Windermere to Edinburgh

 Today was a travel day as we left Windermere and drove to Edinburgh. We had one terrific stop along the way. There are lots of spots to see the remnants of Hadrian's Wall. We chose the Birdoswald Roman Fort. It was one of the spots along the wall where the Romans built a fort to house the soldiers who patrolled the wall. The fort was enormous in its time. Between the existing remains and excavation by archeologists, it is possible to identify the outline of the entire fort.

The site is really, really well done with easy to understand explanations and lots of little quizzes along the way. It was a great historical site to visit and a much needed break from driving.

After a full day of driving we got to Edinburgh and booked in to our apartment at The Knights Residence, slap bang in middle of town and very close to Edinburgh Castle.

Second (and last) day in the Lake District

Most of the UK went back to work today so, thankfully, the crowds thinned out a bit in Windermere. We took the cruise boat from Bowness to Ambleside this morning. The sun shined all day today which made for a beautiful experience. Sitting out in the middle of Lake Windermere was spectacular. We took a stroll through Ambleside village which is as pretty as all the villages in this area.

This afternoon Clare decided on a rest while Ian and I drove to Grasmere to see Dove Cottage, the home (for a time) for William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. I really, really enjoyed this visit. The cottage is preserved as it was in their time but the real highlight is the garden and woodland behind the cottage. You are encouraged to stop, be quiet and tap into the appreciation of nature that was so important to Wordsworth. It was delightful and it was a real reminder of the importance of the natural environment in this part of the world. Would you believe that Wordsworth was concerned about the impact of tourism back in the early 1800s? What would he think if he saw what the Lake District has become today?

I also really enjoyed getting back in touch with Wordsworth and Coleridge and the poets and authors I learned about in my undergraduate degree. I feel a little bit inspired to read some of their poetry. 

Full day in the Lake District

 This morning, we wandered down to the edge of Lake Windermere in the hope of a walk along the lakeside. We quickly discovered that all of the lakefront on our side of the lake is privately owned so we had to abandon that idea. It seems that the only real way to see the lake is to get out on it in a boat.

Instead, we drove up to Windermere village and did the Orrest Head Walk. The walk was beautiful and a little bit of a challenge (even though we took the longer, less steep path). Half way up, we found a wooden sculpture of the Gruffalo. Clare was so thrilled to see it. She had to have a photo with the Gruffalo. We continued to the top where the view was breathtaking. Just amazing.

After gluten free fish and chips from Vinegar Jones, we took the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Steam Railway from Haverthwaite to Lakeside and back. It was a bit of an average afternoon.

I may have created some unrealistic expectations in my mind about Windermere and the Lake District. My thoughts of lonely poets looking across the lakes didn't really match the reality of massive Bank Holiday crowds, screaming children and bumper to bumper traffic. It brings back memories of Merimbula at Christmas or Philip Island at Easter. It isn't Windermere's fault but I have felt a little let down by our experience of the Lake District. It is beautiful, really beautiful but it is overrun with tourists at this time of year and that really dents the enjoyment factor.

Tomorrow, we are going on a lake cruise and I am hoping to head over to Grasmere to see Wordworth's Dove Cottage. Maybe I will discover the Lake District I was hoping to see there.

From Manchester to Windemere

This morning, we packed up our apartment in Manchester and set off for our next stop in Bowness on Windermere. We stopped in Lancaster on the way and did a tour of Lancaster Castle. To our surprise, it was less of a castle and more of a prison. From its earliest days as a Norman fortress, it was used as a prison and it continued to be until 2011. Our guide, James, told a great story and we all really enjoyed the tour.

Next stop was in the quaintly named village of Near Sawrey. We visited Hill Top Farm which was the home where Beatrix Potter lived and wrote many of her books. The cottage has been preserved as it was when she lived there. It is tiny but absolutely beautiful. We all really enjoyed it especially Clare who did a unit of work on Beatrix Potter in her VCAL.

After we finished at the cottage, we went to the pub next door for a drink. Sitting outside in the sun looking over the village, it is impossible to describe the serenity. I really didn't think that these idyllic locations really existed anymore but they do. It was a moment to capture in our hearts and minds.

We then headed into Bowness on Windermere to find our accommodation. We are staying at The Westbourne. We are in The Cottage (which is actually a converted garage). It is so so so cute. Very different from our lovely modern apartment in Manchester but incredibly gorgeous.