Bartimaeus

With a plan-free and potentially lonely week ahead, a break with family on the sunny canal seemed ideal, so I met Clare and Shane at Atherstone. My train was supposed to arrive a few minutes after theirs but was quite delayed. Not as delayed, however, as their train which left me wandering Atherstone with no signal searching for the canal. Thankfully, they arrived and spotted me just as I was going the wrong way.

As a thank you for the hospitality I made a tasty mushroom risotto aboard Bartimaeus which was well received and, I think, ingratiated me with my hosts. Normally I give up my occupation of the master bedroom in Edinburgh when they come to visit, but in this case it was them that gave up the master bedroom for me.

My first full day aboard, we cruised onward to Nuneaton, which would have been the next stop had I not gotten off the train at Atherstone. We saw many ducklings and moorhens along the way, which were in varying stages of "tiny chick" to "delinquent teen". I also spotted a frog scooting across the canal, a lucky sighting. Arriving in Nuneaton, we explored the town and did a bit of shopping, as well as some squabbling about how much we all didn't mind where we went next. Riversley Park had an interesting tunnel with murals around the outside depicting nature and sporting activities, and the town felt vibrant even with it being a quiet evening.

After a relaxing day I went to sleep in Nuneaton for my second night aboard. The next morning we were met by a very eager swan peering in and poking around the stern. I enjoyed saying hello to our new friend. We went for another wander around Nuneaton, spotted a cricket in the park (nature, not sport) and explored the museum and art gallery which contained information about various local subjects, especially George Eliot.

We cruised on from Nuneaton, mooring in a quiet spot. I spotted a water vole which thrilled Clare, and she made a tasty dinner of ginger and coconut stew inspired by one of my own favourite recipes. Having had a peaceful sleep in the countryside, I woke up to find us already on the move. We were on our way to meet Lesley and Ian, friends of Clare and Shane who were keen to enjoy a short trip with us before they had to move on. After that lovely visit, we moved on towards Coventry. While travelling, Shane and I spotted a beautiful Satyr Comma Butterfly landing by the hatch with ragged-looking wings, which were not damaged as I thought they were when seeing them at first.

We explored Coventry a bit, and although many attractions were shut at the time there was still plenty to look at. We also enjoyed a tasty dinner at Turtle Bay, a Caribbean restaurant and bar. It was happy hour, so naturally we swayed back to Bartimaeus and enjoyed the relative stability of sitting on the gently rocking boat.
The next day was my last full day aboard, and we planned an exploration of museums and cathedrals in Coventry. The beautiful buildings, both destroyed and standing, were a testament to the ancient city steeped in rich history and culture.
Grey, rubble-strewn imagery of wartime museums clashed with vibrant depictions of divinity in stained glass, and medieval buildings dotted the street corners.

Having enjoyed my final full day, we returned to the boat and moved it from just outside to moor in the Coventry Canal Basin. Once we'd had dinner and drinks, I was encouraged to write a little something about my time on Bartimaeus. Though beyond that point there is no more story to tell, I plan to explore a little more of Coventry before my evening train, and then head off back to Edinburgh, borrowing the fourth book in the Bartimaeus trilogy which I have not yet read. I already look forward to my next visit. This trip has shown me many sights of natural beauty, fascinating stories, friendly people, and introduced me to enjoying cheese with chutney, some spicy snacks, and a nice glass of Pimms. I'll be buying a bottle when I get home.