It’s here, and it feels wonderful to embrace autumn, particularly this year after the long dry spring and summer, that turned everything to dust. Living and working on a boat brings nature and the changes of seasons to you in a way that living in bricks and mortar cannot. We are in and out intoContinue reading “Enjoying a final flourish”
Tag Archives: journeys
Results from an experiment in living differently
Our “Let’s give it 2 years and see what happens” experiment in living and working afloat has just passed 5 years! In that time with our 50ft floating home/office/workshop we have travelled 3,530 miles, worked her through 2,328 locks (counting locks we’ve officially lock wheeled for others in that time we have worked 3,043 locks).Continue reading “Results from an experiment in living differently”
National wonders or damp squibs?
More than 50 years ago Robert Aickman, co-founder of the Inland Waterways Association compiled the original list of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways.’ With our descent of the Caen Hill a flight last Saturday we have now travelled through or along each of these, and we would take issue with Aickman on several ofContinue reading “National wonders or damp squibs?”
We all need to put more effort in
Comedian Chris McCausland got us thinking this week that we all really could benefit from making more of an effort at living (that doesn’t mean doing something big like say ballroom dancing, although if that’s your thing – dance away – Voltaire would approve!). An antidote to pretension at the Hay Festival, where we sawContinue reading “We all need to put more effort in”
Bag bottoms and historic Arms
Blindgötu, cul-de-sac, sackgasse, the bottom of a bag – dead end doesn’t sound an attractive proposition whatever the language (Icelandic, French and German as well as English here). To reach a dead end means you’re not making any progress, you’re unlikely to succeed, but this week, dead ends have literally been our focus. Heading somewhereContinue reading “Bag bottoms and historic Arms”
Taking stock with a floating business
It takes determination, hard work, and ingenuity to run a successful business. Mobile catering businesses, as we know, come in all shapes, sizes, formats, cuisines, and types. In floating terms we’ve encountered cafes, coffee, pizza, ice cream, and fudge boats, to name but a few. This week I’ve been learning firsthand the ins and outsContinue reading “Taking stock with a floating business”
Logistics, history and waters meet for us
When you know something is going to be the last for a while it takes on a special quality, a poignancy, perhaps even an importance out of all proportion. That is what we’re aware of this week, and it’s good thing, a valuable opportunity. Our last cruising time for a while has been a mixtureContinue reading “Logistics, history and waters meet for us”
Many happy returns
Returning to familiar places, familiar things and retracing your steps can sound faintly boring but it provides new perspectives, new opportunities to see things differently if you are prepared to do so, and can foster moments of familiar comfort, alongside a capacity to still surprise. This week that’s exactly what we’ve been doing on theContinue reading “Many happy returns”
Into every life, some rain must fall.
The British and boaters are obsessed with the weather. It plays a major part in how we live, enjoy and in our case, move, our floating home and office. Walking this morning as rain and sleet, hail and wind whipped my skin and Boatdog shivered beside me, I was in full agreement with the manContinue reading “Into every life, some rain must fall.”
We can see clearly now
Our window on the world, or indeed windows on the world have changed dramatically this week. We see the wealth of birds and animals, people and the British weather around our floating home and office very differently today than we did this time last week. After years of planning, research, saving, and preparation – weContinue reading “We can see clearly now”
Pickingupducks 