Our last stop on this chapter of our trip is Nottingham, home to old friends and also surprisingly recreational. Taking their dog Sydney for a walk, we strolled 3 miles around Regatta lake, a 2,000 meter (1.25 mile) long, six lane rowing course built in the early 1970’s on a former gravel works. It’s amazing, and just one part of the National Watersports Centre, which includes a gravity-fed whitewater slalom course and water polo ponds. The place was just teeming with people training and playing – it looked like a recreation paradise, not what I normally associate with the UK. If you look at the map below, you can see the long rectangular pond over a mile long!
The whitewater course is pretty cool. The 700 meter course is made from concrete and the flowing water comes from the change in the water level of the river Trent as the course by-passes the lock that boats use. So no pumps or power used for the rapids.
Boats of various lengths skimmed quickly over the water as we walked, teams of women or men rowing in quiet precision, punctuated by guidance being dispensed from the shore by coaches riding bicycles. The national teams practice here and the mood is serious and focused. It’s really cool to experience. Ducks with their ducklings and swans with goslings are numerous near and on the shores, unperturbed by the boats. No motor boats to spoil the calm!
And then, we took a bus the Heathrow airport and flew “home”. It’s funny to be going back to our home town, but not to stay in our house, since it’s rented for at least another year. So we are going home to maintain the gardens and pond, to supervise some planned work on the foundation of the house and see friends, but not really to move back into our house. We’re staying with friends for a few weeks, just a mile from our house and enjoying reconnecting before heading out on the next chapter of the adventure. Stay tuned!
Bernie the Bunny in Heathrow, below.
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