and so to Windsor for yet another extended weekend!

A beautiful morning as we left Maidenhead.

A gentle run down to Windsor through just two locks........so easy these locks as very little physical effort is required on the part of Geoff!!!   he is itching to get back to the canals but then he will have to work again.....

At Boveney Lock we watered and attended to the loo.  Inconveniently they are on opposite banks so it took a while......

We had no idea how busy Windsor would be but hoped that our arrival time would be to our advantage....just before mid-day.

We last visited here 9 years ago and moored on the island but I had no recollection of it.   We meandered for a bit and did a couple of 360`s before we decided to tackle a space that seemed just big enough for us on the outside of the island.   It was between a mini gin and a somewhat bigger one but the space looked big enough.  Luckily I approached it upstream as when we got closer I realised the extent of his bowsprit.  How I managed to wriggle in without touching this beast I don`t know...  I had to carefully slide under his bowsprit and then reverse to fit into the space.  Whew!

I was somewhat pleased after we had been there about an hour when they upped and left........

The weekenders are about and people come in quite late in the day hoping to find space.  

We were a little dismayed to see the notice which said 24 hours as we had visitors coming and wanted to stay the weekend.  However when the warden came round to collect the fees he asked us how many nights we wanted to stay.....£8 a night.    We paid for 3 nights

Windsor is obviously swan HQ!

There are even two black ones

The river traffic was very busy over the weekend, all shapes and sizes

Presumably it would fit in the locks

These little yellow jobs can be hired at vast expense and were up and down past Petroc
all the time but very busty at the weekend

A cheaper way to travel

Flowers galore

Saturday was a gentle day including sussing out a good place for Sunday Lunch as we had Mike Peaker coming and also Maggie.  

Whilst downtown we managed to catch the changing of the guard...as did millions of others.

We found a church nearby for Sunday morning.  We had designs on St Georges Chapel but the service was not at the right time.   Mike decided to attend that service and the meet us for lunch.  he then had a horrendous time trying to park.   Windsor is awash with tourists.  Maggie arrived by train which was also jam packed.  We had decided to try the Watermans Arms over on the Eton side of the river as they advertised a carvery.   We had an very enjoyable social time but the meal was somewhat indifferent.  The carvery meat was fine but the vegetables cold and as for the spotted dick pudding........It is one of my favourites but this experience had put me off.......almost like concrete!!!   At Mikes insistence I did mention it when paying the bill but I think it fell on deaf ears.

Maggie came back to Petroc and we were able to spend the afternoon on the riverbank gossipping!

Monday saw two an unexpected arrivals.   The first was Mike who decided to come back and deliver the parcel we had had sent to his address.  He forgot to bring it on Sunday!  The other was Boe who had returned from holiday in the early hours of the morning and decided to recuperate at Windsor.

Consequently we decided to stay yet another day so she and I could have a mooch round Windsor on Tuesday.   We found a good place for a pedicure and celebrated that with a tapas lunch!

After the weekend it has really quietened down in the picnic area by us.