One of the things I had to try before leaving Oxford was
punting. A punt is basically a flat-bottomed boat that you propel by sticking a long pole into the riverbed and pushing your boat forward. It's a lot of fun, but it takes quite a bit of skill and practice to steer.
"For either you look graceful or you look ghastly;
there is no middle way in punting"
-Dorothy Sayers, Gaudy Night
Punting is quite popular in Oxford and Cambridge during summer term and people often spend an afternoon on the river with their friends. It's common to bring a picnic lunch and a bottle of Pimms-- maybe even some relaxing music.
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| View from the bow. As you can see, there are a lot of other boaters on the river. |
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| My friend Andrew is quite the expert punter. |
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| I managed to steer us back to the docks without maiming anyone! |
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| A yummy snack of crackers and humus. |
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| This beautiful but overly aggressive swan followed us all the way down river. |
