good decision it was.

Again it felt good to be moving as we took the exit onto the cut. The first thing we noticed was the state of the towpaths..

Puddles, mud and even like a river in some places..

The problem with this is it just gets inside your boat. As much as you try to clean your wellies or shoes it still gets into the mats and covers the floor which you end up cleaning all the time.. It was a lovely sunny spring like day and we both had a big smile on our faces as we felt the sun on our cheeks..

The engine had passed its first test and was behaving itself for now, as we took things nice and easy. It was funny to see the popular mooring spots which were a bit muddy were now empty and the dry areas packed to the brim with boats.. Even the mooring at Clifton had a boat under the new bridge which was now fully open..

But there is now a very handy footpath which shortens the route to the station.

We carried on up to the locks and Al had to drain the lock so we could get in.

We soon reached the top and were on our way again, but the scenery had changed here as well.
Houses were now getting close to the canal and the trees and cottage had gone from the corner, sad we know, but it had been derelict for about three years..

  The sun got a little less as the clouds were forming above us which was turning things a bit colder and we needed to find a mooring..

 

It was lovely to be out on the cut in the middle of nowhere again