Cruising upstream ...

We're leaving Medmenham this morning (30th Sept) and this was the view as I ate breakfast ...

 We've seen lots of wild swimmers here over the weekend

 9:20 and we're on the move

 Hambleden Weir as we approach the only lock today and there was a lock keeper was on duty

 Hambleden Lock will close for a few weeks from November 4th to replace the wooden beams on the lock landings and I'm assuming this hopper will be in use then.

 Nice boat ... nice house too!

 Henley reach can be very peaceful when the regattas are all finished

 Autumn reflections

 Looking along the downstream channel towards Henley...

 The Magna Carta hotel boat again

 Little and large!

 Hobbs of Henley trip boat Hibernia

 There must be a large boat somewhere with a big dent in its roof!

 YES he was coming straight towards us ... because both the pilot and crew were busy looking elsewhere!

Approaching Marsh Lock and the moorings

 4-bed home for sale on the south east end of Rods Eyot in Henley on Thames for a cool £1,175,000

 All moored up!

But we've not finished with Marlow yet ...

this afternoon we need to catch the bus back to the doctors surgery for more jabs!  We'd done this winter's flu and pneumococcal ones and today we have one for shingles (over 70's!).  Then we've done!

Medmenham

Started the day (Friday 27th at 8:30) with the sun streaming through the kitchen window at our mooring in Marlow ...

and were soon pulling away and saying cheerio once again to Marlow

Approaching Temple Lock I can see narrowboat Dogma but curtains are still closed so we weren't able to say hello to Sheena and Ken.

With all the heavy rain the river is a little higher than it has been but way off yet of its 'normal' height as seen here at Temple.

Temple Lock cut with the weir on the right

and beyond the top gates bordered with a copse belonging to the Harleyford Estate

SM Alaska which we saw in steam on Thursday of last week

Still Rockin' waiting to come into Hurley Lock next ...

from where I can see the hotel boat Magna Carta ... where for approximately £4,000 two people can share a cabin for six nights onboard for a River Thames cruise.

An hour and a half after setting off we're approaching that Abbey ...

and our mooring for the weekend ... it's good to be back on Medmenham meadow ... it's so quiet here.

Magna Carta passing us later in the afternoon

and a lone sailing boat fortunately with an outboard motor to get him out of trouble when the wind wasn't playing fair and he was about to hit us!

The wind has been forceful and the rain torrential at times this afternoon

and the sun is still pouring in at the kitchen window at ¼ to 6.

No apologies for another glorious sunset.

Back at Marlow ... again!

Because we moor at Hambleden for the winter we're registered with the GP practice in Marlow, so whenever we're in the area we take advantage of the easy access to sort out any problems etc.,  that we have ... nothing serious I hasten to add!

This Egyptian Goose stood for ages looking through the window and even when I went onto the deck and rolled up the blind he still didn't move away, in fact he looks as if he'd like to come onboard!

It's 9:30 on Wednesday morning (25th) and we've pulled away from Bourne End, winded (turned) and are heading upstream again ...

it's a dull day as you can see as I look back

I love the diverse architecture

along the banks of the River Thames ...

 everything from very traditional to the very modern all next to each other 

After all the rain we've had over the last couple of days there's plenty of water draining into the river

For nearly half of the way here this paddle boarder was keeping just ahead of us; we didn't want to overtake him as we knew we'd be pulling over soon.  As we approached the A404 bridge he appeared to be moving over to the left and we wanted to pull over right.  He stopped and we came alongside to ask which way he was going and was told 'left' and that he'd been waiting for us to get in front of him for ages so that he could ride in our wake taking the strain from him ... sorry mate, I'd wish we'd known!

 No hope of mooring below the lock today though ... there were spaces but not long enough for Still Rockin'.

 Once the wood of this new extension by Marlow Lock has weathered to the lovely grey of the original building it will sit perfectly in the space.

Through the lock and we see 'doughnuts' hanging from the bridge

(click on the link to find out why)

 That mooring will do us just fine ...

 The dark clouds are dispersing ...

the sun is doing it's best and dried my washing in no time at all.