Oxford and west

1/8/2018


We arrived in Oxford in 33° heat, mooring above Osney lock in the quiet shade of East Street.  Retreated to the cool of the Punter, downed a glass of a chilled beverage, enjoyed  dinner with our friends.

Earlier, we'd moored mid afternoon under a willow, to plunge into the cool deep Thames. Getting back aboard involved either a muddy shore, or athletic maneuvers scaling the boat, amusing to the mudlarks trying to pull wet slippery friends from the embrace of the Thames.

From our mooring it was about 2km to the centre of Oxford. So many people, swarms of tourists, cyclists, buses. We remind ourselves it is peak season, and continue our pilgrimage to two  national treasures, the Bodleian,  the Ashmolean.

From Oxford the Thames continues its westerly winding course, a smaller river crossing a mostly flat landscape. Moorings are still scarce, so we pulled in to a masonry bank when one appeared, avoiding a battle with nettles, reeds, willows.

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