Eight go Mad on a Barge Trip part II

Saturday Night.

After leaveing Chirk around 5 on the Saturday afternoon, we decided on a fairly easy first evening with us heading off towards Llandudno, but planning on mooring at The Sun Trevor (a pub) and eating there. We were fine until we got to Trevor Basin itself , where there was a stunningly difficult 90 degree turn which is not the easiest thing to do in a 70 foot narrowboat, however, after a bit of oohing and aahing we managed to turn it left and get it straightened up. Then we were off. I always imagined canals to be about 3 canal boats wide, well not on the Llangollen. there were numerous places where only one boat could travel along at a time, which were also incrediblt windy. Not the easiest first day in anyones book.

Anyway, we stopped at the pub, ate some very nice food, and stumbled down the p
towpath to the boat. Now, given the fact that there were 3 couples and Colin and Me, the 2 bunks that they give for singles are not exactly wide. i spent Monday night dreaming I was sleeping on the edge of a cravasse.

Sunday:

We arrived in Llangollen around 11.30 and went to the tourist infomation place. We bought maps, books etc. After splitting up, well Colin and I split up, the rest went into a bookshop, I todled around Llangollen taking pictures and buying T Shirts, Cheese, fruit etc etc.

After getting back to the boat, we headed out of llangollen and back across the fantastic aquaduct, where we pulled into the moorings and headed off to The Aquaduct inn. We had been told at the boatyard that the aquaduct was under new ownership and that things had been improving, so we went along and had quite a nice meal.

Monday:

Headed from The Aqueduct and back past Chrick boatyard, we travelled most of the day and arrived in Ellesmere, which meant we were just in time for a couple of beers in the real ale pub, before heading next door to the Black Lion for food. As you can see, life on the water consists mainly of travelling from one pub to another, drinking loads, and eating nice pub food. Oh well, shame.

Tuesday: Deathmarch day.

We left Ellesmere around 11 and set off on what was to be the grusome part of the trip. We had been told at the boathouse that the usual stopping pub had burnt down and there was nowhere to stop for 6 hours. Turns out that the boatman knows what he was talking about when, after a bit of a hard day, we pulled into Whitchurch. A bit of a trek later and we arrived at the first pub, The Greyhound. I had misgivings as soon as I saw the sign as it was a Pubmaster pub. We stayed for one, and thats my only comment. Afte that we went for a bit of a walk. The black and white pub at the top of the hill had an interesting menu, but nothing was veggie, so we continued down. Came across another Pubmaster pub, a shut pub and finall stumbled acros The Old Town Hall Vaults, which, as well as being the birthplace of Edward german (cmposer) , had a ghost, had quite ok food, it ALSO had a big selection of real ales. Phew…>Everybody happy.

Alas, as I had taken the laptop to chrge it I decided to cll a cab to get back to the boat. Colin now wishes he had come in the cab also, as he fell over on the tow path on the way back to the boat, and ended up at hospital this morning for a couple of hours. Luckily the diagnosis is a sprain rather than a break, but it could have been worse.

Anyway, more tomorrow