Ash Cottage Hotel Grasmere

... What, in essence, this coin represents is the continuation of the journey; a reminder that there are still many more miles to cover.

The last night in Appleby was a quiet family affair, Food, Wine and a movie from my childhood ('The Last Starfighter' - good choice Joanna!) and we are now just killing time until 2pm when it will be time to set off for Geordieland and my date with density ... er, I mean destiny ... ... I think!

Well after a good nights sleep, well I did but Martyn woke up complaining bitterly that he was kept awake by another form of wind from Leigh? we woke up to.. yes you guessed it, RAIN! but with the added benefit of of strong winds with gusts up to gale force strength..nice!

Once everyone had checked out of the Motel we set off for Glasgow on the scenic route via Otterburn & Haywick, stopping for breakfast at the very friendly Percy Arms in Otterburn ...

What a lovely day I've had.
I was a tad sleepy this morning as I didn’t sleep well last night and also probably due to the fact of yet another late night out with Rachel partying on sat, but what a fun night! I must admit the flight has been playing on my mind ALOT and I’ve had the shakes BAD but I went into town this morning and got some Kalms and Mum got me some Sealegs which should hopefully help ...

... town. We were able to drive the Ambleside and Crook and saw some of the stunning country side. Many stone cottages and fences, lovely valleys and hills. Unfortunatley it was not the weather for any walking which is one of the main attractions of the area.
Had a very relaxing weekend and a stunning meal at Postillion resturant. 28 years! where has it gone.

Travelled to Cumbria to see Mum and catch up with old friends - was originally going to leave all my kit here but realised that I needed more time to get used to the weight on the bike (and assess whether I might need to get panniers after all) so the trip has become largely a ...

... back to Hawkshead.

We had planned to stop in Ambleside on the way home to see the Roman ruin "Galava", which unfortunately turned out to be a muddy field with some ridges in. Most disappointing, and it started to rain again as we walked back to the car, leading to a damp drive home. On a positive note, we did get home in a record four hours, just in time for Eartha to watch Dr Who.

The day dawned bright and sunny. Actually, that's a total lie. The storm had settled down into heavy rain and the tops of the surrounding fells were clagged up with cloud. The path outside the hut had a small stream running down it. Even the good, rugged people of the BMC made a slow getaway in serious waterproofs.Eartha and I were the last to leave the hut.

We borrowed a dry bag for the map and planned to stay low. We have waterproof coats and boots ...

The rain came down in sheets. There were gusts of wind that blew clouds of water across the motorway. The night was pitch black and spray from the road surface obscured the tail-lights of the cars infront. Many cars had their fog lights on to try to cut through the storm.

The rain beat continuously on the windscreen. I started to wonder how many thudding drops glass needs before it starts to ...

WARNING: THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A VERY LONG ENTRY. DO NOT READ WITHOUT THE NEARBY AVAILABILITY OF FOOD AND WATER. WOW! We arrived at Oxenholme station on Thursday evening and met Simon Ellis, an Oxford grad and former professor in Hong Kong who kindly helps the Alabama program each summer. Simon had arranged for a mini bus to drive us to Grasmere, former home of the poet William Wordsworth. We stayed in a charming Quaker inn called ...

Lake District was the northernmost area we visited. That's probably why the Lake District is one of the best attractions of U.K. John told me the story of Beatrix Potter, the author of Peter Rabbit.
Actually, I don't remember which lake I visited, because John took me there. I still remember I took a boat to the opposite ...