Hello! We’re Steve (him) and Chris (her), a couple in our mid- to late 60s embarking on a gap year. We have a 45-foot narrowboat, currently moored in Oxford, and a 6 m campervan. The plan, at least for now, is to live and cruise on the boat for three months, and then travel through some Central European countries in the van for another three months. That’s just the start, but we thought six months’ worth of planning was enough to begin with.
If not now, then when? Steve and I first wanted to take a gap year in our 20s, but that didn’t happen. Then we thought we’d do it in our 50s, but that didn’t work out either. Now we’re in our mid- to late 60s and, by hook or by crook, we will take time out to travel!
During the COVID lockdown, a chance opportunity to buy a narrowboat was just too good to miss. Since then, we’ve spent many weekends and most holidays on Galveston, but now it’s time to take the old lady out for a good, long explore of Britain’s canals and rivers. We’ll follow that in the summer with a three-month trip through Central Europe in our recently acquired campervan. What happens next—who knows?
This blog will be our travel journal, dotted liberally with things we learn along the way, the occasional recipe, and restaurant or van-stop recommendations, plus anything else we think might be interesting to share.
We hope you’ll follow our journey.
Towpaths and Turnpikes 