Wednesday, September 14, 2011 – Back in Garstang - We have had two days of strong winds and a bit of rain, too, (after much rain) but managed to get back to Garstang from Bowness (we just hunkered down in the motorhome on Monday and enjoyed reading, watching the US Open online, etc., staying snug) with no problems on the roadways we took. Finally some sun bursts! Yay!
Lyth Valley:
It looks like a painting to me!
Corn field on the left!
Later we had a great dinner of wine and spaghetti Bolognese prepared by Chef Geoffrey! YUM!
So, On Sunday, 9/11, to sort of keep ourselves busy after all the media coverage for the 10th anniversay, we spent the day touring via a bus. The weather was just plain crappy but I kept taking pictures anyway because it was the bus route of the century! I will post some of them…good, bad or indifferent! Here is our route in The Lakes District:
Starting on a double-decker bus at the Bowness Pier through Bowness to Windemere and on to Ambleside:
Windemere
Just taking a picture of the bus mirror! LOL
Disembarked from doubledeck bus (only half of top was enclosed on this one) in Ambleside…a beautiful town but oh, so rainy!
Geoff by our bus!
Me in Ambleside!
Ambleside street.
A stream through the middle of Ambleside...very pretty!
Stone building over the stream.
Back on the bus and then we went on past Rydal and Rydal Water to Grasmere where we passsed Wordsworth’s Dove cottage (too much rain on window to get a good picture). But Grasmere was a pretty little village:
Onto Keswick pronounced “Kessick”) passing manmade Thirlmere (“mere” is a lake).
We stopped in at The Wild Strawberry and I had a latte and scone with butter, jam and whipped cream for me (soooo good with that whipped cream on the scone!)…Geoff had toasted teacake, butter and jam with a pot of tea at the Wild Strawberry.
The Wild Strawberry in Keswick
Notice the dark green slate tabletop for a later note!
Walked around the center in Keswick…
Peeking thru the geraniums!
...then back and caught a small 25 passenger bus to take us on a wild ride that was the most interesting bus route I have ever been on…I loved it in spite of the rain. We went in a loop, first to Portinscale village, then over and under and around to Catbells, Grange Bridge, Rosthwaite, Seatoller up over Honister Pass to and Honister YHA Slate Mine onto Buttermere villege and lake past Crummock Water to Lorton onto Whinlatter forest and back to Portinscale. This bus ride took about 2 hours and the roads were narrow and mostly one lane. Lots of water running through the streams and over rocks because of the rainfall. Geoff has spent many days hiking, biking and camping in this area and knows all the best pubs and places to see:
Streams and small waterfalls coming down the hillsides everywhere! These are just a sample of what I saw...truly incredible! Slate mined at the Honister Slate Mine was same slate that was the table in the Wild Strawberry picture—dark green!
When we got back to Bowness in the evening we went to the Old John Peel Inn and had ale and a Bailey’s on the rocks (in memory of dear sweet Flo) and ended up eating fish and chips with peas!
The Old John Peel Inn
This one's for you, Flo!!!
Love, Sue & Geoff from atop a double decker bus!
Thank goodness I have your blog to read while I am home bound! I feel like a world traveler today!
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