Visiting the Lake District
Several of Steve's siblings own caravans in the Lake District, and this past weekend Jackie and Nick (Steve's sister and her hubby) invited me to spend the weekend with them at theirs. Tina and John (one of Steve's other sisters and her hubby) were also up there with their youngest, Kiara. The caravan site is in or near Silecroft and is just a few minutes' walk from the sea.
This is the view from the kitchen window of Jackie and Nick's caravan. A thick cloud crowned the summit of the tall hill there for the entire weekend. The hill has a name, but I don't know it.
You hear a lot about the Lake District when you're in England. It's a huge holiday spot reknowned for its incredible beauty. Beatrix Potter lived in the area and worked to preserve it. I agree that it's lovely, but I must admit I didn't see what all the fuss was about. To me, the area was just as pretty as anywhere else in England. And then we took a drive to Keswick and I discovered what all the hoopla is about. As we drove, rolling hills (mountains to this Florida girl) flowed right into pristine lakes. The air had a serenity I could sense even as we roared down the motorway. Keswick sits on a lake and we tried to park near it, but the town was heaving with people and we ended up parking closer to the town centre. So we weren't able to actually walk along the lake. If we had, I would have taken pictures. Instead, you'll just have to trust me that it was beautiful. I would very much like to visit the area again if possible, and maybe spend a day or two along those gorgeous lakes.
On our way to Keswick (pronounced with a silent "w", by the way), Nick spotted a sign mentioning a castle in one of the villages we were passing. He turned off the road to check it out. What he found was Egremont Castle, the ruins of a 12th-century red sandstone castle that served as the seat of the barony of Copeland. It was an unexpected treat on the long drive.
What remains of the curtain wall of the castle.
I also saw several poultry farms along the way with free-range chickens. It's quite bizarre to see acres of fenced pasture land dotted with chickens instead of cows or sheep. In some places, it was chickens AND cows and sheep. I took this photo of a field of Buff Orpingtons (like Hyacinth, Daisy, Rose, Violet, and Onslo at home). It's not a very good photo. The chickens are tiny blobs. But I was in a moving car.
The weather was quite brisk over the weekend, and windy. Despite the chill, I was anxious to take a walk along the seashore when we got back from our trip to Keswick. Nick and John obliged me. I found the walk wonderfully invigorating.
Several men were fishing along the shore. I said to Nick, "Fishing is that good here?" He smiled at me and said, "No."
This is the beach. Not a grain of sand in sight.
Another view of the hill as we walked back from the beach. The gang has climbed that thing.
Some wind generators nearby.
I had a nice weekend away. Much thanks to Jackie and Nick for their hospitality. At long last, I think I understand why folks love the Lake District so much.
This is the view from the kitchen window of Jackie and Nick's caravan. A thick cloud crowned the summit of the tall hill there for the entire weekend. The hill has a name, but I don't know it.You hear a lot about the Lake District when you're in England. It's a huge holiday spot reknowned for its incredible beauty. Beatrix Potter lived in the area and worked to preserve it. I agree that it's lovely, but I must admit I didn't see what all the fuss was about. To me, the area was just as pretty as anywhere else in England. And then we took a drive to Keswick and I discovered what all the hoopla is about. As we drove, rolling hills (mountains to this Florida girl) flowed right into pristine lakes. The air had a serenity I could sense even as we roared down the motorway. Keswick sits on a lake and we tried to park near it, but the town was heaving with people and we ended up parking closer to the town centre. So we weren't able to actually walk along the lake. If we had, I would have taken pictures. Instead, you'll just have to trust me that it was beautiful. I would very much like to visit the area again if possible, and maybe spend a day or two along those gorgeous lakes.
On our way to Keswick (pronounced with a silent "w", by the way), Nick spotted a sign mentioning a castle in one of the villages we were passing. He turned off the road to check it out. What he found was Egremont Castle, the ruins of a 12th-century red sandstone castle that served as the seat of the barony of Copeland. It was an unexpected treat on the long drive.
What remains of the curtain wall of the castle.I also saw several poultry farms along the way with free-range chickens. It's quite bizarre to see acres of fenced pasture land dotted with chickens instead of cows or sheep. In some places, it was chickens AND cows and sheep. I took this photo of a field of Buff Orpingtons (like Hyacinth, Daisy, Rose, Violet, and Onslo at home). It's not a very good photo. The chickens are tiny blobs. But I was in a moving car.
The weather was quite brisk over the weekend, and windy. Despite the chill, I was anxious to take a walk along the seashore when we got back from our trip to Keswick. Nick and John obliged me. I found the walk wonderfully invigorating.
Several men were fishing along the shore. I said to Nick, "Fishing is that good here?" He smiled at me and said, "No."
This is the beach. Not a grain of sand in sight.
Another view of the hill as we walked back from the beach. The gang has climbed that thing.
Some wind generators nearby.I had a nice weekend away. Much thanks to Jackie and Nick for their hospitality. At long last, I think I understand why folks love the Lake District so much.
How glorious!! I LOVE that beach! And the chickens! I actually took photos of grazing pigs out the window of our car when we drove to Extremadura. We are experiencing many similarities, don't we??
ReplyDeleteYes, we are. One similarity I'm glad not to share is the hot weather. I am loving the sunny days that hover in the low 70s. :-)
ReplyDeleteGrazing pigs? I admit I didn't realize pigs grazed.