26 July 2014:  The scenery was stark but beautiful in its own way. There is something mystical about leafless trees and drooping willow branches as they stand still against the heavy fog and reflect in the perfect glassy conditions. The crowds were thin this morning with only a few fellow paddlers on the water.Every now and then a splash of colour from a buoy would brighten up what was a rather grey morning. The sun tried its hardest to peek through the heavy clouds and a perfect arc of a rainbow ended what was a cold, bleak and rather drab day in the nation’s capital.