A Typical Winter Sunday Spent Aboard
Our Narrowboat.
We like to
spend most of our weekends on our narrow boat and Sundays couldn't be any more
different to Saturdays if they tried.
During the
winter months we don’t tend to cruise, but instead stay in the marina and enjoy
seeing our boating neighbours rather than venturing out. We have just as much
fun pottering on the boat in the marina and often have friends come and visit.
So how does our Sunday start?
Well firstly
the lack of the alarm going off immediately alerts us to why Sunday is so
different to any other day in the week including Saturday. Waking when your
body clock tells you it’s time to rise, rather than the shrill of an alarm clock
really sets the tone for the rest of the day.
My partner
and I like to take our dog out once we have surfaced, so after grabbing a quick
cup of coffee we set out for an hours run along the towpath. After which when
we return we will have earnt ourselves a full English breakfast, the only day
of the week we indulge in such a treat. We also have the chance to read the
Sunday papers. (Just in case you are wondering the papers are collected from
our local shop on the way back from our 10km run).
It's around
lunch time that I start thinking about slow cooking our supper. I tend to do
the shopping on a Saturday so I don't have to endure the supermarkets on a
Sunday. I love the guilt free time I can spend searching for a new recipe and
then lovingly and slowly preparing our evening meal whilst listening to a
carefully put together playlist perfect for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
The rest of
the afternoon is spent pottering (not boat work AKA housework that's taking it to another
level not suitable for Sunday's) pottering requires very little effort to no
effort at all and is usually aided with a glass of wine and a few nibbles.
In
between pottering a snooze is not unheard of, either on the sofa or on the deck
depending on the weather, its lovely to watch the sun setting on a warmish winters afternoon. I have been lucky enough to enjoy many pleasant
afternoons sitting on the deck bathed in the warm winter sun watching the ducks go by.
Sundays are
like no other day there are no schedules or lists to follow just the freedom to
do whatever takes your fancy. We find a Sunday spent aboard rather than at home
is totally different; everything seems slower and quieter which is properly why
we enjoy our Sundays on the waterways so much.
Late on a
Sunday afternoon a leisurely stroll to the local pub is usually on the cards to
swap the gossip with the locals and meet friends. Then just before it gets dark
we make our way back down to the boat.
Once back
home the wood burner is lit and the small table lamps turned on. It's time to
cosy up on the sofa. We're not great TV fans so we usually choose a film to
watch whilst eating our slow cooked supper whilst also enjoying a good bottle
of red wine.
Finally a
good cup of coffee and large baileys finishes off a pretty much perfect day on our boat,
until next Sunday!
Things we try to avoid on a Sunday;
- Laptops and
phones; we are glued to them all week! It's good to ditch them for at least one
day in the week
- Housework;
but pottering about is acceptable
- Work of any
kind; including maintenance on the boat, there's plenty of time for that on the
other 6 days of the week.
- Supermarkets;
farm shops and local markets however are ok
- Driving;
just not the done thing on a Sunday
What's your Sunday ritual? Tell us in
the comments box below...
Happy cruising from the team at Venetian Marina.