Lake District Day 2

The worst thing about starting the day with a 5 star rated full English breakfast complete with cereal, toast and fruit while on holiday is that you can't then go back to bed to sleep it off! But by heavens it was good!

So top up the caffeine and out we go! 
First on the agenda is Ullswater. We stop at Pooley Bridge which is the northern most tip of the Lake and prepare to hike.

This is completely different from the part of Windermere we saw yesterday. So quiet, with only a couple of other hikers and dog walkers for company.

Until that is, you come to the camp site. In the fields surrounding a farm, tent upon tent upon caravan upon tent. Hundreds of people, 6 toilets and a small shop!

I have this very romantic image of me camping. In it I am photographing the milky way either on a beach or halfway up a mountain and everything is peaceful and beautiful. Then I gently fall asleep under the stars, warm and comfortable. Nowhere in this image am I cooking breakfast on a camping stove 6 ft away from my neighbour, having to queue to wash it up and then having to trek 300yds to queue for the toilet! Maybe camping isn't for me after all!

Ullswater is beautiful, and the mountains make a gorgeous backdrop. However, I have found that the photos I have taken of just the lake and mountains never come out well. Although it looks breathtaking in real life, it just doesn't transfer to the camera. I need to either have a focal point, or else an interesting foreground. Think I am just starting to get the hang of it.

We then drove further down Ullswater to Aira Force. It just said waterfall on the sign, so we thought we would investigate. Its another National Trust property, a woodland walk which leads to the waterfall.

The whole woodland is wonderfully organised for visiting families. There are children's activities dotted around with many child friendly notice boards, mostly about the resident red squirrels, which I unfortunately didn't see. 

What I did see tho is the Wish Tree. A fallen trunk with literally thousands of coins hammered into it, signifying the hopes and wishes of thousands of people. It is still encouraged today, with a couple of very large worn rocks strategically placed.

Its a fair climb to the top, but the views are quite gorgeous. Really need to go back when the sun is shining!

So final destination of the day is Derwentwater by Keswick. Travel over the Honiston Pass to get there and this time the weather is better and we can actually see something!

Really do need to go back when the sun is shining!

Eventually get to Keswick and Derwentwater and it is gorgeous there. Definitely my favourite so far. There is a park area to sit in and view the lake, with mountains behind you. You can also walk along the side of the water, by the quays where many private boats are moored.

But my favourite part and my favourite photo of the trip is where the beautiful old wooden boats are tied.

I love the rich colours in the wood against the cold dark cloud topped mountains. The boats were beautifully positioned but I did have to walk up and down a few times before I was in just the right position. Trying to see everything that will appear in the photo rather than just the focal point.
Last photo from the day is me photographing another budding photographer!

As a special treat for organising this trip for me, I am letting him carry my back pack!

Lessons Learned: You have to look off the beaten track sometimes and follow your instincts. We would never have found Aira Force otherwise. It can be exciting to turn the sat nav off and just wing it!

Diet Diary: Did I mention full English Breakfast, cereal and toast! Not too much during the day, but fabulous Chinese meal in Penrith in the evening. So diet? No.

Lake Windermere, a short trip

I have been lucky enough to be whisked away for a couple of nights in the Lake District. Staying in Penrith in a fantastic B&B called Brooklands. Four poster bed and a breakfast to die(t) for.
Anyway, decided to work our way up via Windermere. This is a whole new territory for both Carl and myself, so it was really exciting!
Stopped first at the very tip of Windermere at a National Trust park area called Foot Fell. 

It have us our first proper sight of the Lakes and was really lovely. Plus there was the National Trust Tea Rooms where we had to have tea and scones. It would have been rude not to!
We then drove along the edge of Windermere to get to Bowness, which is the main hub of activity on the Lake. However, we did pass this beautiful view.

Carl has the patience of a saint and nerves of steel, as so often the battle cry of "stop! I need to take a picture" rang out and he neither batted an eyelid nor crashed the car!

Bowness wasn't quite what we were expecting. There was of course Lake Windermere and the mountains in the distance which was beautiful, but it was completely packed. We had to park nearly a mile away and it took us 20 minutes to queue for a car park ticket!

The weather wasn't being too kind to us. It was very cloudy with occasional drizzle and that unfortunately kills a lot of the colour in the photos. The mountains had a real haze over them and the water just reflected back grey. I will definitely go back when hopefully the sun will be out and the tourists won't!

One thing I really did like were the rowing boats. It seemed to be a common theme on the lakes to have these beautiful wooden boats. The colours were gorgeous, but my favourite photo of those will be on tomorrows blog as they were taken at a different lake.

Before we went I had said to Carl that I would like to do one of the riverboat trips, but soon changed my mind.

Great looking boats, but absolutely crammed to death with people. The queue for the 3pm sailing, which was just as we were leaving was about 100m long!

We explored Bowness a little bit, but it is very touristy, with every type of Windermere inscribed tat souvenir you could think of. We weren't there to tourist shop at all, visiting serious photographer remember! Tho still managed to leave with 2 named dream catchers (Maisie and Bethany), a named coaster/bottle opener (Ed), 2 jars of marmalade, a set of owl clothes pegs and a key ring!

This is the one shop that I really wanted to go into, but unfortunately was shut!

We drove to the B&B over the Honiston Pass but it rained really heavily most of the way and the clouds were so low that you really couldn't see anything, never mind take a good photo.
Still, it cleared a bit the next day and so I have lots more to tell and show you on tomorrows blip!

Lessons Learned: If you go somewhere popular in the middle of August its going to be busy! As my teenage daughter would say "duh!"

Diet diary: Tea and scones, stilton and salami panini, handmade chocolates, mexican fajitas and raspberry marshmallow cake. Do I really need to say how the diet is going!?