Where the wild geese fly...
The Norfolk Broads is probably the most popular recreational inland waterway network system in Britain
It is wonderful to see a ketch rigged out with full topsail,
intended to catch the breeze over the tops of the reed beds
Paddling along a river, you can be confronted by a large vessel coming your way:
Help! Who has the 'right of way'?
What did I do with the rule book?
Oh well, Discretion is the better part of Fowler,
she is bigger than me and so I nose into the reeds and just let her sail past
My choice is to avoid the busy navigation lanes
and creep quietly along the edges of the reed beds...
...and penetrate the creeks and backwaters... who knows where they might lead?
where the water-lillies in bloom are undamaged
by the propellers of the motor-boats
and I can drift silently close up to a Grey Heron...
...or a young Great Crested Grebe with stripy head and still in baby-down.
I surprise a Mute Swan who takes avoiding action to avoid being run down by my kayak
After several hours of energetic paddling, I moor the kayak to have a pic-nic...
The kayak even has a special recess to hold the refreshement
Wending my way back through the backwaters as dusk falls, I encounter a flock of wild Greylag Geese, a wonderful climax to a fine day's kayaking in some of Britain's wildest wetlands
It is wonderful to see a ketch rigged out with full topsail, intended to catch the breeze over the tops of the reed beds
Paddling along a river, you can be confronted by a large vessel coming your way:
Help! Who has the 'right of way'?What did I do with the rule book?
Oh well, Discretion is the better part of Fowler,
she is bigger than me and so I nose into the reeds and just let her sail past
My choice is to avoid the busy navigation lanesand creep quietly along the edges of the reed beds...
...and penetrate the creeks and backwaters... who knows where they might lead? 
where the water-lillies in bloom are undamagedby the propellers of the motor-boats
and I can drift silently close up to a Grey Heron...
...or a young Great Crested Grebe with stripy head and still in baby-down.
I surprise a Mute Swan who takes avoiding action to avoid being run down by my kayak
After several hours of energetic paddling, I moor the kayak to have a pic-nic... 
The kayak even has a special recess to hold the refreshement 
Wending my way back through the backwaters as dusk falls, I encounter a flock of wild Greylag Geese, a wonderful climax to a fine day's kayaking in some of Britain's wildest wetlands
posted by Maalie at 9:31 am
10 Comments:
Wonderful ... I love paddling, too, and your beautiful photos bring back nice memories (of a Swedish lake system, this summer) ...
BTW, you had the right of way, because your vessel is "manually driven" - it says so in our clever book on paddling. Still, we never take it for granted that our bigger and stronger friends have read the same book so we always go out of their way, too :-)
Lana and I were at a park yesterday and she was talking about how much she loves the water and is glad we live pretty close. beautiful shots.
I love to see swans. Swans used to be less rare in Maryland. I miss seeing them. When I do, it is quite a treat. Once I even saw a black swan.
Thanks for sharing these splendid photographs.
I don't think it was a ketch. Ketches have mizzen masts and that one appeared only to have the main mast.
Did you see any bitterns?
Lorenzo, yes, you are correct, a ketch has a mizzen mast. This must be a gaff-rigged Bermudan sloop, with topsail.
fantastic adventure Jim- I love the refreshment holder too! Reminds me when I mountain bike ride I have been known to take a refreshment as well ( and not one of those energy drinks that younger guys use either)
I love the little grebe. How sweet!
Wow Maalie, this is all so cool!
It must be so peaceful too?
Great bird sightings in those quiet reed-lined water lanes.... Were you certain there weren't any crocodiles or hippos around to upset your kayak?
But the beer should have been a Red Can Cap'n Jim
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