My first-ever river holiday on the outskirts of the UK capital – with palaces, locks and barbeques on the top deck
WE clamber out of the boat and on to the pavement, piling into the bakery to stock up with fresh snacks and local treats for our adventure ahead.
Our destination? Staines, to the west of London.
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It may not sound glamorous and we may have only been a few junctions along the M25 from home, but as we plodded along the Thames on our first-ever river holiday, the winding waterway shimmering in the sun's morning glow, it felt like we were worlds away.
My family and I had booked our floating holiday home through the boat-rental site Le Boat, which operates in 18 destinations across nine different countries in Europe and Canada.
Our vessel, the eight-person Mystique, had a fully functioning kitchen, an airy living room, three bedrooms and a sundeck.
I'd never been on a boating holiday before, but that didn't matter as Le Boat's friendly staff talked us through all the dos and don'ts, including how to drive and tie ropes, upon arrival to Penton Hook Marina.
After that we were free to take the wheel, slowly weaving our way along the Thames, with no experience or special licence needed.
Captaining our vessel felt like driving a car on ice.
And while we barely got above 10mph, the first few hours were a little nervy — particularly as we approached our first lock.
Luckily, we spotted a retired couple in a canal boat up ahead who knew exactly what they were doing (and could clearly see we didn't!).
Boating folk are a friendly bunch and my new water buddy Roger, who'd been travelling this stretch of the Thames for more than 50 years, talked me through the simple mechanisms for the lock.
We opened the gate, lining our boat up next to his, and tied our ropes to one of the moorings on the pavement.
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It had to be loose to ensure that when the water level changed, the boat was able to move up or down with it, Roger told us.
Then, I headed to the simple control panel before opening the sluices, the mechanisms that controlled the flow of water.
We watched as the canal — and our boats — slowly drifted down to the next level with a big sense of achievement.
It's good etiquette to leave the gates and sluices closed after you've finished, so as not to cause any issues for the next travellers using the lock, Roger told us before waving us off.
Go with the flow
With each lock we faced, our confidence grew until myself, my sister and brother-in-law plus our five kids were a well-oiled lock-conquering machine.
Everyone knew their jobs and the kids relished being given responsibilities.
Roger and his partner weren't the only friendly locals we met that weekend.
We passed families, couples and big groups sipping champagne and lager as they pootled along the river, all exchanging tips on the best places to moor for the night.
That's the beauty of a boating trip: you have the freedom to go with the flow (literally).
Our first night on board was a little tricky, I'm a light sleeper and a host of new noises kept me awake.
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Fortunately the bedding on board Mystique was comfortable enough to make it feel like a home from home.
And despite filling the boat to its maximum passenger capacity, we never felt cramped, especially with use of the top deck, where nightly barbecues were a big hit.
And from the top deck, we could take in all the sights, too.
I've lived locally for much of my life but was stunned to see sides of the river I'd never encountered before, thanks to Le Boat's Thames Guide which gave us information on all of the destinations between Benson in Oxfordshire to Chertsey in Surrey.
Along the many routes you'll find former palaces and National Trust parks as well as quaint cafes and shops.
The town of Windsor was the highlight for us, though, and we were treated to the best view of its famous castle from our vantage point on the river.
Exploring the 11th century historic fortress and tucking into huge scoops of colourful ice cream was the perfect way to round-off our river adventure.
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