Out for a couple of weeks

We are on the move again! After 2 months at home we were feeling the call of the canals.

On Monday we packed the clothes for two weeks and food for a couple of days and drove to the marina. By 13:30 we were unpacked and ready to cruise. 2 hours travelling took us to Fradley Junction where we moored on the Trent & Mersey just north of the junction with the Coventry Canal. On the way we were delighted to have several good views of a kingfisher flying up and down the canal.

After mooring we went straight round to the renowned Swan Inn which overlooks the junction for a pint watching the boats go by. Then back to the boat for dinner.

This morning after a late breakfast we set off at 10 and moored at the attractive but strangely named village of Alrewas, (pronounced ol-rue-us). As it was a bit early for lunch we visited the village shops. I can recommend the butcher, Coates, who sells a wide range of very good quality meats (this time he had veal, duck and venison available), home made pies and cheese. We bought some lamb kebabs and feta cheese which will form the basis of a sort of Greek style meal on Thursday, and some farmhouse Derby, a cheese that can be very difficult to find, particularly in Derbyshire.

After a leisurely lunch we moved off again at 13:30 to travel the 4 miles to Branston Water Park where good moorings are to be found alongside the lakes created by gravel extraction, but now a nature reserve. This section of the canal was surprisingly busy and we had to queue to pass through each of the 3 locks. The countryside is quite pleasant but for 2 of the 4 miles the canal is alongside the very busy and noisy A38 which somewhat spoils the effect.

We reached the waterpark at 16:30 and after a short walk to the very uninteresting village (well really a suburb of Burton on Trent) of Branston we returned to the boat for dinner and perhaps a small glass of wine.