rowingtheworld

Day 6: Windsor

Posted on by Susan

20190920_061935Today was the longest row of our trip and it was especially fun. I rowed all day with the two women from my club I’m traveling with. We were on the coxed double, switching the coxing job every three hours or so.

We passed under ancient bridges and went through eight or nine locks. Locks take time since we have to wait for a space to row our boat in and then wait for the water flow to be complete before we row out. It’s a little like threading a needle, since there can be big power boats hogging most of the lock. The cox has to negotiate the paddle in, and often there is barely room to move.

With all those locks and strong wind, it took all day to get from Henley to Windsor.

We stopped for lunch at about 2, then continued to endure wind gusts for the second part of our day. We were glad to get to our hotel, after pulling the boats out at the Excelsior Rowing Club, where we will get them in the morning. Tomorrow is our last day on the Thames.

[photos: swan on the dock; lawn party we rowed past; ancient church]

20190920_04101920190920_055106

Day 1: Oxford

Posted on by Susan

20190914_073849We arrived in London this morning and almost immediately jumped on a bus to Oxford, where our week begins. The ride was about 1.5 hours and the cab ride to our bnb was another 10 minutes. We had too much luggage to walk.

We checked in at the Marlborough House, then left right away to walk into the center of the city. It was about a 45- minute walk, but we stopped along the way.  The university was having an Open Doors day to begin their semester, so we lucked into that and saw some old, old buildings.

We checked out the Thames River, where we will be rowing this week, although we aren’t sure where we will start.

We had dinner (paella👍) at a food festival, where there were at least 25 vendors.

We ended our day on the back deck of the Red Lion, where we enjoyed a cocktail before walking back to our hotel.

20190914_082356Thames River20190914_084827Learning to open the lock so a boat can pass through