It is almost always true to say that where ever there are canals, there are pathways. The canals are a form of pathway themselves but in a more literal sense there are the waterside paths – the towpaths, originally built for the horses that provided the one horsepower required to pull the boats and their butties. As any traveller on the English narrow canals will know, there is still evidence of this means of propulsion. Many of the bridges have iron strips attached to the bottom of the arch on the towpath side; designed to protect the masonry, every example has multiple grooves worn into the metal by the ropes that once pulled the boats through the bridge holes.
This first picture was taken on the Canal du Midi at Colombiers one hot memorable summer when the shade of the tree lined waterway provided relief from a high bright summer sun; the second is a less warm, foggy morning on the Grand Union at Braunston:
(click on the images to enlarge)
northumbrian : light 
Awesome post, thanks for the visit!
Many thanks, glad you like it
Eerie and beautiful.
Many thanks – not as adventurous as PNG but no need for senna pods 🙂
Love the foggy morning photo! Love the houseboats of Europe!
Many thanks and thanks for stopping by
Love your towpaths. All those footfalls through time – humankind and horses and dogs.
Thanks Tish – exactly right, that’s one of the great attractions of travelling on the canals.
Beautiful images, and I love your words too.
Pathways and canals make a wonderful combination 🙂
Many thanks – for once it didn’t seem too contrived 🙂
Both photographs are beautiful, but the last one is my favourite. Those English narrow canals are amazingly scenic and you have definitely captured the mood in these two images.
Many thanks, your generous comments are much appreciated.
I really like that second image.
Thanks, my favourite too – and the fog is genuine, not a Photoshop texture 🙂
It looks perfect though.