Suffolk walks---Canoeing on the river Stour

Nosy cow! ☺

In July, we took our canoe out a few times. We hadn't done that for ages. Last time we did canoeing was a year ago, it was still a little bit chilly. This time, we wanted to make the most of our sunny summer, decided to take it out for a ride. I kind of forgot how fun it was to kayaking the canoe.

I thought it was fairly easy job and I remembered it wasn't too hard to do it, but as a matter of fact, it was pretty hard till get used to it. What I didn't realize was that Marcus was paddling behind me to control where we were going and it wasn't me who was navigating......

So, I practiced a quite a bit this time, after 3 time on the river, still When I solely paddled it went round and round there, but getting there, getting better at it. I begun to learn (finally!☺) how to do it. 

We started off from Bures. Parked the car, took out our blow up canoe, pumped it up and carried to the river. It wasn't heavy, our 2 person's canoe is light enough for us to carry, just a bit awkward once it goes on to the water and wet.
That day it was sunny partly cloudy. Just lovely weather for this!

We packed our snack on the back, then we were off!

I was still nervous just putting my legs in the canoe, in my head, the canoe might subside with my weight on...It never did it, this blow up canoe is  pretty stable, but my head told me that every time.
Everyone was on the river that day. Gradually, it got warmer. 

Mama duck and her babies♥

Carried on paddling till we saw the portage point in Lamarsh. We thought it was good place to have our snack and sunbathing. There, already some people were sunbathing and swimming in the water having fun. It was lovely to see families canoeing and enjoying themselves.

 There, I found some wild cherry trees, of course, I went to pick some! How did I know that? I saw one of dads in the families with 2 little girls walking from the footpath next me, holding a plate of cherries. Oh, they looked delicious! I did the same.

Moreover, we went back to the place following Sunday too, picked loads more cherries. They were sweet, juicy and yummy! ❀❀❀

While we were chilling out, a few people came on and had their picnic. Some had cool canoe.

After spending good few hours in this Lamarsh portage point, we headed back to Bures. There a few swans on the river, every time paddling away from swans, this (always male) Papa swan was cruising towards us. I told him I was trying to paddle away from him and his family, in the end, seemed like he got my message, and swam away.

Papa swan & Mama swan

I like canoeing on the river and looking at people's back garden. Those houses along here are posh, and have some nice gardens. It would be lovely to live there, take a canoe or boat out whenever feel like it and chill out.

 Going on the river is much different from on the road, quiet and very therapeutic touching water and hear birds singing and watching trees swinging by the wind and what I love the most is listening to the sound of water. Even splashing by paddling, make me feel so calm and almost as if disappearing into it...

Honestly, that's how I feel like when I go on it. I'm quite happy that we took our canoe out good few times this summer. Every time see different things, smell different, bump into different people/birds/cows etc, lots to see.

Cute swing on the edge of the garden

It was awesome trees reflecting on the surface, so green!

We met another swan family, they were really chilled out, they didn't seem to mind we were slightly close(happened that way! Yes, me paddling!)...❀❀❀

Twice we did, where we chilled out was so nice and we saw people walked back across the field to where they parked their car, thinking it was fairly easy to find from the land. But we couldn't find it. Instead, we found a footpath to the railway, to the field next door, and we could walk to where we were.

 We did see some people did that following Sunday. But we didn't really want to tresspassing and get shot by a farmers!☹(I'm joking, they don't shoot)

Beautiful country side, can you see ugly pylon behind it. I know they provide power we need, but they always build in pretty country side and sometimes they give me headache. Not healthy!!!

One day, find out the footpath and let you know!