Night and Day

I wanted to go to sleep and Jan wanted to show me the scene from the stern.  This morning she was up at her usual time of 5am and for some reason I rose at 5.30.  Actually I thought it was 6.30 but at that time of the morning my eye doesn’t focus very well.

{Hummm..... Huston we have a problem.  Liver Writer doesn't want to communicate with Picasa web album.  Please wait whilst I attempt to fix this error}  {actually the situation has worsened.... the laptop battery is now going late.  This post may be delayed until tomorrow}

Writing this post directly in Blogger whilst I attempt to resolve the Live Writer problem.

Sainsbury’s opened at 7.00am and shortly thereafter I was on my way back to the boat with all the items on the shopping list.  From the street Sainsbury’s looked to be in a small original building however on entering the supermarket it was obvious they had maintained the original shop front but added a large extension to the rear.   

By 7.30 we were on our way.  Apart from those early morning rowers, the river was empty of moving vessels.  The first three locks were on self service.  Jan likes them that way and we tend to find we do them quicker on our own.

There are some lovely (and expensive) riverside properties between Marlow and Henley.

 

We're not sure if the house is falling down or they have incorporated the remnants into the "new" home.  Probably the latter.

  Jan really liked this one!  Just need to win Lotto.  First we must buy a ticket!

The approach to Henley on Thames is a long straight with a line of white marker post down the centre line of the river.  There is an island at the opposite end to Henley which has what appears to be a temple on it.

A quick check in Google and what a surprise.... Its name is Temple Island and the temple is a folly!

Most people probably know Henley for the annual boat regatta.  I think it might be held in June as there appeared to be a flurry of activity with the erection of tents and finishing touches to the lane marking.

The row of homes with boat houses underneath look quite attractive.

Henley Bridge has a face on the main arch keystone.  Actually there is a male face on the downstream side and a female face on the upstream.

These faces are probably only able to be clearly seen from the river.  It appears they are replacements.  Our assumption is the faces on the original stones were worn away.  I couldn't find out anything further because the internet connection is currently very poor.

The Angel can be seen on the north bank of the upstream side of the bridge approach. 

Having previously visited Henley by road we decided against stopping, pressing on with the idea of finding a rural mooring around noon.

Goodbye Henley

Both of us couldn't but help it notice this following home above Marsh Lock.  

Old boat house with ultra modern new house.  We think they got it wrong!
Jan liked the chimneys on this next home.

I don't think we could afford the domestic staff.  My choice was this next home.  Well actually it was the curved lintel and roof line over the small window above the boat house entrance that caught my eye.

We pressed on looking for that elusive vacant mooring eventually arriving at Sonning Lock.  I actually recognized it having walked to the lock from Aldermaston when we were fitting out Waiouru.   

When we arrived at the lock we found a large dutch barge waiting to go up.  The a plastic cruiser arrived behind us.  To our surprise the lock keeper squeezed us all in.

Readers I apologize for the poor quality of this post.  Hopefully I'll get the system back to my usual low standard by tomorrow.