Not as peaceful as some terrible new guests on the boat, thankfully stayed for 1 night only!

Outside the air is clearer and we can see over the lake, see a heron next to us and a boat selling flowers coming along

Breakfast of coffee that tastes a bit like gravy, toast and omelette

Off out for our lake tour around Dal Lake onto Mughal lake

See a famous spot for Bollywood films, Char Chinar, that is a Mughal-made island and has nice gardens

See the eagles, “Mughal bridge”, “Camel bridge”, vegetable gardens, different villages separated by religion, many lillys and moor hens

Mughal gardens have no flowers as winter so we were told not to bother with them

Go past an eagle struggling in the water – he’s got too wet from diving for food and can’t fly anywhere!

Our guides pick him up and take him to some dry land – phew that was close ????

See another Mughal-made island on the way

We head for the main destination

The White Mosque (Masjid Shareef) has a market surrounding it: 20/30k people each Friday come to pray and spend!

Market is sprawling past the mosque out onto the main road – everything from plastic toys, spices, fruit and veg, clothes, meat; you name it, you can get here

Even some fish that were so freshly caught they were still flopping about! Eagles flying over head – and of course the usual madness of cars and bikes trying to drive through the crowds

We try the bread a tapioca thing that seems to be everywhere, sweet and a nice little snack

Have some roasted nuts on way back to the boat

Now for a little picnic aboard the boat – curry, veg, spinach and rice

Down the Mughul canals through the little villages and vegetable gardens

We pass through the areas local early morning vegetable markets as well as the floating market

Time for a cup of Kashmir tea, check out some pashminas, jewellery crafts and wall art made from rice paper and crushed precious stones – some dating back 80 years!

Dinner is cheese &peas, veggies, rice and beans

Followed by more tea and an early night’s kip