London's Lovely Little Venice!
In London's Little Venice, delightful parks rise up with brilliant displays of spring blooms and elegant bridges are eye-catching diversions. We arrived at the wharf on a cold, wet morning for a cruise to Camden Lock. Having booked a return trip, we decided to shorten the experience to a 45-minute, one-way trip because of the weather.
Booking a week-long cruise in the north of England had been on my wish list, but I suppose life on a narrowboat might feel claustrophobic to someone who is tall, and used to a very active lifestyle (umm... that would be T.)
Britain's narrowboats have a fascinating history of moving supplies along a complex and vast system of canals. Booking a tour on the Regent's Canal is a little pleasure I highly recommend, albeit, an activity that generally marks one as a visitor to London. (Usually when traveling, I make an effort to avoid doing anything that has me swimming in a sea of tourists. I'm happiest spending time in places that allow me to meld with locals.)
Jason's Trip .. www.jasons.co.uk .. is a 100 year old canal boat that's been converted for leisure travelers.
Couldn't agree more with your style of traveling, but that little cruise looks too fun to pass up!
ReplyDeleteNext time you come to London, Alice, we MUST meet up, and you MUST come out on my mother's narrowboat!
ReplyDeleteChristine,
ReplyDeleteBottom line: sometimes you just have to join in with the other tourists! That said, the only time I took the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise was after I had moved West. Totally crazy, because this is something every single Chicagoan/architecture fan must do! and not just once!
Victoria,
Agreed! So sorry to miss you at Babylon, and to miss seeing your garden? A very sad face :-[
I can't believe your mother has a narrowboat. How wonderfully exciting!!
Alice, the very first time we went to London we stayed with friends who had a flat in Little Venice. It was on Blomfield Rd, right across from Jasons. So of course we did the Camden Lock tour, love Camden market!
ReplyDeleteThere was a canal close to where I grew up in England, although it wasn't restored until after I left. I do remember some of the canals further north though. As a child I would simply melt at the sight of the old Shire horse pulling the boat from the tow-path adjacent to the canal. I honestly can't imagine a better way to spend a week than silently cruising along the networks of canals in England. I hope you get a chance to do that someday, just ask Tom to spend a lot of time on deck.
ReplyDeleteDeborah,
ReplyDeleteSo many connections among friends in the blogosphere! How delightful to be able to stay in Little Venice and across from Jasons, no less.
CBV
Did I know that you grew up in England? Sorry if I have forgotten. I hadn't know about the horses towing the boats, until the guide explained. I encouraged Tom to walk the tow-path while the boat glided along, but couldn't sell him on the idea.