English Narrowboats along a Canal

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If you live in the United Kingdom, you probably have seen, or at least heard of, narrowboats. Like houseboats in the US which can be rented on various lakes and river systems, the narrowboat is a great way to spend a week relaxing with friends or family.

In a few weeks, I’ll be flying to England to, among other things, spend a week on a narrowboat. I don’t know how close it will look to this one, but you can count on photos and videos added after my trip! (Videos will go up on YouTube.)

My particular canal trip will begin in Market Harborough which is approximately 10 miles southeast of the city of Leicester, England. I booked this trip through the Armed Forces Vacation Club  about which I’ll write in a future post. Trust me when I say that if you are in, or have relations in the US military, you should know about this site.

My particular boat will have two bedrooms, a full kitchen, lounge area, and a bathroom with shower (hmmm a bit nervous about this, lol) and will be driven by one of the four of us onboard. Because we will be on a canal system, we will encounter the lock system which will raise and/or lower the boat to accommodate the change in altitude of the canal. I’ve added a short video to my YouTube channel to give you an idea how it all works.

Though cruising along the canals will be relaxing, there will be a public tow path along at least one bank, as canal boats were originally towed by horses and mules. Paths may be paved, run through towns, and will have a variety of geocaches to be found (future post also). Some boats have bicycles which can be used on the paths and around villages along the way.

I am really looking forward to this trip. We will be stopping in little towns and villages for sightseeing, shopping, and of course, the pubs. This will be a totally new vacation experience for me. Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain for the entire seven days!!

What is the most unusual vacation you have taken? Comment below or on the Tiggrz Travels Facebook page.

Be on the lookout for updates as they occur!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: Pixabay contributor Gavin36

Author: Tiggr

Retired Navy, Postal, Grandmother and traveler with too many blank pages in my passport to fill in.

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