Day 12 was a true turning point in the weather and consequently the way we feel. Just as well as we are back to board canals (harder work to do the locks). Starting the day at Nantwich early to try to get most of the way to Chester with a plan to get into the centre of Chester for the weekend. Managed to pair up with another boat for a few locks starting with the staircase locks at Bunbury.
Later we went through Beeston Iron lock which is locally notorious as being potentially more dangerous than other locks meaning that even though it looks like two boats can fit in it only one boat is allowed through at a time. Only six locks today but all quite slow, then a long and in some places slow (because of the number of moored boats) cruise to Christleton just outside Chester with a great view of a little paddock with horses, donkeys and the inevitable rabbits. Beginning to see much more wildlife, particularly more young ducks. It seems that the mallards either have one or two ducklings or loads (difficult to count in some cases but have definitely seen one pair with 12 offspring) they are really cute.
Day 13 saw us travelling down into Chester, managed to catch up with a boat that came past us on our mooring just as we were nearly ready, not in time to go through the first lock but they waited for us at the second and we travelled into Chester with them. Not sure J made any friends with the female member of crew on the other boat when her partner pointed out that I had run between the locks (only about a quarter of a mile) and then from our discussion about supermarkets (I had to say we were food snobs; choice of Waitrose, Tesco or Iceland 😉 ). They continued down into the basin but we decided we didn’t need to go that far and stopped near the city walls. The rest of the day, after a major Waitrose shop and a quick lunch on board , was spent walking around the city. It was getting really hot and the heat coming off the walls was amazing.
Our first evening meal out of the trip in the evening; for those who thought we would be doing a pub crawl.
Day 14 we stayed in Chester, more walking in the heat (D wanted to do some shopping), a late lunch of really good Tuna Nicoise salad and glass of SB as compensation. There are a lot of buskers in the city centre, some were really quite good. The city grew on us as we found our way around.
Day 15 was our last day in the city, we had a quick turn around the cathedral in the morning. It was lovely and quiet and uncrowded when we first got there, some good and some more challenging stained glass, the place is huge.
J has a thing about cloisters, unfortunately this one was walled / glassed in in the 1920’s. I think I must have been a nun in a former life ;-). We left late morning and went up the first five locks with a boat which had been moored just behind us. Unfortunately had to do some running repairs on the front button at the top. With that delay, the late start and the heat we only got to just below the next grouping of locks before deciding to stop. The canal was a lot busier than when we went towards Chester.