We began our trip at Hampton Court, 23 miles west of London. The river, which is about 1200 feet wid

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I was zoning out in a deck chair when I heard my husband's startled voice. "Look. Something's happened." Squad cars, ambulances and policemen were scattered about in a clearing on the side of the Thames River. "There must have been a murder. Look at all the yellow caution tape wrapped around the trees."
I was upset by the sight of forensic investigators trudging along in their lab coats, and the stunned, round-faced policewoman staring out over the water. When we reached the village of Hurley, our mooring for the night, the captain announced that an episode of the TV series Midsomer Murders was being filmed. He, too, had been alarmed, and sent a crew member back to see what was going on.
Excited that we could see one of our favorite shows being made, we scurried off the boat, and headed down the Thames Path, a national trail that goes from London to the Cotswolds. Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon), clad in his usual blue suit, was being interviewed in a swampy area under high trees. A cameraman was sliding back and forth on a trolley, alternately taking footage of Barnaby and a fellow wrapped in a wet blanket. "Shh," said a guard, leading us around so we could get a good view. Later he told us that the director often uses the area for filming because there are so many parks, woods, and villages with historic churches."
We were on a week-long European Waterways cruise on the hotel barge Magna Carta, and this was one of several dramatic, albeit unplanned, scenes on the meandering journey from Hampton Court to Henley. lensbury club teddington Morning, afternoon, and night there was a blend of intrigue, quiet contemplation of nature, and glimpses of small village life. Not to mention the elegant meals and views from the barge, actually a small luxury hotel. From the beginning we were drawn into a world of nature: songbirds chirped overhead; swans and ducks took turns sliding along beside us, and before long I was mesmerized by their behavior. Why did the ducks sometimes forge ahead pushing their bills backward and forward? Why did the swans seem to be chattering with each other like excited lensbury club teddington girlfriends?
We took the boat trip because we love traveling in Britain, and we love the serenity of hotel barging. The boat seemed to glide across glass like water, and it rose and fell effortlessly when it we went through locks. Compared to over 200 travelers on most river cruises, there are usually 8 to 20 on a hotel barge. We had eight. The pace was leisurely, with roughly half the day spent cruising and the other half sightseeing off the boat.
We began our trip at Hampton Court, 23 miles west of London. The river, which is about 1200 feet wide and bustling with activity in Central London, narrows as it veers west