Punting the River Cherwell

Punting is one of Oxford's great traditions.  Upon my first visit, I recall a number of people asking me if I'd written it into my agenda, but embarrassingly enough, I had no idea what they were talking about. Since my moving here, Fi's mentioned it once or twice, & finally, last Friday (Good Friday, as it happens), we found some time to partake.  Being an Oxford lady, she'd been punting on a couple of occasions before, during her time at Merton, & was excited to show me what it's all about.

 I will fight you.

For clarity's sake, by punting I do not refer to kicking a football on 4th & long; that would just be ridiculous.  In Oxford, punting means river boats, called 'punts', which look & feel something like a cross between a johnboat & a canoe.  Punts have flat bottoms, ideal for navigating the shallow canals in & around Oxford.  Instead of paddles or a motor, propulsion is managed by thrusting a 16 ft. aluminum pole into the riverbed, bank, or any firm surface within reach, then walking your hands up the pole's length, thereby pushing the boat in some direction, hopefully forward.  This is not as easy as it sounds.  My initial 15 minutes or so reminded me of trying to reverse a truck towing a trailer for the first time.

Low clearance is written into the English building codes.

Fi & I rented our punt just under Magdalen (pronounced 'maudlin'--still don't know why) Bridge on the River Cherwell where we'd be punting.  Once we'd secured a boat, the experience wasn't much different from tubing the Guadalupe.  Having packed ourselves a bag of snacks & a couple of bottles of liquid refreshment, we embarked down the river without a care for destination so long as we could take in the sights & enjoy a little peace & quiet.

Eat your heart out, Thoreau.

Although punting is quite a popular activity in Oxford, kicking back in relative privacy was fairly easy to accomplish.  Once we made it past a boatful of froggy buffoons in front of us, the next half hour or so it was just she & I & my bacon sandwich.  All told, we passed about two hours on the river, & that time made for a super enjoyable afternoon.  If it sounds even remotely fun or interesting to you, please say so when it comes time to plan your visit.  I'm all about going again.

 

 To punt or be punted