Canal Boat Leisure Trip with Darren & Hayley

 Canal Boat Leisure Trip 

Our first canal trip of our holiday was at Lyon’s Boat Yard which in the heart of Birmingham. As we made our way up the canal towards the drawbridge, which was really fascinating, our drivers had to get off the canal boat, stop the traffic and proceed to lift the bridge following the instructions. We thanked the traffic for letting us pass, it was a unique experience. 

Continuing along the canal, we each had another go at steering the boat again which was great fun. We saw some beautiful countryside with animals along the way and waved at passers-by. Once we’d travelled for a few hours and got to a good turning point we turned around and headed back towards the drawbridge.

We headed south of Swadlincote to Ashby Boats Canal Yard. We couldn’t resist popping in the gift shop to buy a few souvenirs. A photo shoot alongside our canal boat called Badger was had before we climbed aboard and made ourselves comfy. Our journey took us way South of the Ashby de la Zouch canal, taking in the beautiful scenery surrounding us. We cruised past many other canal boats, and we loved waving as they passed us by. Our group became nature detectives spotting some animals in the nearby fields, along with ducks swimming on the water. It was very relaxing.  After a few hours on the canal, we moored up alongside the riverbanks and had a delicious packed lunch. 

Everyone was giddy with excitement today as we were heading to Cadbury’s World, which is in the heart of Birmingham. Once we had arrived, we had a few photos outside before entering the chocolatey world. We started our tour around the famous factory, walking through the Aztec Jungle where the cocoa bean came from. This then led onto Bull Street from the Victorian era where we learnt about the history of the Cadbury family and how they built their empire. 

Shortly after we headed into the chocolate making room where we were able to get creative and write our names in the gooey, melted chocolate on the huge marble slab. Luckily for us we got to sample some of the chocolate with different toppings of our choice.

It was game on down at the bowling alley for a few friendly games! There were high scores all round and a few spectacular strikes!

We drove to ABC Alvechurch Marina. We had a really colourful canal boat for the day, and we were greeted by the welcoming and friendly staff. We cruised along for a couple of hours, travelling through the historic and very impressive tunnels. One of the tunnels in particular the Tardebrigge Tunnel was 530 metres long, it was almost a little spooky when we first went through, but luckily the boat was very modern and had a light in the main cabin. Along the way we saw beautiful countryside, lots of swans, fishermen and other people driving their canal boats. Everyone agreed we had saved the best day until last. We all took it in turns steering the boat for a third time, we were getting the hang of it now! 

France; Coast & Country with Rachel & Isobel

 France; Coast & Country 

We travelled through the beautiful countryside to visit Berck Sur Mer in the Authie Baywe. We walked along the promenade enjoying soaking up the glorious sunshine. As we walked through the wild and natural bay, we were hoping to get a glance of the famous seals who have made the bay their home. It wasn't long before we were lucky enough to spot some bobbing along just a short distance away. It really was a fantastic experience and we sat for a while watching them as they swam around. 

Souvenir shopping was done as we popped in some the quaint shops to buy some souvenirs to remind us of our holiday. Then, we drove a little further down the coast and stopped for a delicious ice cream.

We took our sets as our artist Dominique prepared us for today's lesson, where we were given step by step instructions of how to draw a cow standing in a field. It was also interesting to learn how to mix the paints and chieve the perfect colours. We stopped for a short break and enjoyed a drink and some cake before finishing our artwork. Once again, everyone was delighted with their work and at the end of our session we managed to have our photograph with Dominique and thank him for all his advice and help. He kindly presented everyone with a copy of his book showing some of his own fantastic artwork. 

We were in chocolate heaven as we made our way to visit the local chocolatiers in our very own village. We were given a guided tour of the incredible factory by Simon who explained that in 2006 the factory created its very own cocoa plantation on the banks of the Rio Napo in the rainforest of Ecuador. He showed us the cocoa bean and explained the process from start to finish and how to make dark, milk and white chocolate pointing out and explaining the ingredients and machinery involved during each part of the process. We were delighted to be able to sample each flavour with us all agreeing it was delicious. After our tour was complete, we visited the gift shop and were amazed at the amount of beautifully decorated chocolate and sweets available. Of course, we couldn't resist buying some to take home with us. 

A fabulous morning was spent at Coupole History & Science Museum which was home to one of the most impressive remains of the Second World War. This huge bunker, which was built in 1943-44 and was intended to store and prepare Hitler's secret weapon the V2 rocket, which was to be launched on London. We made our way straight to the 3D planetarium where we put on an audio device so we could watch the film D-Day-Normandy 1944 with our special glasses. In our comfy seats we relaxed, looking up at the huge domed ceiling and watched from a different perspective how the landing on the 6th of June 1944 changed the world. The film was magnificent with the 3D effects as it explores history, science military strategy and human values. It was a truly unique experience. We stopped and had our lunch in the cafe on site before making our way over to the bunker and the first thing we noticed was how cold and damp it felt. The bunker itself is an immense concrete dome full of exhibits throughout the tunnels and under the dome which told the story of the German occupation of France during World War 2. 

Back in the minibus we headed to Nielles-le-Blequin for some fun on the Rando Rail pedal trains. Two of us sat up front and had to do the pedalling whilst the others relaxed as passengers, and we set off in convoy for the 9-kilometre round trip through the most amazing countryside. The views were stunning as we peddled our way through a canopy of trees lining the route. It was hard work, but we were all determined to reach the top. Once at the top we stopped for a short rest before our return journey which was all downhill! As we set off, we could feel the train gaining momentum gradually getting faster and faster it was such a thrill and very similar to being on a rollercoaster. We soon found ourselves at the end of the track it was an amazing feeling of sheer joy after completing the course.

A drive through the stunning countryside took us to the charming town of Montreuil and we took a stroll through the cobbled streets filled with boutique shops and lots of bars and cafes. We stopped and sat in the sunshine enjoying a drink watching the world go by. 

We were so lucky to have such great facilities in our Gite! There were plenty of pool and football table tournaments to be had! 

We love celebrating a birthday on our holidays. After dinner we surprised Helen with a special dessert with candles and everyone sang Happy Birthday to her. We presented Helen with a card and present from all of her friends at JollyDays which made her day even more special.