The Canal Boat Summer: Drifting past willows at walking pace

Isla Merriweather

There is a pace slower than walking, and it belongs to the water. This is a drift down a quiet canal, where willows lean over the bank, locks open with a slow creak, and the boat never hurries toward anything. You will hear the small splash of a rope, the rustle of reeds, the distant call of a moorhen, each sound spaced to loosen the day's grip. Gentle, unhurried, and made for the moment sleep finally takes over.