To refer to one of the mightiest, most significant architectural masterpieces in Great Britain as a “building,” does NOT do it justice, nor does it fully convey the reason why you need to visit St Pauls Cathedral in London – but here’s the thing – can you get the last 36 or more words into a headline? Although I was born, and grew up in this historic metropolis called London, like many city dwellers I never took the time to visit some of my hometown’s most spectacular attractions.

Several years ago, and on a visit that had me headed towards Scotland, I decided to make time to see one of London’s most iconic buildings, St Pauls Cathedral. I was transfixed by the stunning Main Hall of this majestic edifice, and all its incredible architecture, and I wondered how come I’d waited this long to see it. I was touched by the fact that there’s a unique bond between St Paul’s and America. In WW2 28,000 Americans – who were part of the hundreds of thousands of the US military stationed in the UK – lost their lives fighting for freedom and democracy in that war. In 1948 a special American Memorial Chapel of Remembrance – unconditionally built with funds donated by Brits – was constructed to pay tribute to, and recognize, that sacrifice.

Even as a naturalized American citizen I found this chapel to be a moving and thought provoking experience, enriched by yet another US connection. This one came about due to the events of 9/11. Three days later, on September 14^th, 2001, over 2,400 people – lead by Queen Elizabeth – held a special service at St. Paul’s that commemorated the lives lost in that terrible terrorist attack of a few days earlier.

Although there have been numerous reconstructions of St Pauls, the architect most often associated with this masterpiece is Sir Christopher Wren, the fact is that not too long ago a huge project was begun in his honor, and it’s now finished.  Today’s St Pauls looks absolutely magnificent, as do all its carvings, paintings, sculptures and mosaics, indeed some have never seen before. Check out www.StPauls.co.uk and you’ll get a feel for what I mean. When you next visit London I hope you’ll find time to include this superb building on YOUR Must See list.

British history buffs know that one of the all-time classic photo images of London in WW2 is of St Pauls. It became a famous photographic icon of British courage in fighting the scourge of Nazism. The photo, for those of you who don’t know it, showed the Cathedral surrounded by fire and smoke, yet still standing strong in the face of adversity. We show it again for you, as it has come over the many Decades since WW2 ended to symbolize London standing up to the might of the nightly bombing raids of the German Luftwaffe.

The post Classic? You Bet, and It’s a MUST See “Building” in London appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Are several lumps of sugar worth putting in an historic museum? That may sound like a funny question, but the fact is that yes they are – especially if they’re part of the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms (CWR) in London.

Located a short walk from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the CWR opened in 1984 and is, at least in my view, one of the most intriguing museums in London. Although the city is full of captivating museums to suit almost every taste in things to see and do, the CWR should be a “must see” for everyone visiting London. Seeing it up close and personal makes you feel as if you’re actually there in those dark days of 1940 when Hitler’s troops were expected to invade Great Britain tomorrow. Every room in this magnificent museum has been restored to the way it was when World War Two ended in May, 1945.

One of the most important areas of the Cabinet War Rooms is the Map Room and, when you first see it you’re struck, as I was, by the profusion of white, red and green telephones – they’re every where. The desk of the most important man in the room – the Chief Map Room Officer – is strategically located in the center of the display, and it turns out he had a very sweet tooth. Maybe it was because sugar was in such short supply back then, but for some unknown reason he saved all his sugar lumps in an envelope – which he placed in his top desk drawer. During the restoration in 1980, when it was decided to make everything look the way it was during World War Two, one of the restorers opened all the drawers of this desk and, lo and behold, found these still perfect lumps of sugar! Wow!!! And yes, they too have been saved in this intriguing museum, at least they were when I visited a few years ago.

Because the CWR was the nerve center of Churchill’s strategy in the planning of Britain’s wartime efforts in those days, the museum’s location is also “somewhat secret.” Their exact address is Clive Steps, King Charles Street, London, SW1A, but it’s very easy to miss because it’s almost hidden from view off the Horse Guards Road. Unless you knew it was there, you could easily miss it altogether. It’s online at the Imperial War Museum site and then scroll down the page and click on “Cabinet War Rooms & Churchill Museum Home.” For more information on Great Britain in general, let me suggest you go to the Visit Britain site – If London is in your travel plans, I hope you’ll find time to visit this unique, one-of-a-kind museum. I know you’ll find it fascinating.

A final question. When they found those lumps of sugar in the restoration process, and as they wanted EVERYTHING to be “as it was in WW2” do you think they left those EXACT lumps, or did they insert new ones – and possibly change them periodically due to dust and such?

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An interesting, intriguing even, FACT regarding Top 20 Films for Halloween Viewing on Traveling Boy and the #3 selection, THE SHINING (1980). During my time (1972-1982) with Continental Airline (CAL), in our PR department, in addition to my responsibilities as Manager of Publicity, they also asked I take charge of all movie and TV requests.

The production folks of THE SHINING called and asked if we’d be willing to let them have footage of one of our aircraft as well as some flight attendant uniforms. After checking a variety of factors (what was the story about; would the CAL publicity in this major Hollywood movie be beneficial to us, etc.) I agreed that we’d give them footage of a CAL DC-10 in flight.

We also gave them specific info on flight attendant uniforms, etc. Did they want us to give them a uniform? No, they’d prefer to make their own. The part in the movie where our plane footage was utilized was when a major character flew from Miami to Denver.

The one fact that we all vividly recalled, is enormous attention to detail they gave to the uniform. Were the buttons EXACTLY correct? Was the flight attendant uniform

That may seem somewhat strange, but when the movie came out, we (especially in the PR department!) were stunned to see that when our CAL DC-10 landed (in the movie) in Denver, it landed in a snowstorm, and the aircraft footage they used, was that of a Lockheed L-1011!!! If they were so specific about the buttons on the flight attendant uniforms, how come they DID NOT notice the take-off and landing aircraft were totally different? But maybe ONLY an airplane/airline person would notice!

ANOTHER FACT most do NOT know: Even though the entire movie takes place in America and the Denver area, most of the move was filmed in Great Britain. Indeed, Timberline Lodge in Oregon was used for the exterior of Overlook Hotel. The interior scenes and some of the exterior scenes of the hotel took place at Elstree Film Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK.

There was a pile of several doors nearby – all had been slashed open! I had no idea (and they did not tell me!) how many “movie takes” had been filmed to get the “right cinematic effect.”

I also found it fascinating as to why so much had been filmed in England. They shared with me that the director and producer, Stanley Kubrick, was afraid of flying.

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Located in the northwest corner of Spain, its coastline overflows with colorful coves, greener than green valleys, and fast running rivers that – on a sunny day like we had when we were there – sparkle as if they were filled with hundreds and thousands of the world’s finest diamonds. One of the most important people on any press trip is the guide. How good, or yes bad, is she/he, and do they give you newsy, thought-provoking information? Ours was, I thought, a real winner.

The bus on which we were traveling in Galicia stopped on the upper reaches of a huge hill – one could hardly call it a mountain – and as the breeze that’d appeared to have come out of nowhere, shrieked around our vehicle in eddying wind whipped gusts, our savvy guide told us, in the best “Get to know the local witches well” voice, “as you’ll NOT want them to cast a spell over you” almost whispered that moments from now, we’d be in a unique village called Santa Tegra.

As promised we rolled into Santa Tegra to be confronted, and almost enveloped, by a vast phalanx of booths, small stands, curio shops (of all shapes and sizes) selling – or trying to – almost everything connected to Spain, history, local crockery, stone ware, toys, gizmos of one sort or another, and enough scarfs, jackets, rings and things, to stock at least 5 huge American shopping Malls. Tucked in amongst all this paraphernalia, there were seemingly never-ending booths and shelves with witch dolls that highlighted how wizardly, wonderful and wicked witches were and, even better if one wanted to purchase one, they conveniently came in sizes small, medium, large, and were “tourist ready” and clothed in almost every sort of dress, outfit, and all in colors you never knew existed. All of us, all at the same time, instantly knew why our tour bus stopped at this precise spot.

Nevertheless, we all – as expected – stood, gawked and rubbernecked at this cauldron of local lore, as our guide informed us that Galicia is known as the Land of Witches. Embellishing this point, he theatrically stated that in olden times when someone was stricken with some sort of deadly disease, the local witch was summoned to cure the illness. Did they know back then, I wondered, if they would one day be a powerful draw for tourists?

I’ll confess, I’m still a real sucker for all this kind of sightseer schmaltz, and sensing this “I’m ready to buy” syndrome, one of the vendors, elderly and frail looking, with a spindly black hat, and wearing her required Witches wardrobe, approached me and pulled out this truly intimidating witch (model, of course, NOT a real one!) seated in a rocking chair and, when wound up, would rock back and forth. Even better, if one clapped one’s hands, she’d let out a blood curdling yell! I purchased it on the spot. As I said, for something offbeat, coupled with an unequalled array of exquisite scenery, check out Spain and, of course, Galicia. You might even say “It’s spellbinding.” Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

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It was spine-chilling and unnerving to be on what, back then, was known as “Bloody Omaha” (as so many of the US military on that beach were dead) and that day when I was there in 2004, it was a glorious morning and afternoon. Sunny skies, and kids and families playing.

The contrast between then and 1944 was beyond strange. The so called “Big Event” and celebration that day was at Arrowmanches Beach and, as part of the media in attendance, I sat fifty feet from such well-known public figure as Putin of Russia, the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinburgh and, of course, our own president, George W. Bush and his wife Laura. Curiously, when our last president visited Normandy for its 75th anniversary in 2019, he expressed amazement upon finding that there was such a thing called Omaha Beach.

While strange it was, for me an avowed WW2 aficionado, remarkable and awe-inspiring, to chat with some of our guys who had stormed those hellish beaches, filled with machine gun fire and death lurking at your side every second, and yet these few had survived that madness of war, and were on their first (for many) and last visit to Normandy.

When I asked some of them why it was their first visit (most were then in their early 80s) they asked if I had seen the movie Saving Private Ryan. When I told them I had, they said (to a man) that the first thirty minutes of this brilliant and often all too realistic movie, depicted the awful reality that THEY had personally felt and seen during those terrible minutes and hours on the beach that terrifying day: they did not want to re-live that horror again.

But all told me they wanted to see, one last time, where they were – and might have died – that June 6th, 1944 day. In my travel related journalistic career, I have been lucky and yes, privileged, to see and experience amazing things around the world. All made possible by my being able to earn a living and super life, in this superb and yes, magically marvelous place called the USA.

As an ex-Brit I’m thrilled, yes, EVERY DAY, that I’m a legal American citizen. This is a country where miracles happen, and I love every second of my life here. Are YOU proud to be an American?

See Mr. Clayton’s previous article: Normandy: A Personal WW2 Reflection – Traveling Boy

The post Normandy – 77 years later, what do YOU recall of the 1944, June 6th invasion? appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Well, dear friends and fellow adventurers’ let me assure you that YES, a beach like that DOES exist, and in this special Traveling Boy feature I’ll share with YOU where it is, and how YOU can enjoy it yourself. Of all the destinations I’ve visited around the world, my all-time BEST BEACH is located in the South Pacific’s Cook Islands. Given the aviation “realities” of the Covid 19 era, the best way to get there is by an Air New Zealand B-777 from Los Angeles to Rarotonga.

Incredible as it sounds in the Coronavirus era, Air New Zealand flies an almost empty plane from LA to Cook’s Rarotonga airport., at least as of August, 2020. Checking ANZ’s web-site, I’m sure you too will be interested to learn that during Covid 19, Air New Zealand’s inter-national network capacity has decreased by 95 per cent from pre-Covid-19 levels! However…

To give you an idea of how “tourist important” this destination is,
ANZ now flies to just 10 overseas destinations: Rarotonga is one of them!

Once you get settled in at this intriguing town, and your curiosity is pressing you to see this awesome beach of your dreams, get yourself a booking aboard an AIR RAROTONGA SAAB 340, two engine aircraft that will get you — in 50 smooth flying minutes — to Aitutaki. The plane, shown here, carries a total of 34 passengers.

Check the web for more info, but when I last looked, they had two daily flights: I’d recommend you take the one I did, it departs Rarotonga at 8.00am and arrives Aituaki at 8.50am.

An equally stunning fact about Aituaki, is because it IS so spectacular CBS TV, in June and July of 2006, filmed the 13th season of the mega hit series of Survivor, in Aiktutaki. The show aired on September 4th, 2006.

While Aitutaki IS awesomely amazing, the real draw for most who visit, is the intriguingly named “One Foot Island.” Some maps will show its local name of TAPUAETAI, and it is one of the 22 islands in the Aitutaki atoll of the Cook Islands. Located on the southeastern perimeter of Aitutaki Lagoon, One Foot Island is only 2,000 feet long, and about 689 feet wide.

With its breathtaking and idyllic landscape, powdery white sand, warm azure waters, and the gently swaying palm and coconut trees, One Foot Island was, in June, 2008 in Sydney, Australia, named, by the the World Travel Awards Organization, the title of “Australasia’s Leading Beach.” In fact there is yet another totally unique aspect to One Foot that is exceptional and certainly irreplaceable once you’ve got it.

As you get off the boat that ferried you to One Foot, just ahead of you, and almost hidden by the tropical trees in front of it, you’ll see a small sort of cabin. It’s the local Post Office, but even more magical and mind boggling — and for sure extraordinary — is if you show them your Passport, you’ll get the One Foot Island Customs stamp in it, validating that you visited that day and that year.

Given my British heritage, and knowing of the seafaring past of the Brits, I’ve always been fascinated by the record making exploits of its pioneers in discovering new — back then — different parts of our world: So I’m very familiar with one of the more famous historical voyagers of those years, namely British Captain James Cook. It was only when I was actually visiting the Cook Islands that I discovered the great interest there, in how they got their name.

The Cook Islands were named after Capt. James Cook, (shown in the painting at right) who sailed through them in 1773 and again in 1777. A local villager told me, with much excitement in her voice, that Captain Cook decided to call them the “Hervey Islands,” for a British Lord. However, in the early 1800s the name “Cook Islands” appeared on a Russian naval chart and, for some unknown reason, it stuck.

The “ Lessons Learned” On My Visit to One Foot Island. Or, “What NOT TO DO.”

I figured being so tiny, at about 2 thousand feet long and about 689 wide, I’d walk around in 20 minutes — or less. OK, but I TOTALLY FORGOT TO COVER MY HEAD and put on a hat! Dumb idea!

I had such a “Surge of excitement” as I set off on my sort of Robinson Crusoe adventure. I mean with a name like ONE FOOT ISLAND it had to be small. Well, it was and is, but it was an extra hot day and I totally forgot I had nothing to protect my head from the blazing hot sunshine. The result — when I got back to Aitutaki — was a VERY BAD CASE of sun stroke — so bad in fact, I was laid up, ill, in their hospital for the rest of the trip. PLEASE, when YOU visit WEAR A HAT!

The post The World’s MOST Romantic Beach – It’s On an Island Only 689 Feet Wide! appeared first on Traveling Archive.

On the other side of the English Channel back in WW 2 – 1943 to be exact – there was another imaginative and vibrant character – known as “The Desert Fox” to many, but also by his more recognized name, Field Marshal Rommel. I’ve always thought it was intriguing that Rommel was highly regarded by many of the higher echelon of the British and American military leadership.

To enrich YOUR mind, and WW2 interest, a 2019 book by American born Peter Margaritis, “Countdown to D-Day, The German High Command in Occupied France, 1944,” is also equally spellbinding.

Not only is it a stimulating, even an enthralling, time about the daily, and personally punishing work productivity of the Field Marshal, it also offers up an intimate perspective on another top German Field Marshal – Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. When you read about his luxurious yes, LUXURIOUS! lifestyle in Paris during the latter part of WW2 in his extravagant French mansion, it makes you wonder how he was able to get away with such an opulent daily life for so long.

As a WW2 aficionado I’ve been to Normandy 4 times, and as I read this riveting As-You-Are-There-Book and appreciated, and even more understood, how Rommel lived and worked each day from December 1943 to his last moments before the invasion on June 6th 1944, I knew that THIS book has the most meticulous account of Rommel’s Normandy days than anything before or since.

If you’ve been to France, and know this part of the Norman countryside, especially the landscape, around the areas in Normandy that took up so much of Rommel’s daily life, what you read here becomes even more thrilling, as you can relate it to what you’ve seen and done there.

This book’s written as if you’re the proverbial fly on the wall, and vividly describes how Rommel reached out to his soldiers, and what an avidly and colorful character Rommel was. Nothing shows his integrity more than his face to face meeting with two British commandos who, on Friday, May 19^th, 1944, had been captured on the beach shortly before D-Day.

One was Lt. Roy Woodridge, the other Lt. George Lane (pages 449-455).  The former refused to say anything to his captors’ but Lane was more open to conversation, so much so that one of Rommel’s top advisors, General Speidel, brings him, at Rommel’s request, to La Roche Guyon, Rommel’s plush, French mansion and HQ, to speak with the Field Marshall. He was so impressed – by Lane particularly – that Rommel arranges to have them “protected” from both execution and the Gestapo. Both Brits survived the war.

The book also brings out how grueling Rommel’s work schedule was, and he expected all who worked for him to have the same devotion and loyalty.  It details, and I found this riveting, how concerned he became on learning about the plans to assassinate Hitler, and describes how strongly Rommel felt this was NOT the way to achieve what the plotters’ wanted. He felt a trial was more suitable.

I’ve read countless books about D-Day and the vast majority all come from the Allies’ point of view. Although written by an American, this book provides a mesmerizing portrait of a brilliant, controversial German general in WW2. As such, I highly recommend it for your reading enjoyment, as the book will also give you insights on why it was – and still is – a tragedy that Rommel’s life ended the way it did. Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

The post A fascinating, Indeed Thrilling Book of WW2’s “Desert Fox” Rommel, in Normandy, 1944 appeared first on Traveling Archive.

So, how are YOU doing as you read this article, probably “imprisoned” in your home because of the Covid 19 medical disaster? Turns out that more and more people are reading books, for gosh sakes, to pass away the seemingly no-end-in-sight Covid 19 saga. Reading a good book is so much more rewarding than watching an aspect of social media, or video game adventure.

I’m a confirmed Bibliophile — who reads about 57 or more books every year. Always have, always will. Let me give you two intriguing books to consider. One this month and, in May, a truly remarkable tome about Field Marshall Rommel, and why you should consider buying both the Churchill and Rommel books.

First up, a book about Winston Churchill and WW2 called THE SPLENDID and the VILE by Erik Larson. Coming in at nearly 600 pages it’s a MUST READ. You might wonder, as I did, how anyone, anywhere, could still come up with newsy, interesting, and compelling facts in the early 1940s, about this sixtyish, robust, cigar chomping thoroughly British icon that saved Britain in WW2. Literally hundreds of books have been penned, typed, and computerized about him, so why buy any new one?

Simply because THE SPLENDID and the VILE by Erik Larson illustrates, in an exceptional and distinctive way, the exhilarating saga of British courage against all odds; and Churchill’s magnetic personality that endeared him to the crowds wherever he went — so much so (and I recall this personally as a boy growing up in London) people saying “Good old Winnie will fix it.” As such, this book was almost impossible to put down. It is written as if you are there with him, right by his side (with your still not invented) tape recorder, as you become mesmerized by his ideas that poured out in a sort of “Why didn’t  I think of that?” feeling. Winston Churchill, as he comes across in this stimulating and captivating book, is truly the epitome of the word UNIQUE.

One of his closest confidants was the colorful, deeply loyal individual John Colville. He was Churchill’s private secretary during the most critical, scary and in a time of “near-to-an-actual-invasion-by-the-Germans” Britain ever came. Colville wanted, desperately, to sign up and join the RAF, but Winston kept refusing.  Another man who constantly resigned — or attempted to — but was equally constantly refused by Churchill, as this book so cleverly details, was the Canadian businessman Max Aitken, more commonly known as Lord Beaverbrook, who was placed in total charge of mandating that more Hurricane and Spitfire fighters for the RAF would be, indeed MUST be, built faster than anyone thought possible.

Churchill consistently refused Beaverbrook’s increasingly impassioned requests to depart the government and, in the end, he did resign — but he missed, dreadfully — his previous regular back and forth with Churchill. The book also shows — more so than any book I’ve read on this subject — how Churchill taught the British public to be totally fearless.

The book is additionally spellbinding, as author Larson was able to secure access to German/Nazi information about WW2 secret Nazi facts — never before available — from German libraries, secret archives, and government resources regarding WW2 from the German/Nazi point of view. There is also an underlying theme to the entire book that I found mesmerizing: It was Churchill’s overriding mission, his main objective, his passion, to somehow find a way to get America — and its vast resources — actively into the war — for Churchill knew that Britain could not do it by itself. Here is a book you need read.

Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

The post Churchill: Up Close and VERY Personal — As YOU Have Never Read Before appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Looking at this photo you might wonder not only how you pronounce this word, but also what on earth it means. As kid growing up in London I remember hearing about a train station in Wales that was famous because it had the longest name of any station in the world.

Well, a few years ago I decided to get my first look at this place. If I was expecting a small station hidden away in the gorgeous greenery of wonderful Wales, I was in for a shock. As I drove into the village of Llanfair PG, one of the first sights I saw was a huge car park and an equally large building that turned out to be a gift shop. As I’d come here specifically to see THE sign, I ventured onto the platform of the railway station. And there IT was. As I was gazing at the puzzling long word before me, an elderly man approached, and asked in an accent I found hard to decipher (it was English, but spoken with a deep, rich, sonorous Welsh accent) “Tourist eh? Do you know what that means?” before I could respond, he said, “it means “The Church of Mary in the Hollow of the White Hazel near the fierce whirlpool and the church of Tysilio by the Red Cave.” Wow!

Back, waaaay back, in the 19^th century, hardly any tourist – or indeed ANYONE – ever visited this area of Wales. In order to change that situation, the town’s leaders and “Tourism Boosters” got together to thrash out creative ideas on how they could make their destination unique. These “forward thinking,” and for sure creative types, decided to promote their village with a really unique name.

Needless to say once the station’s name was widely publicized, tourists began their trek to this one-of-a-kind attraction. First in a trickle, then in the hundreds, and now in the thousands every year. There are 58 letters, but only 51 in the Welsh alphabet, as “CH” and “ll” count as single letters. If you want a permanent reminder of this unique place to show the folks back home, you can even get your passport stamped (as I did) in the gift shop – a place that sells just about everything connected to, well you know, the name of the station!

You’ll find this unique attraction on the Isle of Anglesey, located on the Menai Straight – right across from the imposing and very dramatic Britannia Bridge. For more information go online and type in “Welsh train station with long name,” and a whole host of nifty, interesting sites will appear. There are many wonderful things to see and do in Wales; the countryside is gorgeous and reminded me of Switzerland in many of the places I visited. For a unique way to enjoy this spectacular country, check out www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk – Great Little Trains of Wales are a very special way of seeing some of the best scenery in the British Isles. All eleven are narrow gauge steam railways and some have a history spanning well over 100 years. They all have one wonderful thing in common: the charm of old-time steam trains with plenty of polished paintwork and brass.

Built in a time far less rushed than our own, most originally served to carry Welsh slate from the quarries to the sea. However, no two are the same and they all offer a unique experience of a bygone era. The special attraction of narrow gauge railways lies in their modest size compared with the main line ones, and their leisurely speed gives one time to take in some of the splendid scenery.

Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

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Brits call them Narrowboats, as it IS one word, and depending on their size and length, they can hold from 2 to 10 people.  Research indicates there are over 38,000 Narrowboats in the UK, and they’re a wonderful leisurely way to see the 3,000 (yes, THREE THOUSAND!) miles of handsomely historic waterways that, Britain being Britain, envelops you in over 200 years of (mostly!) fascinating local and national history. To slightly alter a well-known cliché, the sights are a joy for fresh eyes!

Although a large percentage of Narrowboats are permanent homes for many people, there are still lots of places they can be rented, hired, or enjoyed as a special trip. Prices and itineraries online: Type in “Narrowboats in England.” Maximum length is 72 feet (2.13m) and to see WHY they’re called NARROWboats, go online and check out the multitude of nifty photos.

My first sighting of these gaily colored boats was on a trip to Great Britain. I was having  “A Ploughman’s Lunch” (usually bread, cheese, and fresh, absolutely deeeeeelicious (!) ham, green salad, hard boiled eggs and an apple …. Plus a superb only in the UK pickled onion… aaaah, I can taste and sense the mouthwatering aroma right now), and it was in one of those classic riverside pubs.

Off to my left there was a long, narrow (!) bridge that spanned a gorgeous, lushly green valley below. What totally stunned me, and made me wonder if what I saw was REAL or a dream, was that the bridge was not (as I expected) for a roadway or railway, but a water canal! Adding to my joy and “visual senses,” was that coming towards us on the bridge waterway, was a slim, trim highly imaginative, full of character, multicolored Narrowboat.

I’ve always loved “chatting up the locals” wherever I go, and near my lunch table was a middle aged couple who looked as if they’d stepped out of a British Tourist office poster advertising Britain and her people. The woman smiled at me, noticing the obvious surprise of seeing what was now very near to us. “Yes,” she said in a marvelous – but a somewhat hard to understand local brogue, “they ARE lovely aren’t they… you can rent them, and some offer you the chance to step off the Narrowboat and stay overnight in one of the many waterside cottages.”

To get an even better “feel” for  Narrowboats, check out the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. At 3 miles in length, it is the deepest canal in Britain, and took 16 years to build and, as you’ll see, has some absolutely exquisite local scenery along the canal route.

Talking with some Narrowboat owners, I was intrigued to hear that another joy of Narrowboating, is the number of Locks you’ll go up or down through. The UK has 1,569 locks and 53 tunnels that some canals go through, plus 3,112 canal carrying bridges, and even 370 water canal aqueducts.

For photo buffs, I urge you to check out – and for sure photograph – the BINGLEY FIVE RISE LOCKS on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Bingley. If shot with a wide angle lens, it looks as if the five lock gates are part of some Steeple Chase canal adventure. It’s too confusing to describe how they function, as you’ll get a much better idea of WHY they’re so intriguing, by a personal visit. I’d heartily recommend you go in the summer months.

Don’t be narrow minded: experience a trip in a Narrowboat in the UK. Contact JOHN:

jd******@gm***.com

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