Weather today: Cloudy, breezy, warm when sunny
Daily Miles Covered: 17.7
Total Miles Covered: 767.8
Things of Interest: The Falkirk Wheel
Personal Comments: Off again on the canal at 8.30, very breezy for June, I believe its cracking the flags in Accrington. The Falkirk wheel has been on my to see list, so I am looking forward to seeing it. 7 miles to go first. All the wild flowers that love water are out now, bedecking the canal with a floral display, that would be hard to beat at "Chelsea". Water Lilies just coming into bloom, plus Meadow Sweet, Sweet Cicely with it's efficacious smell of aniseed and Water Avens drooping, nearly touching the water, fantastic. There are no locks on this canal, so it's level all the way to Falkirk. Just before Falkirk though there was a 400 m. tunnel. Now this tunnel lies beneath Falkirk town, and it's dark damp and dangerous. Harrison Ford would have thought twice about going through, but I'm here so in I go. All went well until the last 100m. when I heard the sound of rushing water, it was cascading through the roof of the tunnel, and it wasn't rain water!. Well, I wasn't going back so that was the fastest I've moved since Lands End.
The Falkirk Wheel is a masterpiece of civil engineering, lifting boats from one canal to another. It uses 10 kilowatts of power thats 5 electric kettles worth to you and me. It takes 4 minutes to complete, due to a perfect counterbalance system. Afterwards I took to the Forth and Clyde canal, have a guess which cities this canal links, correct. Running out of steam late in the afternoon, I make Twechar a lovely little out of the way place, where we find again, somewhere to watch the football. Tomorrow I leave the canal to make progress towards The West Highland Way
Monday, June 09, 2008
Polmont to Twechar (East Dumbartonshire)
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2 comments:
The West Highland Way - That sounds very hilly - so right up your street! Got your postcard today & before I read the back of it, I said to Carl that it was me & him on the front - ahh - that's what you wrote too, well they do say that great minds think alike - so well done for copying me, LOL!
Saw the website for the Falkirk wheel & it looks pretty impressive, andI have to say I lot more modern that I thought it was.
We also got your lovely pictures too, thanks.
Keep up the good work & I'll see thee later (as someone else would say).
All our love J&C xxx
No, its Al si thi, ok love Dadxxx
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