It's a little early for a year-in-review, right? Probably so! But I've had these images of my River Thames cruise from day to night, since early summer, and lovely old memories came flashing through, so I thought I should share them with you.
Reflecting on the year on the canal, I'd say this trip down the Thames has been the highlight of my adventures on this boat to date.
It was our first time navigating river waters on a narrowboat journey, and there was much anxiety and excitement but we felt confident in the capabilities of our boat Cygnet; as opposed to our previous boat Badger.
It was all a new journey of discovery on the Kent and Avon Canal, into vibrant Reading, and then onto the River Thames, the longest river in the UK.
There were special requirements and licenses needed to cruise the river, that are not needed on the regular canals, and it was required recommended for us to wear life vests, as the river is a different kettle of fish from the canals.
I loved this cottage by the canals at one of the locks.
... and I have a thing for picket fences, so a selfie was in order:)
Reading was lit!
I felt a bit like I was on parade while cruising through the town of Reading because there's a shopping centre with a restaurant right along the canals, with onlookers waving.
Everyone was friendly and seemed to enjoy the day out watching boaters go by.
A unique setting for people watching that appears to be relaxing too.
We finally got onto the big waters, and my narrowboat never felt as small as it did before.
It felt strange to be cruising at 3mph on the river in a narrowboat, as big boats sailed at lightning speed.
It looks flat, but there are strong currents that make it a noticeably different experience from chugging along the cut that we're used to.
I had confidence in the captain though, and we cruised happily while our brains churned at the creativity and innovations of all the different boats.
It was inspiring and gave us food for thought on the different possibilities of life in the UK waters.
This looks like a medley of ideas or maybe it's a 'castle riverboat'?
I'm not sure what's going on here, but I can imagine having coffee in the summer, on what looks like an upper deck to be awesome.
We moored up a this location next to a park for the evening and had a meal with some friends. It was pleasant and a great spot to pop into the town for a little exploration.
However, come nighttime, I was awestruck when I reached up to close my curtains and saw this stunning reflection on the water. I was pretty smug about how the photo came out too, because my nighttime vision, yet alone night photography is usually crap.
I have fantasies about living on the Thames in the future, and the fact that the river is wide with wide canals makes it a viable spot for wide-beam boats that are usually limiting in scopes of travel across narrow canals.
I hope that you enjoyed these photos as much as I enjoyed my time here:)
All images belong to me.