Going against the flow!

Just a quick post today as internet access a bit dodgy. I stopped for 24 hours in the lovely Ellesmere and visited the laundrette. I know that doesn't sound like fun but if you haven't washed your clothes for quite some time, then a visit to the laundrette is positively exciting. Not only that but Tesco (usually boo hiss) has seen fit to build a store right at the canal basin. I compromised my principles of shopping local and not giving money to the robber barons by stocking up - I admit it, I'm weak willed!

We are now not far from the mountains and the rain is incredible here. It is sunny and then I can see the rain travelling down the mountain and coming towards me in a solid line. At least we get some warning! I have stopped complaining about the rain now - I am floating in a boat where there are loads of poor souls out there whose houses and businesses have been flooded out.

The title of this post reflects the fact that although the Llangollen Canal (actually it is officially still the Shropshire Union (Llangollen Branch) is only a canal, it feels more like a river in that there is a pronounced flow downstream thanks to the canal being fed by a reservoir. Consequently, I travelled 8 miles today and did 2 locks which would normally take me just over 3 hours and today it took over 4 hours. The closer we get to Llangollen, the faster the flow. The canal is also very narrow and shallow in parts and that makes the flow quicker. It's hard work steering for long periods of time, but worth it. I'll be crossing the famous aqueduct tomorrow if the wind would only die down a bit!

An example of the many beautiful moorings we have found