Blue Adeline: Days 58 - 62: Gayton Junction to Norton Junction

A quiet few days starting with, at Gayton Junction, picking blackberries, making bread and going for walks. The blackberries went into a compote with plums, two tbs sugar, ½ tsp of crushed cardomon, juice of half a lemon and a splash of port - then cook until the fruit is soft... lovely!

Collecting blackberries near Gayton Junction

Jan's easy bread recipe (makes one loaf)

For the starter:

170g white bread flour

I tsp easy yeast

1 tsp sugar

240 ml hand hot water

For the bread:

200g white bread flour OR wholemeal flour

1 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp salt

Put 170g of white flour into a bowl and add the yeast, sugar and water. Whisk untll mixed, cover and leave for 40 mins or until the mixture is bubbling.

Add the olive oil, salt and the rest of the flour (gradually) stirring until the dough comes together. Transfer to a floured board and knead until silky, adding small quantities of flour to keep from sticking. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover, leave for 1 – 1.5 hours until doubled in size.

Knock back and transfer to a 900g (2lb) baking tin. Cover and let rise for half an hour. Bake at gas mark 5 for 10 mins on a low shelf then gas mark 4 for 20 mins. The loaf is cooked when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn out and cool.

Before we set off on Sunday, we watched a boat being craned out of the canal at Gayton Marina

...and slowly swung into place on supports

Our next stop was Bugbrooke and we walked in to the small village store on Monday. We'd hoped to do some more painting, but the weather wasn't favourable. On Tuesday, we headed off to return up the Buckby locks. The stern gland, which greases the propellor shaft and has to be kept topped up on a daily basis by turning its brass handle had started dripping rather a lot and we decided it should be looked at. The very helpful proprietor of Stowe Hill Workshop, Robert, checked the alignment of the prop and corrected it - touch wood, it hasn't leaked since.

Very helpful and knowledgable

A traditional pair of working boats, one towing an unpowered 'butty' seen here with the decorated wooden tiller

This slightly creepy sculpture is near a canalside gallery

On Tuesday evening, we moored just below Whilton Marina at the bottom of the Buckby flight of 7 locks and on Wednesday went up the locks to Norton Junction.