Our cycle trip to Cosby was made on our last day on the Ashby, though we hope to be able to come back another time.This time though we couldn’t get right to the end and we needed to get back to Edinburgh. We needed to moor up for a while and catch a train and we knew there were good moorings just beyond the Ashby with easy access to the station and also for access from the road if Ortomarine want to come and start resolving our solar panel issue.

We had moored by bridge 3 and I had thought the last bridge would be bridge 1 but the system as to how to label the bridges is a little inconsistent.

As we emerged from the bridge I thought I heard a toot from another boat. I was at the front and looked: there was one at the side and I wondered if it had felt slowed down by us coming out in front of them, though they were fully pulled to the side already. At any rate Shane didn’t hear it and drove on through slowly. The other boat did not catch us up until we moored and gave us a cheery wave so it doesn’t look like we held them up.

While Shane was driving I was packing and the washing was on. I was just hanging it up as we approached the mooring spot. We were just about ready to go when there was a bang and I turned to see Shane had fallen because the top step was broken. It had come adrift. Fortunately Shane was not badly hurt and he can see how to fix it, but he definitely didn’t feel he had time to fix it straight away, as we had a train to catch. He temporarily banged it together so it stayed in one piece but it wasn’t safe to stand on so he moved it aside from the stern doors and into the middle of the dining areas. We didn’t need the kitchen dining area before leaving. But as well as the washing hanging up the inside is getting a bit awkward to navigate if Ortomarine staff come in our absence, they might want to wait until we are back!

So Shane already has a job as soon as we come back. I tried climbing up the tool boxes, a bit wobbly and I found I needed to turn round to sit on the deck rather than step up to it. We exited through the bow doors.

I had been feeling disappointed to be leaving and working out what we are doing next is a bit up in the air but I was looking forward to seeing Bryn as well as Nye in Edinburgh and also my sister Mary was coming to visit overnight in Edinburgh so it was going to be quite a family gathering. I had primed Bryn and Nye so they would be ready to host as we might be late arriving.

Nye made his famous pasta bake and it was lovely to catch up with Mary. Parking payment proved tricky to organise and I had difficulty finding bedding for the spare bed for Mary. We had no time in advance to check what bedding was around and not everything is in place so we don’t know where everything is in the flat. Still we found a duvet eventually – we haven’t had this many people in the flat since packing stuff away a year ago. It is getting less like camping with each visit, but we have not yet prioritised a complete reorganizing of things previously packed away…. may be this time.

Next day Mary and and I visited Margaret, another sister, so even more of a reunion and lots of reminiscing with both of them. In the last few days Shane has had video calls, a telephone call and email exchanges with his brother, his sister and his dad so it has been a week for family catch ups.

Tonight Shane is with old work colleagues and I went out with Bryn and Nye to their favourite restaurant. It might be everyone’s favourite Portuguese – Chinese fusion restaurant as not sure there are many….certainly not in Edinburgh. We are warmly greeted and despite it being a very busy fully booked evening, the chef came out to speak to us. Everything delicious: bolinhos de bacalau to start; costelo tamarindo; aromatic crispy coconut duck and classic minchi all of which we shared and then desserts, luckily light. The drinks were also beautiful.

We are managing to enjoy being away from Bartimeus but still thinking about our return and planning for it too. I am also looking forward to finding out if my house keys are on the boat as I can’t find them in Edinburgh.