Jogging Along Oxford Canal

　　I had some time early evening until the dinner with my daughter. I enjoyed jogging around my hotel. Wandering aimlessly, I found myself on the Hythe Bridge at the westside of Oxford Station. There, I noticed a few slim and unique shaped boats moored on the right hand looking from the bridge and promptly headed for them. All the boats were covered by a roof and some of them bore cargo even on their roof.
　　Those boats were not only moored to the shore, but connected to a power point. There was a garbage dumping site and a toilet near the mooring site. According to the signboard, the mooring was restricted within two days. This site would be synonymous with Japan's RV park.
　　Recently in Japan, the facilities called "Recreational Vehicle Parks" have been built across the country. I've utilized a few campgrounds in Alberta in Canada in the 90s. Finally these facilities started to be opened in Japan too and I'm very happy with this condition. Like the epitome of curiosity, I continued to do slow jogging along the channel over looking around. I stumbled across a person on the way who was operating a lock. Observing him, I realized how the lock worked and it was Interesting.
　　I found a signboard to explain the area and I learned that the name of the channel is "Oxford Canal". I ran up to the north along the canal and turned to the right at Godstow Rd, then ran down Woodstock Rd to the south to my hotel, the easy Hotel Oxford. The total distance was about 10 km. Walking, running, and taking snapshots, everything which came in my sight was fresh and new to me. The jogging was great fun.
　　After dinner, I traced the route on the map which I had travelled and was surprised to know that I had almost reached three pubs which Prince naruhito, present Ten-noh, had referred to in his memoir. I decided to run around the pubs tomorrow.

(Vocabulary)
power point (英）コンセント　outlet(米)

　夕方、娘と約束したディナーまで時間があったのでジョギングした。当てもなく走っていたらオックスフォード駅の西側に出て、Hythe Bridgeという橋の上にいた。ふと右手（北の方）を見ると、細長い船が何隻も川に係留されている。反射的にそちらの方角へ向かった。
　ボートには電源コードが繋がっている。係留は二日までと表示されているこの場所は、日本でも最近増えてきたＲＶパークのようなものだろう。この船達はいわゆるキャンピングカー、あるいはモーターホームに相当するのだろう。運河脇に、トイレとゴミ捨て場も設置されていた。好奇心の塊と化して、キョロキョロしながら水路に沿って走った。途中、ちょうど閘門を操作している人に出会った。なんと人力でやっていた。
　しばらく走っていて案内板があった。この水路の名前はOxford Canal。さらに、この運河に沿って北上し、Godstow Rdに出て右折、Woodstock Rdを南下して宿泊していたeasy Hotel Oxfordへ帰着。１０ｋｍくらいだったか。歩いたり、走ったり、写真を撮ったり、眼に入る全てが新鮮で、楽しいジョギングだった。
　ホテルに帰ってから走ったルートを確認して驚いた。陛下がサイクリングではしごした３軒のパブ（The Perch, Trout Inn, The White Hart）の近くまで走っていた。明日の計画は決まった。