When my parents took their trip over to Europe last month, we planned a weekend to meet up before they headed to
London. Originally our plan was to meet them in Edinburgh, then head south to London, but it was a bit of a long trek for one weekend and the prices were higher than usual with the Fringe Festival.
So we compromised and met them halfway in the Lake District in England.
The Lake Districts are famed in England, although if you were to try and asked someone to pin down their claim to fame, you'll get a response with some sites to check out, but for the most part, it's famous for one simple reason. The beauty of it's nature.
When you go to the Lake District, you spend time outdoors, picnicking and hiking. So, in our two days there, we did just that.
Upon waking up on Saturday, we had breakfast at our lovely B&B before heading out to explore the area.
As we were staying in Windermere, we caught the bus up to Grasmere where we would begin our hike. Grasmere had a view sites for us to check out, including the famous
Sarah Nelson Gingerbread Store. Unlike the usual gingerbread we're used to at Christmas, it's a big of crumbly cake mixed with usual gingerbread. Right behind the store is a church that also is home to William Wordsworth's grave. The poet grew up on a town on the outskirts of Grasmere, and is now buried in this cemetery along with his wife Dorothy and other family.
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| Rydal Mount - Belle's wanting a belly rub |
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| Cute pub in the town of Grasmere |
After checking out the sites in Grasmere, we headed to the real attractions - the lakes. We chose a path called the Coffin Road, which took us around the West side of Grasmere Lake and south side of Rydal water, before continuing to Ambleside.
Overall, the walk was something like 4 miles, taking us along the shores of the lake, wandering among farms and sheep. Only at once point did we come across an area with lots of people, before we cut across the river and headed off on our own way. It was solitary in a way that made you appreciate the beauty of the countryside and this oasis in northern England.
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| River near Rydal Waters |
It was a beautiful day, the sun even peeked out from behind the clouds for a while and
Belle loved it. Even as we sat eating our picnic lunch, she swam, ran and took it all in. It was so much fun to see her joy in being in the countryside.
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| Belle waiting for us to throw something for her to fetch |
After our long walk, we took the bus back to Windermere, after a disaster with the bus. There are several bus operators in the area, but if you buy tickets from one, they can't be used on another. The most frequent operator is Stagecoach, but low and behold, we purchased tickets from Reays. After waiting almost an hour, our bus finally appeared to return us to Windermere!
Once back in the city, we decided our exercise meant we could indulge in some cider and pub food. Belle joined us as we snacked on pies, fish & chips and pints, before heading back to catch-up with my family.
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| Family photo |
The next day, the weather was not so much in our favor. We decided to head out to view the lakes from the water, but turned down the 2nd 4 hour hike after it started to rain on us. The boat cruise was nice, although I think the hikes probably give you a better picture of the woods and sites of the areas.
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| I swear it was raining! |
Unfortunately, our day was cut short due to cancelled trains and we caught an earlier train back to London. 3 hours later, we were off at Euston and wishing we were back in the idyllic Lake District.
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