Where do you moor?

Croissants again today, luckily, too hot for eggs and bacon.

What am I saying? This hot weather's getting to me!

Plenty of families of geese around and plenty of ducks. The swans are doing well also.

Saw some crested grebe interested in starting a family - well the males were - white throats all puffed up and heads well back. I'm not sure the female was that impressed but then, probably playing hard to get.

First lock of the day, Goring lock. Had thought that we would be stopping for water but advised by other boaters that it was no longer there but Cleeve lock, the next along, had a water point.

Still in Goring lock along with about four others.

Now that is serious fishing, waders on standing in the middle of the river.

Look closely and you'll see that this place is built on stilts, presumably for when the river floods.

A charming boathouse cum marina setup.

The weirs alongside some of the locks create a strong flow when approaching the lock landing.

Now in Benson lock, the cottage having been built in 1913.

We wanted to stop at Wallingford for the night but moorings are few and far between. Tried to stop at Benson but in the end opted for a quiet corner in the bushes at Shillingford.

Can't say the captain was too pleased when I politely requested that she climb into a tree to tie up the boat. Don't blame her. Ended up with me scrambling up the bank and a bit of 'left hand down a bit' to get the boat secured.

No pictures of the mooring, it's not that easy getting on and off the boat!