Hello

We're back from a glorious week on a narrowboat on the Lancaster canal. It was a perfect holiday - seven days of sunshine, quiet rural countryside, convivial chat and no wifi. There is nowhere lovelier than England in May. The trees by the side of the canal were beautiful - lush, vivid, and alive with birdsong. I heard so many blackbirds, it was as if we had one travelling on the boat with us.

I didn't take many photographs this time. I was just drinking it all in with no gadget in my hand. Here are my favourites from the week.

Below, the view from the front of the boat in my favourite mooring spot, with distant views (in the other direction) of Morecambe Bay and the Lake District mountains. The sky really was this intense blue, and the tiny copse was alive with birdsong. I'm showing you this view, because it encapsulates the simplicity of canal life and rural vistas, and why I like it so much.

Oh, OK. Here is a view of the Bay...not very clear in a picture, which is why I wasn't going to bother showing you...

I spent a lot of time sitting on the back deck while Dave steered the boat, talking to him, and saying every now and then - "Look at the trees!"

This last photo was taken on an evening walk along the towpath. It's interesting how beautiful dandelion clocks are when they're not in our garden at home.