Wales by Narrow Boat

Once we made it to the Chirk Marina there was a flurry of activity getting everyone and everything onboard our canal boat and making preparations for the big departure. We were in a boat with two other families, and there were two other boats with similar populations. We were a flotilla!  

View from our boat of the Chirk Marina

Less than an hour after departure, we met with our first obstacle - a small traffic bridge that had to be raise to let our boats pass underneath. The boats pulled over, one of the guys hopped out to raise the bridge and all the guys, including Dad, jumped out to help hold the lines so our boats stayed put. The next thing I know, I hear S-P-L-A-S-H!!! and look over the top of the boat to see my Dad's head pop up from underwater. It was quite an ordeal to get him up and out of the canal (straight, 4-foot tall cement sides and a waterlogged, fully clothed person doesn't make it that easy), but we got him out. I pushed my dripping wet father into the shower and made him rinse off all of his clothes and take a Silkwood shower. Sadly, his wallet and (even more sadly) iPhone were also drenched. We eventually got his phone (sorta) fixed and wallet dried out. 

We're on a boat!

It took the rest of the trip to get my Dad's clothes and shoes dry, so he was stuck with a dress shirt, khakis, and Bill's wellies for the next three days. I prayed for the next week that he wouldn't get dysentery or an amoeba or the flesh eating virus, etc. Thankfully he's still as fit as a fiddle! 

(Apparently, when Dad threw the rope back to the boat, he overstretched and lost his balance and ended up in the water.)  

Going over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

The photos above were taken just 30 minutes or less after Dad's dunking; thank God he has a good humor about it all as well! :-) 

View from the back and side of the boat, going over the aqueduct

The big ticket item on the particular canal we took was the Pontcysyllte (pronounced pon-sea-cliff-tea) aqueduct, showcased in these photos. The views going over the aqueduct were stunning! 

Over the aqueduct, pilot's view

Going over the aqueduct, view from front of boat

That's a long way down!!

Soccer pitch below the aqueduct

My phone was also acting up on this trip, so I had to 'borrow' a lot of photos from the others on the trip. I can't remember who took which photo, but they know who took them. 

Another aqueduct in the distance!

The photo below was a typical scene on the canal. The funny thing about canal boats is that they go maximum 4 MPG, so we were often passed by walkers along the tow road. The canals were dug back before trains were able to move goods around England. A barge, floating in the canal, would have been loaded with goods and provisions. That barge would have been tethered to horses, who would pull the barge via the tow road from town to village to city to town, etc.

Me and Dad, chillin' on the boat

We stopped at the end of the canal and spent the day exploring the Welsh village of Llagonllen (pronounced Lang-goth-lynn). It was quite picturesque, but also heaving with people on a high-tourism day. We were able to get lunch in a cafe, buy a few provisions, and head back to the docks for a barbecue that night. As it's the UK, it rained all throughout our BBQ, so we sat in a huddled circle, umbrellas taking the brunt of the rain. It worked, but it was a fairly miserable BBQ. 

The small village of Llagonllen

Downtown Llangollen

Back on the boats the next morning! Here's a photo of one of our boat captains, Captain Bill! 

Bill at the helm

So many family back gardens butted up against the canal. Some of them were decorated whimsically, like the hobbit-inspired display below. 

Can you spot the hobbit door?

It is so calm and fun on the canals. The canal we traversed last year was a lot less travelled, and had more places to stop along the way, though. 

Going under a bridge

The photo below is what it's all about! Chillin', having fun, and perhaps a beer or two while doing it. 

Bill and Pete, captains extraordinaire

What English canal should we go on next Summer?