Setting off this morning, however, I thought "Why do I need this? I can just about recite the bridge numbers and features all the way from here to Alrewas." So I kept the Garmin in front of me, to have a speed and moving time read out, but left the guide alone.
Earlier, before I'd had breakfast, indeed, I took a couple of photos of the atmospheric mist hanging over the water:
and the fields:
Off we went at half seven, the idea being to get through the bottlenecks of Haywood and Colwich Locks before things got busy. We paused just before the junction to dump recycling, then under the bridge and round the bend we went, impressing a Canaltime as we did so.
Below Haywood, we stopped briefly again whilst I scampered to the paper shop, but managed to get away before the Canaltime, which had winded in the junction , had finished descending the lock.
There was a bit of action at Colwich, too, but no real hold up. FMC ex-working boat Lamprey was waiting to come up; presumably on her way to the Ellesmere Port Boat Gathering, though she'll have to get a shift on to make it for next weekend now.
We've stopped for the night at Bridge 69. This mooring is still popular, being just short of Rugeley but still in the countryside, although the rural effect is a bit more pronounced than it was, due to the young pigs living on the offside. They are quite delightful, actually, pottering about with little grunts, and occasionally engaging in mock fights, just don't breathe in too deeply. And I guess getting the barbie out and chucking some sausages on it would be in poor taste.
The railway line is visible but not too intrusive, and we saw a steam hauled train going north this morning. I couldn't recognise the loco, which was long and black, a mixed traffic beast, I would guess, with an impressive rake of 13 maroon coaches behind it.
Tomorrow, on through Rugeley to stop at Handsacre, probably.
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