Hurley

Well, we did the tourist thing and walked into Windsor (slowly - Grannie had a bit of a struggle up the hill to the Market Square).  At 9 am it seemed very quiet, just the odd policeman about and the guards on the castle gates, then at 9.20, suddenly, hoards of foreign visitors appeared in clumps, each group with folded umbrella weilding tour guides.  We waited for a tour bus and had a gentle drive round about including a stop by the Watermans Arms where we had stopped yesterday.  The oldest pub in Eton I thought our commentator said.   We wandered back to the boat at about 11 am and set off - along it seemed with everybody else.   Obviously we have been doing it all wrong and the cogniscenti all leave at 11:00.   Consequently there were long lock queues for the small Boveney  and Bray Locks and only at Boulters, with its longer deeper lock, did we get in first flush.  After Cookham, where the gates closed in front of us we tried to make Marlow Lock, but it was after closing time.   The lock keeper kindly let us in, and two other latecomers, and shut the gates for us before leaving us to wind the handle ourselves.    I must count the number of turns needed!  Still nowhere to moor, so Temple Lock next and then we found a nice mooring against a field below Hurley Lock.   Pat scrabbled an ad hoc meal together, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Saute Potatoes and Peas, Sweetcorn, mushrooms and Onions.  Strawberries and cream finished us off all helped with an Italian red (Negroamaro).