4 October 2019

We awoke in a new country, having had a smooth channel crossing.

Now Hull isn’t the prettiest port to arrive in, but it suited our needs. Soon after disembarking and passing through customs, we found ourselves whizzing through the English countryside. toward Stoke-on-Trent on a fairly expensive train ride.

Unbeknown to us, the ticket lady had sold us 1st class tickets. This entitled us to hot drinks and biscuity snacks free of charge!! Almost worth it!

We arrived in Stoke-on-Trent hoping to deposit our bags somewhere and go exploring for the afternoon. But this proved impossible as the r*#n started to fall. We found ourselves recovering in a nearby pub. It even had stain glass windows!!! Happy days!!!

We made our way to our Airbnb. The host Susan and her partner, Neil made us feel very welcome. Later in the evening, sitting around their kitchen table, we chatted like old friends and shared one or two of their favourite ciders.

Susan and Neil have travelled in Australia and even stayed in Cessnock! They compared it to a Wild West movie!!

Before dinner we walked toward the canals and once finding them, walked along the tow path to the marina where we were meeting John and Jude in about 14 hours time.

We tried to pick which would be our home for the next two weeks. None had particularly pirate-like names so old “Maddog Morgan”(our canal boat from three years ago) might be as close as we will ever get to pillaging and plundering on the high seas!!

We tested out the pub at the marina and found it to our liking. An “all you can eat” Roast dinner with Yorkshire pud. Omg!! After weeks of tapas, cheese , ham and bread, this was heaven. A “three kinds of roast meat, taties lots of different ways, pork crackling, pumpkin, carrots, beans and gravy” kind of heaven.

We rolled out with full bellies and a growing excitement about the upcoming rendez-vous with John and Jude.