Walkabout Wednesday

We had a nice low-key day today. We enjoyed a relaxing breakfast onboard and spent some time tidying up the boat. We walked into Lancaster to find a bank to switch our 50-pound notes. We tried to spend them in shops and pubs but no one wanted them. The first two banks were lined up, so we tried what appeared to be a credit union. They said no if we weren't customers. We found a Lloyds Bank, and they turned us down, too. They suggested we try a Post Office. The first person we spoke to at the Post Office suggested we take them to the Bank of England, seriously? Randy explained our challenge to a lovely young lady who initially apologized and said she couldn't help us but then said she would change all our 50s into 10s and 20s. We were so grateful. A word of caution don't bring 50 pound notes if you come to England. Actually, everywhere we've been tap has been the preferred payment method. Once we had our cash under control, we visited the Lancaster Priory and the Lancaster Castle. Both were definitely worth seeing. The area surrounding them was also very beautiful. We stopped for a late lunch in a little cafe and picked up some supplies at Aldi. It was a beautiful day today, and we really enjoyed our short southbound trip. Initially, we planned on stopping in a heavily wooded area, but we decided we wanted to enjoy the sunshine. We found a really nice secluded spot, no pub for us today. We had our chairs at the front of the boat to enjoy the sunshine and seclusion, but then a friendly dog came for a visit with his owner. Many people walk their dogs along the tow path. We had a nice chat about the history of the canal. As he continued his walk, another canal boat pulled up behind us to park for the night. We've met them a couple of times and it was nice to have a happy hour with them. They owned their own narrowboat previously and were now occasionally renting. They shared so much information on other canals. We had a nice dinner on board and played a few card games.Read more