Tales from the riverbank

We discovered the joys of punting years ago when we were students and would spend hours "studying" on the river. Aided by picnics, of course. I remember one occasion we were punting past a spot in Oxford called Parson's Pleasure where clothes used to be optional for those privileged enough to be allowed in. The river bed is quite muddy, and the river itself curves around and on this occasion the friend who was punting was getting very flustered as a lightly clothed male don came wandering over to see what we were up to and she exclaimed "It's no good, there's no bottom here!" Or did I imagine it?

Anyway, this weekend my father-in-law came to visit and we decided that it was far enough past peak tourist season to risk a punting trip. The girls are now big enough to sit down, and enjoyed their bright orange life jackets. Usually we head up towards Grantchester but this time we decided to go along the Backs and it was really gorgeous - sunny but not scorching, not too many obstacles in the way and ducks and cows to be looked at. In Cambridge the tradition is to stand on the flat platform at then end of the punt, while in Oxford we were taught that you're much less likely to slip off & fall in if you stand at the other end *in* the punt. I don't suppose it really matters but it does mean we get eased every time we go out!

I forgot the camera - doh! - so instead, here's a picture of the anemones currently going nuts in our garden.