Chetwynde Hotel Barrow-in-Furness

... town centre a couple of times before finding the way out down the A6. We regained the motorway briefly, then left it again at Keele and came back cross country via Telford and Bridgnorth.

Just like on the way up, it took six hours, but despite this, the weekend was worth the struggle. The scenery in the fells has been fantastic and the walking marvellous. Lake Windermere is beautiful, even in the mist.

... xml> Hey all!
This week has not been filled with ...

... zag path back down towards Coppermine's Cottage, 600m below. The walking was loose stones and scree and ******* the knees. We were tired and stopped often to investigate things like the ruined miner's cottages and disused entrance to the copper mines. Donny had an emergency Twix, courtesy of Roland, as the emergency penguin had worn off.

Finally, to cut merely a half mile off the journey, we squelched down across the bracken ...

... Club members, who were probably in one of the three pubs to be found in Coniston. We sat in the car for a bit and looked up at the stars. The sky was clear, velvety black and smothered in stars. The milky way was splashed across the centre of the night. The plough sat on the horizon like a massive saucepan placed there by the gods.

Eventually, we decided to have another look for the key, and ...

... terribly long, so I will cut to the chase. It is very beautiful here, the weather leaves something to be desired (but I hear its not to great back home either), the people are (generally) nice, and the food isn't that bad (though I won't recommend the sausages as they are very 'Dodgy' - no one really knows if there is meat in them). If you have any curiosities about life in England tell me so I have something to write about next week!

Cheers! xx

... carpets, and stained bed linen etc), nobody could figure out how to turn the heating on, and the computer there totally ruined our camera's SD card. So we lost a heap of photos which of course we are none too pleased about. But it was off to Edinburgh next!

PS from mark I didn't think the accomdation was bad at all. I think I am travelling with a couple of princessess!!

... which were pretty impressive. They call them "the illuminations". Will try and put some pics up. There were even horses pulling pumpkin-style coaches, and the trams were all lit up like steam trains and boats.

Mum and I took a stroll up the coast and down the boardwalks. I was amazed that even though the weather was perfect for staying snuggled up on the couch in pyjamas there were HEAPs of people out and about. The pier had amusement arcades ...

... s at times like this that you know you're alive.

We went down the main way, and both of us reckoned it was probably harder than the back way. And very, very busy. Compared to some people we met on the way down, we were practically Mountain Rescue types. Saw all sorts - very young, very old, very fat, very underdressed. Not sure if they will have made it, seeing the state they were in a mile in to the walk. We took various breaks on the way ...

... way. You great some cracking views of Lake Windermere from up there, at least until you drive into the clouds.

From there we made our way north, past Ullswater and onto Aira Force waterfall. The weather was stunning, and the stroll to both waterfalls (High Force, further up the stream and far less visited) was fantastic. I even managed to spot my first ever wild Lizard in the UK, which I was stoked ...

... in the Lake District, so was basically comprised of hiking stores, pubs and take aways. Not quite the quaint scene I had pictured in my mind, but saying that it was a very scenic place, full of stone buildings and gentle streams. The kind of place I'd like to live but never admit it.

And so, that was day 1. A 500 mile drive, dodgy food and a beautiful campsite on the banks of a stunning lake. Pretty ideal really.