Cumbria, the lake district UK tour 2007

Faced with a 4 day weekend for Easter, but a completely booked dog kennel, we decided it was time for another English road trip. We decided on Cumbria, more specifically the English Lake District around Windmere Lake Long popular with the English as a holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes (duh!), its walks, its mountains (the English say they are the kinder, gentler version of the alps), and has lots of literary connections with the likes of William Wordsworth, Beatrice Potter, and John Ruskin. Leaving on Friday, we struck out for the town of Ambleside, routing thru the southern part of the Yorkshire Dales. We stayed on the smaller roads, and got to see lots of lambs - cute, cute, cute!

The weather was spectacular - warm, dry, and sunny (very unlike the wet and cold weather all the English people told us to expect…”be sure to takes your fleeces and your waterproofs”) which apparently explained why there were so many people at the lakes.

After scouting around Ambleside for dinner with no luck, and not being up for a curry takeout, we headed into the hills to the nearby town of Troutbeck…looking for the restaurant “Queen’s Head” recommended by our English friend Marion. Go if you ever get a chance…it was some of the best food we have had in England in our year and a half….we shared a table with some locals and entirely enjoyed the experience.

Here’s what you do in the English Lakes….eat the full English breakfast (hammy type bacon, eggs, broiled tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, sausage, brown toast), lace up your hiking boots, get the dog, walk, lift a pint in the afternoon, eat dinner, and fall into bed.

Our Saturday hike also involved a steamer boat ride (George’s first ride on a boat – he proved to be a good ‘boatsdog’) from Waterhead to Castle Wray, then walked from the Castle along the western shore of the lake to the Ferry Building (about 5 miles), taking a ferry over to Bowness at Windmere, then another steamer back to Waterhead. Had a good dinner at a spot called the Glass House in Ambleside.

Sunday we did a circular walk from along the river from Ambleside to Rydal Mount (famous for its William Wordsworth connection), stopping in at St Mary’s Church (his church and burial site), Dora’s Field (where his daughter was buried), and Rydal Hall (where the Burnsides had a much needed tea break). Arriving back to Ambleside, we enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon sun and some pints (bevies) with a friendly English couple. Dinner was at LucyFour, pretty good tapas, but I’d try for Lucy restaurant if you can get in – it was supposed to be really good.

Monday we departed the Ambleside Lodge and headed off to the local car boot sale at the soccer field, we managed to score a nice old English ¾ gallon watering can, and then set out for home on the northern Dales route thru Hawes.

Overall impressions: good trip, beautiful scenery, better food than York, lots of Eastern European service people.

.... see ya,

b'bu

English country side and other differences

This time last year we were getting our heads around the many differences this place the UK presented. There are many more than I thought. Last year we toured the dales of Yorkshire, beautiful stretches of farm land barely populated with people. The rolling hills were filled with sheep and subdivided by century old hand stacked stone walls. We walked around in awe. This year our UK treks took us to the Cotswolds sort of west side of London in the country alright. Below are flowers I encountered there one American and the other English.

First off we rented a car and headed off to Chipping Camden, sounds foreign to me too. On this day, dawn brought rain, dark clouds, and little to no sun. We had a car full Bet, Susie, Rose and driver boy, me. Everything is a little tense since we are on English roads, which since we are Americans, we require a navigator. The Bet and Susie took turns navigating. I think they enjoyed telling me what to do. You get the picture, I can’t push my smart ass attitude too much. The Cotswolds is as good of country side as I’ve seen. It is a completely different place then the Yorkshire dales not better than but different in a more stately way. It is very different than say Alabama, Mississippi or Georgia. We got large expanses of country side but not like these. Beauty wise the same, but the feel is just different. One thing that jumps out at me is the concept of public right of ways. In the UK, there are public paths just about everywhere. The paths are fairly marked and they crisscross private property all about. We pretty much don’t have a similar concept, maybe roads, but not pedestrian walk and bike paths. So the UK provides access to much of it’s country side, which is a pretty interesting concept. So when we go to an area like the dales, vales, moors or the Cotswolds we’re talking about miles, and miles or walking paths that go every which way. I like that a lot but its’ a pretty different concept for me to get my head around. Even though you can walk around rivers and creeks, they are not public. You can’t just fish where ever you please, that must be a throw back to the old Lord and serf thing. You know where the King owned everything.

Our base camp was established in a hotel in Chipping Camden. A English village which was a market town. So people from smaller villages would come here. There were a lot of people with money here. The housing of stone and mortar abounds. We found large expansive grounds and structures which I equate to castles, manors, and monasteries. The area supported huge gardens maintained by the UK’s historic trusts.

… see ya, j'bu

Our friends Susie and Rose from Marietta, Georgia

They ventured across the pond, landed in Manchester, then took the train to the medieval city of York. Our first day we took them to our favorite pizza joint, which is located in a grand old building from the 1700’s, and then by our local - the Maltings. Pictures were taken and pints of ale & cider drank.

After a day of sightseeing in York, the girls headed to Scotland on the train - Betty, Susie and Rose embarked on the train trip to Edinburgh and then through the Scottish highlands to Fort William. I missed them on their weekend trip. They played hard in Edinburgh: took in the Benson photography exhibit at the Royal Portrait gallery, toured Edinburgh castle, walked the Royal Mile, and had a great dinner at The Creel restaurant.
A highlight of the train trip from Edinburgh to Ft William was when they passed the Mallaig steam train on its last run of the season. At Fort William they walked the town and, in honor of Rose’s birthday, dined at the number one hotel in Europe, Castle Interlochy Hotel. I’ve never been to such. A good time was had by all even though the birthday girl Rose could not attend the b’day dinner, too much fun the night before? Of course, this was made up for later on return to York ....
see ya,

j'bu