Boating on the Broads COMPLETED 5/19 - Page 22 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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What a fun time you guys were having! I'm really enjoying this report. This sort of boat trip never crossed my mind. It's turning out to be very relaxing and very enjoyable! Awww, those little ducklings!!
It was very relaxing, much more so that our boat trip on the Thames. It's definitely much better for us not having to deal with locks!
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Ok, I didn't think I'd be able to update today, as the Internet connection here was horrible when we arrived yesterday, but it seems to be holding out Ok, so here goes...
Sunday 20 April – part three: indicators would be good now!
We headed out of Ranworth Broad and back on to the main river, and there were now starting to be a lot more boats around. By now, it was about 10:00am, so I guess everyone had got going.
Mark spotted these adorable little things as we went along.
When we got to the mouth of the River Ant, which meets the River Bure that we were on, we wanted to go right into the Ant. This is where indicators really would help on a boat! Fortunately, Mark managed to safely navigate his way across the path of the other boats. On the river, you stay on the right of the river, so it did mean that we had to cross over others to get where we wanted to go.
At first, it was pretty deserted along here, with not much to see…
Then we got to Ludham, where there was more to see…
… and there was a bridge to navigate, but with my pilot in charge, I had nothing to worry about!
From here, it got busier, although as Mark commented, generally the boats were coming towards us, which was hopefully a good sign that there would be plenty of mooring further along the river.
After this, we started to see plenty of windmills, which I always find beautiful.
He’s braver than me doing that…
We then went past some more beautiful properties. I dread to think how much some of these places cost.
I thought this chair was very cool!
Next: I didn’t expect to see these crossing the road!
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So you "drive" on the right side in the river, but on the left side on the road, did I read that correctly? Interesting.....
Those houses, wow! That's a pretty penny.
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So you "drive" on the right side in the river, but on the left side on the road, did I read that correctly? Interesting......
you read that right! I just double checked I'd got that right on the Boating on the Norfolk Broads website, and it's right on the river, left on the roads - just to keep you on your toes!
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Great scenery along the waterways! Some of the narrow ones remind me of those in the "No Wake " areas around Bay Lake, that I've taken the small motor boats on. Loved the windmills and especially that unique chair!
Those homes along the waterways are quite something! Perhaps, on your next trip here you could rent one of them for a week?
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Great scenery along the waterways! Some of the narrow ones remind me of those in the "No Wake " areas around Bay Lake, that I've taken the small motor boats on.
I hadn't thought of that before, but now you say it, I can see it!
Quote:
Loved the windmills and especially that unique chair!
Those homes along the waterways are quite something! Perhaps, on your next trip here you could rent one of them for a week?
It probably is a minimum of a rental for a week and we just wouldn't have that much time next year, not with the other plans I have, if they come off.
I just had a quick look at a couple of sites and I was right - it's a minimum three night stay, which is a shame. If it was nightly, then maybe we could spend a night in one....
Sunday 20 April – part four: I didn’t expect to see these crossing the road!
Soon we were entering Barton Broad, and I thought I might get some more good bird sightings here, but not really.
It’s a massive place.
Then we were back into the river again…
Soon we were coming into Stalham, which is where we were going to stop to try and get lunch, as our original plans for the day had been foiled by the fact that we couldn’t get under the bridge to get to the pub we’d booked for today.
Mark managed to turn the boat around, which was very impressive, and then we managed to moor up, with some help from a nearby boat owner. In my defence, I did jump ashore and hold the rope. There you go, the sum of my contribution! Actually, that’s not entirely true. I did drive the boat for about two minutes while Mark had a bathroom break earlier, but that was more than enough for me! The steering was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
We asked if we’d be Ok to moor up here for a couple of hours, and the boat owner reckoned we would be, but told us to double check at the marina. They were fine, although he brought us a bit higher up, so that another boat could fit in if needs be. That is something I will say for boating. Everyone is so helpful, which is just as well, as literally it really is Mark on his own, as I don’t mind admitting I am really no use on these sort of things!
We headed over towards the town centre, and found these guys crossing the road on the way! I love it when you see unexpected things like this.
We found our way into Stalham, although of course there was a choice of turning either right or left, and we picked right. Of course, it was the longer way, as we found out when we headed back, but at least we got to see the church, and its beautiful cherry tree. I bet that’s a good couple of hundred years old!
Our little home on the Broads!
We weren’t sure what would be open today, as it’s Easter Sunday, and this is the one day of the year, along with Christmas Day, where most things shut down for the day. Certainly no supermarkets are open, but I was hoping the pubs would be open. We walked past one, the Swan Inn, and it didn’t look open, but Mark spotted people inside, so in we went. It turned out we’d walked into the bar area, but they were able to fit us in and led us through to the restaurant part.
The table we got was one side of the fireplace, and my goodness I could barely squeeze into the other side, the table was so tight to the fireplace.
When I saw mushroom lasagne on the menu, I had to have that. Firstly, I don’t see vegetable lasagnes of any kind that often, and I can’t make one at home, because of Mark’s dairy allergy, so this was a rare treat for me, and very nice it was too – beautifully cheesy, which I love!
Mark went for the Yorkshire ham and eggs and chips (fries to you guys and seemed to enjoy it, although looking at it, I think I got the better deal.