C Day Minus 2 Days

Sitting in Sainsbury’s Cwmbran car park in the pissing south welsh rain. Heating on, windscreen wipers on, desperately peering through the gloom, searching for Antony’s Reg Golf estate, with Condor K2 on top. But no sign. It seemed a good idea agreeing to rendezvous in the Sainsbury Car Park- but this close to Christmas, hindsight would suggest, maybe not. It could be worse we could be paddling. If we do ever meet up today, and paddle, it is certainly going to be character building in this. Beaujolais wonders if Antony is up for spending the day in a warm, dry, characterful public house.

A few hours later Antony and a shivering Beaujolais are sitting side by side on a comfortable sofa in a licensed Canal side cafe, enjoying Bacon rolls, coffee, a glass of red wine (well one of us) served by a welcoming Italian proprietor. It is an eclectic place a welsh canal bank. As previously reported, it doesn’t get much better than this.

It is amazing how quickly the trials and tribulations of our paddle are forgotten.

As Christmas is now threatening to kick the door in, I take this opportunity to follow Dirty D’s example and wish all our fellow Buccaneers, and indeed fellow paddlers a very happy Christmas.

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