Types of canal boats:
Hire Boats. Distinguished by a company name and phone number prominently painted on. They tend to be shiny and new and have multigenerational families on board. And scrape marks from the drivers’ learning curve….
Live aboard. May be moored permanently. Often showing signs of Alaska syndrome I.e. “Let’s hang on to this; it might be useful some day. Plenty of room on the roof!” Older boats look kinda funky and can show signs of disrepair.
Owner occupied. Usually operated by a couple (or two) who are roughly our age.. If there are planters on the roof, that’s a sure sign. Most often the men drive, the women operate the locks.

Groceries
Loads of cheeses. Man, if I lived here all the time, I’d be in trouble! So many cheeses, so delicious.
Breads that are made on the premises and very inexpensive. Another trouble area for me.  I do miss sourdough, though which is weird since I don’t think of myself being a huge sourdough fan.
Lots of interesting drinks, too! Gazillions of ciders, beers and ales, fruit drinks and fizzy water here is much cheaper than in California.