Tunnels and locks and Dave is my hero

Away nice and early today...straight into the dark. Braunston tunnel opened in 1796 and is 2042 yards long, with a sort of an S bend in the middle. Long and damp, but at least not as drippy as Blissworth. Strange to start the morning in the depths, but how lovely to emerge into the light. ( Oh there was more singing...love the acoustics 😆). We emerge at Braunston top lock...6 locks in this flight. Happily there were many hands locking through and we had lots of assistance. The holiday boats are now in evidence. Luckily we only encountered the one boat full of drunken yahoos...gods help them not drown.
Through Braunston with its iron sided bridges and the 18C dry dock...pretty as a picture...and past a place I hold in high regard. A lovely boat called Gongoozerlers Rest which is fitted out as a Cafe. It holds my regard for two reasons. Firstly, when Dave and I were talking about buying a boat I found a series of books by Maree Brown about moving onto a narrowboat with her family...she mentioned this cafe and recommended the bacon butty (awesome!), And secondly, it was the first place I had heard the term gongoozerler. It means someone who watches canal boats...l think the term marvelous and such good fun to say.
We turned under one of the bridges onto the Braunston puddle banks...a later addition to the canal ...and headed to Napton Junction where we would say goodbye to the Grand Union Canal and Hello to the Oxford Canal.
He he he...today's giggle place name is Flecknoe...gonna use that one!

Heading to Napton are long stretches of countryside...quiet and beautiful...Augusta chugged away till lunchtime with nary a care, then Napton on the Hill came into view. So many boats, such big marinas! Then...another flight of locks.
The Napton locks are single locks...room for one boat...just. New for us and with me not on par Dave was about to become lock master. 9 single locks, managed singlehandedly and of course in the pouring rain...HERO!!!
Sidenote...arthritis has wrecked my hands today...can barely hold a cup of tea...so after the morning locks I was benched for being elderly. Which was fine with me until I saw the Napton locks. Guilt and Panadol weren't enough however....so three cheers for my badger husband!!!

A few bridges later and an isolated mooring for the night discovered, day 3 of the adventure ends. Hot shower, pasta for dinner, a beer or three, and an early night.