The Canoe Story...

So today is our first anniversary... Yay for us...

I however have to write about the canoe story which goes along with our whole wedding...

 So the story. It started in August 2010, when hubby (who was then just my bf) and I decided that we would go on holiday to France for two weeks. We would camp for the first week and then spend a week in Paris staying in a hotel. 

Off we went to France on the ferry (the first boat lol (I should mention that I'm not a fan of boats, especially small ones)) and then for the long drive down through France to the pretty town/ city of Le Puy En Velay

The first three or four days went really well and there were no more boats.... until we decided to take a drive to go to a Maize Maze... which you may say why would we have a boat there... well we didn't... however the Maize Maze was shut when we got there and having passed through a small little village that had canoe trips advertised... so both of us had done some canoeing before and so the beginner trip sounded like an okay bet... so we were life jacketed up and given our paddles whilst the canoe was put on to the trailer attached the mini bus... We hung around for about 20 minutes before us and a mum with two young boys also got on the minibus and we were off up the valley to then float our way back down... 

So we pull up at the side of the river where the canoe was taken off the trailer and was put on the bank of the river. The guide motioned to us and said in very poor english "you done before?" Hubby said "a little" and all that was then said to us was "stay left". We both looked at each other and were a bit like "meh, ok then" and then the guide got back into the minibus with the mum and kids and drove off... We were both a bit shocked at this, thinking that the guide would be coming with us... but needless to say we then figured it was a beginners trip so should be plain sailing. 

We set off from the bank all going very well and peaceful and it was a beautiful river and valley with steep sides but still gorgeous. We then turned a bend and could hear fast flowing water! Uh oh! We then saw a concrete sluice and both of us had enough training that you don't go down these in a canoe, especially one with two people in, so we continued around the corner, the noise of the water becoming louder. We then saw the rapids...

 
So much for easy... they went on for 15 to 20m going down about 10m over all... Having been told to keep to the left we approached the rapids from the left (hubby steering) we went down the first ridge and bang! The canoe got caught on a rock side ways and started to fill with water, both of us were starting to panic a bit. Hubby got out of the canoe to try and unbalance it from the rock, however he was unable to and ask me to get out and help him, I was a little bit resistive to this and didn't want to... I got one leg out and then the other stood up and then was gone. I travelled down the rapids banging my head on several rocks but never letting go of the paddle. I eventually surfaced and managed to pull myself over to a sort of sand bank on one side of the river. I then realised my prescription sunglasses were some where in the river and that my car keys (with a battery and immobiliser) were now soaked and in my pocket (but they were still there) I had a few cuts and bruises but was a safe... Hubby however was still at the top of the rapids with a canoe that was now almost completely filled with water and a canoe and only one way down... Hubby managed to unbalanced the canoe and had only one choice to hold on to the canoe and his paddle and be dragged down he rapids with them. Hubby got to the bottom of the rapids and was covered in cuts and bruises and his clothes were torn. The money that he had had on him was now soaked and so was the phrase book... 

We were now both stood on the sand bank not really wanting to get back in the canoe, but realising we had no other way to get back to the car... so reluctantly we got back into the canoe and made our way down the river, down a couple of places that were a bit fast but obviously not as bad as this one... 

We got back to the end of the river and to the place where the car was. We gave back the canoe and made our way back to the tent, where I ensured Hubby's wounds were clean.

The next week we were in Paris and on my birthday we went on a river cruise (glutton for punishment) which actually went well, we then had a lovely meal and made our way back to the Eiffel Tower 

Where hubby then proposed to me =D

Two years later August 2012.... We got married at the local registry office and then had our reception on... (yes you guessed it) a boat!!!

And to add to the boat theme we are going on a canal boat here in the  Brecon Beacons   

If someone could add this to the link up I'd be grateful.. As I can't do it from my phone :-( 

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