Side Kervan Hotel Grasmere

... mode, and it is a good opportunity to mention my 'Travel Tokens'. These items have some kind of significance beyond simple functionality.

1. Belt - This leather belt will be used for holding my trousers (or anything else) in place. I probably could have found lighter weight belts to take but this particular one belonged to my Dad. Since his death in 1993 it has been mine and it just seemed appropriate to keep it close by ...

... by the time we were ready to leave, the wind had picked up & the rain was coming down sideways. When we crossed the border we were all leaning the bikes at 45 degrees just to go in a straight line and trying to brace for the gale force gusts!

So by the time we reached Haywick the weather had deteriorated & group decision was made for safety reasons to not continue to Glasgow but instead ride down to Martyn's sisters house in Warcop, Westmorland.
Appleby, England, United Kingdom charliebears

... chill me out. I got home about lunch time and Sarah and little munchkin (aka Sophia) turned up and spent a few hours with me which was lovely. I was chuffed that Sar came through to see me and when they left there were a few tears :o( I’ll miss her a lot, I feel like I’ve just got her back in my life and now Im off again and its gona at least 6 months till I see her again. Sarah I know you’ll be ...

Ingnoring most advice we did head off for our anniversary weekend to the Lake District. Cumbria had just experience record rainfall of 400+ mm of rain in 24 hours and amny parts of the area were severly flooded. We had a great run up on the M6 on Friday afternoon and settled into Elim House. In the moring we went down to see the lake which was now creeping ...

... affair. This is good though, as the next time I am here will be on the day of my last injections - which is also day before I depart - so there will be precious little time for social arrangements.

This evening marked precisely 2 weeks to departure - awesome! XD

... 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.

... than I already was.

Eventually, the two bedraggled travellers arrived in the pub cum hotel that nestles in the centre of Little Langdale. We ordered hot chocolate and literally wrang out our socks and trousers in the sink in the Ladies. Eartha called it wrinkling out, which was kind of how I felt - wet and wrinkly.

The last leg of the trek was back across fields and the charming Slater's bridge. This twisty, characterful bridge is made of ...

... away. Would my windscreen be measurably thinner by the time I got to Langdale? How much water could the engine take? There must have been buckets of water running down through it from the bonnet above and dirty spray water drenching it from the road below too. I was amazed my little car kept going.

Through this howling gale, Eartha (my six year old) and I were on our way to the Lake ...

... while his owner was eating. When Wordsworth and his family moved, the owners of Rydal Hall leased them another house on their property called Rydal Mount. It provided gorgeous views of Rydal Lake, and Wordsworth lived there until he died. The home is still owned by some of his descendants, who use it periodically throughout the year. Simon then led us on an afternoon hike to a place called Sweden Bridge. Everyone enjoyed it, although ...

... of the lake and I strolled around for 10 minutes or so. I assume that was Windermere, but I am not sure. I upload a few picture from there and if you know where it is, please tell me. Anyway, on our way back, we dropped by Lakeside Motor Museum. I was not interested antique cars exhibited in the museum, but John really was.