A lorra lorra boats

 Cute horse and foal

It rained in the night, but when we woke up, the sun was shining! The canal quickly started to get busy as we had breakfast with boats streaming past in both directions. We joined the throng, heading towards the junction with the Shropshire Union Canal Main Line, and by the time we reached it, boats were coming from all directions. We had to wait for several minites before we could turn south, and when we did, we were in a convoy of 6 boats. Then it all changed - we reached the junction with the Llangollen Canal, and everyone else was turning onto it, while we headed past on on southward. From here on the number of boats reduced dramatically. We would like to travel the Llangollen Canal and it seemed a shame to get so close but the amount of boats and the start of the school holidays means long delays at each lock- perhaps next year?

 Passing Troy!

As we entered Nantwich, we spotted this wooden sculpture of a horse.

 View from the aqueduct in Nantwich

We stopped in Nantwich to find a shop and re-stock the larder. It isn't always easy to find shops - today's Spar was in the middle of a housing estate about half a mile from the canal - without the help of someone we met on the canal bank, we could have been wandering round in circles for ages!

 Typical view from the Shropshire Union Canal

The Shropshire Union Canal passes through rolling countryside frequently on high embankments which means you often get the most spectacular views.

 Graham with a face full of meat and potato pie

We stopped for lunch in the middle of nowhere, but at some well maintained moorings complete with picnic tables - luxury indeed.

 More fab views

 Angela buying eggs and sausages from lockside stall

We reached the Audlem flight of locks in the afternoon and set about the ascent. There are 15 l;ocks in the flight, but thankfully they are narrow locks which are a lot easier than wide ones.

 The centre of Audlem

There are a couple of canalside pubs in Audlem and a visitor centre and shop which means there are also a lot of sightseers which gives the place a real holiday atmosphere. We stopped at the shop and bought a map and a mug!

 A cute rabbit

This rabbit seemed largely unaware of us and let us photgraph it from quite close. As we left, Angela left a couple of apples for it.

 View up the Audlem lock flight

Tonight's mooring at sunset

We stopped two locks short of the end of the flight and set about washing Banjo and doing our laundry which we have left out overnight on our small rotary drier on the stern. Clean clothes and a clean boat - won't we look just fabulous as we set off in the morning as long as the washing hasn't blown into the canal!