After our 15 day cruise on the Queen Mary 2 we were looking forward to a 15 day stop over in southern England. Karen had worked her scheduling magic and had us set up with a new and unique house sit followed by a repeat sit for a fantastic couple we first met in October 2022.

The neighbourhood of our first sit in England. A fantastic experience looking after a couple of small dogs on a narrow boat. The boat we were looking after was very well equipped which made for a great time. Beautiful walks all around the marina.
The other huge plus of this sit was it’s accessibility to Windsor. We were able to pop in for half a day and explore this amazing city. These soldiers finishing some type of exercise on the Long Walk didn’t look quite as thrilled with the length of this walk as we were.
Being there first thing in the morning in the shoulder season made for a quiet and uncrowded time. We were there so early The Crooked House of Windsor wasn’t even open for breakfast yet.
When we noticed a significant increase in police in the area we asked a constable what was up. Not only did she fill us in on the changing of the guard, but also gave us the scoop on the best place to watch them go by. Hint, it isn’t in front of the castle gates. This was the new crew heading to the castle to relieve the night guard.
As the Gurkhas marched by on the way back to their quarters they looked less flashy than the relieving guard…however
You couldn’t help but feel a visceral reaction when they pass and you could see their khukuris secured on the back of their belts.
While there we also managed to meet up with some fellow house sitters and do a walking tour of the South bank area in London. A fantastic experience with great people.

Our second house sit was the repeat sit in Chertsey. I simply cannot say enough about the great moments house sitting has provided us. This sit and these home owners are an example of how good it can be. Despite having a catastrophic failure of their hot water system the day before they were due to depart they still hosted us to a wonderful meal with plenty of laughs and stories. As well as arranging to have a plumber spend the entire day after they had departed making sure we had hot water for our stay.

Despite the beautiful location just off the Thames River, the best part of the sit is these two. So well behaved and a blast to take out for walks.

Our short stay in England also allowed us to catch up with cousins from each of our families which was a treat. Although the UK seems to get a fair bit of negative press, for us it is an oasis of relaxation when we are travelling about. We look forward to returning soon.


Comments

One response to “An English Layover”

  1. trishbabkirk Avatar
    trishbabkirk

    What a wonderful trip. Can’t wait to see you soon.

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