July 16 - Wessex Rose

Today we hung out at the hotel until late morning.  We left the luggage at the hotel and trouped down to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen for a last chocolate shake before leaving London.  After getting back to the hotel the guys headed out to find a taxi for our trip to Euston Station to catch a train to Berkhamsted where we will meet the Wessex Rose. 

The station was a short walk from where the Wessex Rose was moored.  We left our luggage on the boat and then headed into town to see whatever there is to see in town.

There was a pretty school (originally founded in 1541),...

some old buildings (of course), 

and the Parish Church of St. Peter.

We also stopped in to see the local castle ruins of the Royal Castle of Berkhamsted, once occupied by Thomas Becket, the Earl of Cornwall and the Black Prince.

Boarding time was 4:00.  It was good to see David and Karen again. 

The positioning of the ropes on this picture makes for a somewhat startling name of the boat.

Our travel companions for the trip are Bill and Sue Pilkington from Bristol.  We will be cruising on the Grand Union Canal for the next seven days. 

After boarding they moved the Rose a little further along the canal where we moored in North Church.  

David hasn’t lost his touch in the kitchen.  Dinner was a melon salad, beef stroganoff (veggie meatballs and noodles for Paul) and an awesome ice cream/fruit dessert.  Yum, yum.