Have you ever had a meander along the River Thames? I had not, and so when I read that the Talbot Inn had originally been a wharf along the Thames, I was 
intrigued, and all the more so when that our room was named “Eynsham Lock.”
Alan was too tired for another adventure, but I prevailed upon my two sons to
join me in a jaunt across the pastureland behind the inn in search of the illusive
Eynsham Lock. This was particularly exciting to me, since I grew up in Sault Ste.
Marie, Michigan, 
where the mighty “Soo Locks”* were a constant source of interest each summer. 
I was curious about how the lock worked, and (as always) in the 
mood for an evening (or morning, or afternoon) constitutional! I had never seen
an old-fashioned “pound” lock that could be manually operated by boaters at will
and found the whole idea of house boats and river cruising fascinating. 
What would it be like to live a week, a month, a year…or a lifetime on a boat,
plying along some scenic river? I’ve heard of people doing this, but I wondered…
how do they support themselves? Are they all independently wealthy? Or, do
some wealthy people just own house boats and take them out from time to time
the way Americans own sailboats, RV’s, and yachts? I tried to imagine what it might be like, but the Lord has made me so content that it didn’t really seem that appealing…although I’m sure it would be wonderful fun for a while, and I suspect those who enjoy such a life style love it dearly. Alan and I went to the RV
show in GR last weekend, and we both came away with a happy consensus: Let’s just be content and thankful for what we have: a car and two pairs of sturdy legs!
It’s a fabulous privilege to be able to travel, and I am a fan of all sorts of transportation, but I also love variety, so I’m glad I can fly to far away places and
then walk a few miles. “A taste is as good as a feast,” my mother used to say, and I’ve noticed feeling that way too. As we walked along the bank, this is what we saw overhead…the sky streaked with contrails from the many jets at Heathrow
International Airport. Definitely time to move on to our next adventure: London!
But oh, how I hated to give up the pastoral setting of rural England. So, before we ended the evening, Joel indulged me in one last Pooh-Bearian expotition…a walking quest to find Eynsham Village.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servants, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).
“But covet earnestly the best gifts…” (I Corinthians 12:31, just before Paul launched into his treatise on love, which is “the greatest gift” 
)
*Picture of Soo Locks from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ website.
I loved your pictures. It reminded me of a holiday we had as a family in 1995 when we hired a boat and went for a week along the River Shannon in Ireland. I was terrified as the boat was so big (three bedrooms and two bathrooms) but the children loved it, especially when Christoph let them steer. The winds on the lakes made the boat bounce a lot and I was sure we would go under, but for the kids it was a holiday of a lifetime. For me, never again
Do you think that most of the houseboats are rentals? I was thinking it wouldn’t be that easy to even know how to care for the boat, steer properly…work your way through the locks, docking, etc. But, it sounds like Christoph was up to the task. You’re a real trooper, Sarah!