The Canal and the Canoe

Today was the day for a canoe trip down the princeton canal. Oh, wait a minute... When I say canal, are you thinking about a dull and ugly brown water body carrying all the grime and grimaces of poor people and industrial waste let into it by powerful businessmen blended into a homogenious poison eating everything that came it's way like a boa constrictor let loose (Well even it won't eat everything). Then think again... Because this is the Delaware & Raritan canal running through the rich (both economically and ecologically) neighbourhood between (obviously) Raritan and Delaware with a tow path walking beside it like a boyfriend with an arm around his girlfriend's waist. A perfect place (and today a pefect weather too) for Canoeing, Kayaking and Rafting.. We entered it from the Alexander street entry and went all the way down (it's down steam but it's towards north) till lake carnigie and the Route 27 entry/exit and back. It was great fun. History tells me that it was built in 1834 for no recreational purpose but as a means of transport and mules used to pull the rafts floating on the canal with big loads on It walking along the tow path. (Now you know why it's called the Tow path, hmm) But now it would make a really romantic date to go with your girl canoeing through the fall colours, savoring blue nun (it's a wine you pervert !) and talking about colors and water and photographs and painting and violin and flute and moonlight and many other things...