Thursday 17 July
Our trip to the south of England took some preparation and meant putting a few pieces together to ensure we got to see everyone we wanted to see and in the right direction. The last piece of the jigsaw came into place today as our friends Clive & Sarah came into the Paddington Basin, in the centre of London, on their new home - Amphora, their narrow boat. Clive and Sarah are our friends from New Zealand but are originally from England and are spending a couple of years back here and, as we were heading south, we didn't want to miss them.

So, back on the bike and on the road for a decent amount of miles and heading south down the M1. Not a bad run down, even though we were in rain for the majority of the journey, but hitting the centre of London at rush-hour was not ideal. We eventually made our way to Paddington Railway station and gave Clive the call to come and meet us as we were only a few hundred yards from their dock on Paddington Basin.

Amazing for the boat to be docked in such a quiet part of London, you forget that you are only feet away from one of the busiest parts of the city. A great evening spent with Clive and Sarah and good that we were able to catch up with them whilst we are in the UK. The night spent in a completely different kind of accommodation! Thanks Clive and Sarah.