Day 7 - July 2, 2005
Ellesmere
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The Circular Walk to The Visitor Center & The Mere; Pizza
After a slow morning we head out for a walk. Before we get off the boat we meet a couple visiting Ellesmere who are walking up the canal. They are an older couple from the Oxford area who are visiting their daughter. They have an interest in the boat as they live close to the canals. Most people are just as friendly and love to chat.
We take the canal tow path towards the Blackwater Marina and then follow the path on the Circular Walk. We walk though the woods and over a grassy hill towards the visitor center. The visitor center is situated right next to the lake or The Mere. Inside there is information about the Mere, plants and animals in the area along with a gift shop. Just past the visitor center is a small hut that sells ice cream and bird food for the loads of geese, ducks and pigeons that are waiting outside. Once they see the brown paper bag they are upon the girls. Jamee is nervous about the geese coming at her, Beth has her bag hid in her hoodie sweatshirt pockets. The girls share a portion of their food with the birds and take the rest with them for the ducks back on the canal.
We decide to split up. Beth and I plan to go up the hill to the Castle Mound which is just a grassy mound that an old Norman castle once stood long ago. Shirley and Jamee head on the level sidewalk towards town. Shirley's knee bothers her climbing or going down hill. Beth and I follow the path and end up on a road that has no directional signs so we head to what feels like where town would be. The road does indeed wind to the town and as we stand we spy Shirley and Jamee heading our way. The four of us head back to the boat and spend a quite afternoon.
Dinner we all decide pizza is what we want rather than pub food. We do take out and head back to the boat to eat and watch "Live 8" in Hyde Park on television. The show is fantastic. Beth and I watch a bit of the show from Philadelphia but it is after 12:00 midnight so we head to bed.