We've been everywhere man!

This morning we awoke to a whitened landscape, not snow just a very heavy frost which has not thawed all day. The muddy towpath is still frozen hard and the pound 2 locks up is frozen over with ½ inch thick ice.

Still we had a busy day mapped out ahead of us so there was no curling up under the duvet again, First leg of the journey was to catch a bus outside the marina into Hemel Hempstead. We checked the fares on the Internet and found an Explorer ticket for £7 for 2 adults and 2 kids, WRONG, Arriva have changed the fares a month ago but failed to change their website. It's now £10 for up to 4 adults but boy did we get our bob's worth.

Once in Hemel our first job was to pick up our new specs from Specsavers which arrived a day early, can you believe it. Once this was sorted it was back to the bus station for a number 6 bus to North Watford and Screwfix to try and buy a hole plug cutter. The trip into North Watford covered some familiar territory for me passing through Leverstock Green, Bedmond, Abbots Langley, Leavesden, past the old now defunct Mental Hospital which as kids we lovingly used to refer to as the looney bin. On down past the housing estate where I had lived and Francis Coombe secondary modern school where I spent 4 years of my life. Through Garston where the old London Transport bus garage is now run by Arriva buses. Once in North Watford we found Screwfix quite easily and obtained my plug cutter.

As we had completed all this in record time and not wanting to head straight back to Hemel Hempstead we browsed through the bus timetables to see what other options were available to us and see what other destinations were suitable. In the end we found a 320 bus to St Albans and Hemel Hempstead via Garston, Meridan estate, and Bricket Wood . When we arrived in St Albans we alighted to have lunch and catch a later bus to Hemel. The Cock Inn advertised a 2 course lunch for £6.95 which fitted the bill nicely.

After satisfying the inner man and woman we returned to the bus station just in time to catch the next bus which unfortunately wasn't going to Hemel, only to Adeyfield. Another couple who also wanted to travel to Hemel told us that a 301 was the next option which was only 5 minutes later. This was a real cross country service going through the rural outback between the 2 towns.

After 7 ½ hours of gallivanting all over the countryside we eventually got back to the boat and a much needed cuppa. I think we did very well for our £10.