The Thames Path is the lane along the Thames and Prince Naruhito often refers to the path in his memoir. Following my idea that I hit on last night, I went jogging on the path today. On the other hand, my wife enjoyed sightseeing with my daughter. Anyway, I don't know exactly enough about the tutorial system in Oxford University, but it seems to be very unique. Prince Naruhito seemed to receive the tutorial from his designated professor while walking along the path. He loves riding bicycle and has ridden to his favorite pubs with his guard. I imagined that the distance was 20 to 25 km.
I started from Hythe Bridge and several boats caught my eye. When I was gazing at one of them, its owner emerged from the inside. I introduced myself as a tourist from Japan. While chatting, I was invited onto the boat and I was treated to coffee.
He had a thick accent and I had to ask him to repeat his words. I'm afraid that it was a little impolite, but chatting with him was fun. His wife and he live on the boat and they can move anywhere in the U.K., but this boat wasn't designed to get out to the outer sea. This Oxford Canal apparently used to work as the main transport measure of the coal from Coventry to London. I recalled the title of the research of H.I.H. Prince Naruhito as these: The Thames as highway : a study of navigation and traffic on the upper Thames in the eighteenth century".
Suddenly, he asked me if I knew about the principle of Archimedes, though he seemed to be the last person to utter such scientific terms. I didn't catch what he was explaining. Why did he ask me such a question? He continued to tell me about a junction of two channels. However, sadly, I wasn't able to catch some words even after repeated trials. Soon after, his wife brought a tablet to show me what he wanted to explain and I was amazed to see the screen. It was a big machine called the "Falkirk Wheel". If you are connected to the net, search for its pictures or moving pictures on YouTube or something. Finally I understood how the principle of Archimedes worked. The machine has two chambers in which ships are put. Even if a different weight of ships was put in the two chambers, the weight of the chambers are kept balanced as the principle of Archimedes shows. The machine can work with a minimum of electricity. I realized how water transportation system is no less important in the U.K..
I asked him how far it was from here as I was eager to directly look at it. He replied that it would take three months for you to reach the place in such an outfit, looking at me from feet to head. At that time, I wore a cap, a souvenir of the participation in the Ehime marathon and a T-shirt, which was also a hospitality gift from some other marathon event, and shorts for jogging. I examined the machine later and found that it was located in Scotland. Its name was derived from a Scottish town in which it is sited. It was a revolving boat lift. As he said, it seemed to take 3 months by my not-so-strong legs.
Travels are really wonderful. A popular Japanese expression, "一期一会"(a once-in-a-lifetime encounter)is completely acceptable. It instructs us to be polite to everyone you meet in your life. The opportunity never comes again. Thank you, wonderful couple! for a fun time. Cheery-bye.
(Vocabulary)
have a thick accent 訛りが強い
outer sea 外洋
H.I.H. His Imperial Highness (日本などの)殿下
Archimedes' principle, principle of Archimedes アルキメデスの原理
a once-in-a-lifetime encounter 一期一会
Cheery-bye お元気で
タイトルにあるテムズパスとは、陛下が留学記の中で何度も言及されていた散歩道。昨夜、思いついたとおり、今日はこの道をたどってみる。この道は陛下が指導教授と一緒に歩いたり、警護官と一緒に３軒ハシゴした時に自転車で走った小道である。留学記にたびたび登場する。距離は２０～２５ｋｍ程度か。娘と観光を楽しむという家内をホテルに残し、出発。
昨日のオックスフォード運河からスタート。運河に係留している船が気になってじろじろ見ていたら船主から声が掛かった。日本から来て１週間滞在している旅行者と伝えて雑談をしているうちに船の上へ招かれた。これから朝飯なので一緒にどうかと。コーヒーだけごちそうになった。
言葉がとても聞き取りづらく、何度も聞き返して少し失礼だったかもしれない。主な話の内容はこの船でどこまで行けるのか？どこでも行けるが外洋には出られない。波のない運河専用だとか。まあそうだろうな。いろいろなところへ旅をしているんだとか。この運河は昔はコベントリーからロンドンへ石炭を運ぶための重要な運河だったらしい。陛下の研究テーマが中世のテムズ川の水運だったことを思い出した。
このおいちゃんが突然、アルキメデスの原理を知っているかと尋ねてきた。このおいちゃんの頭のどこにそんな言葉が格納されていたのだろうかと驚いた。そんな単語は絶対に出てこないような風貌だったのだ。アルキメデスの原理を応用した＠＃＄％＆を利用したというが、何度聞いてもわからない。奥さんが、運河の交差点のようなものだと教えてくれてなんとなくわかったようなわからないような。首をかしげていたら奥さんがタブレットを出してきて写真を見せてくれた。これには驚いた。YouTubeで動画を探して動いているのを見た。Falkirk Wheelと呼ばれる運河と運河を繋ぐシステム。二つあるチャンバーに入る船の大きさが違っても常に二つのチャンバーの重さは同じだからこれを回すための電力は最小限で足りる。なるほどアルキメデスの原理だ。是非ともYouTubeの動画を探して動いているところを見て欲しい。ほんとにこの国は水運が重要視される国なのだと実感した。
是非、近くで見てみたいが遠いのかと尋ねると、おいちゃん笑いながら曰く、その格好で行くなら３ヶ月くらい掛かるだろうな～と。ちなみにこのときの僕の格好は短パンに愛媛マラソンの参加記念の帽子にどこかのマラソンでもらった記念品のシャツ。後日調べるとこの機械はスコットランドにあった。スコットランド中央の町ファルカークから名付けられたもの。回転式のボートリフトである。確かに３ヶ月くらいは掛かりそうだ。（笑）
旅は本当に素晴らしい。一期一会というが、このおいちゃんに会うことはもう無いだろう。楽しい時間をありがとう。
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