A pub session, fish watching, a welcome and hot weather

Mooring in march it wasn't long before we were joined by John and irene on their super little boat Rosie Piper. So nice to meet up with firends in this way. After a good Indian meal that evening we retired to the Ship Inn directly above the moorings where we were joined by other friends met on the way. it turns out we could all ply a bit of music and so with the blessing of the landlord a session ensued. Dulcimer, bagpipes, guitar, mandola, flute and voices. even the landlord sang a song or two. We left the pub at a quarter past midnight!

Our second day across the middle levels stayed hot and dry until we reached Peterborough. There isn't anything to see except the flood banks so we amused ourselves by looking down into the crystal clear water and spotting fish.

We had to wait a day in Peterborough for Peter to join us by train so that night we moored up by the boathouse pub next to the rowing lake. A good spot for a one nighter. The river banks in central town were very weedy and there were a few drunks hanging about so we were much better of out of town.

Peter arrived by train on Saturday and we took up an invitation to stay that night at Peterborough Yatch Club (not a yacht in sight!). A nice guy called Pete who we met in Ely asured us of a welcome and even saved a prime spot for us and arranged a welcoming party! What hospitality. Free secure mooring, lots of friendly people, very cheap real ale, and next morning, cheap diesel. Very highly recommended. Peering over the side of the boat doing more fish watching we spend some time looking at an eel, lazily wandering through the cabbage lillies. They look very graceful sen from above this way.

Sunday saw us head up the Nene at last in hot sunshine and again very clear water so more fish watching, spotting some real biggies.

We settled for the night at the pretty moorings at Fotheringhay where I failed again to get an internet connection even though I climbed with the laptop right upo to the top of the cstle mound - presumably within feet of where poor Mary Queen of Scots had her head chopped off.

Now its Monday lunchtime and we've walked up from Ashton lock to the Chequered Skipper Inn which has a free wifi connection so I can catch up. To celebrate, here are a few pictures from the ever growing backlog.
THE lowest bridge

The main waterway through the middle levels!!
More rural idyll on the Nene
One of the very few kingfishers we have seen.