Raindrops were falling on our heads and other body parts and cameras. The forecast for the day was rain and gale force wind on the mountain tops. One by one, the harder walk people opted for medium walks until the hard walk was cancelled. Then the medium walk was changed to lower levels on the mountains and shortened and given escape routes if the weather got worse. As it turned out, the gale force winds did not arrive and we could have done all the hikes as planned, but we didn't know. Nevertheless, as the medium walk came to the first steep uphill, we did decide to climb. It was just a quick up and back down but we did get some elevation in a mostly low level walk. It was a good opportunity to photograph the new "steps" that are being put into the hills to slow down the erosion and help keep walkers on the paths.
At the top of the climb, we stopped for a snack and more photos. Our walk this day had started at the bottom left of the photo near the lake and in the treed section.
Because our hike was lower and shorter than usual, we got back to the village where we had started sooner than usual. This wall was just on the edge of the village of Grasmere where we started and stopped our walk.
Since we were back early, and it was still raining lightly, most of the group went to the local pub. I opted instead for a local bookstore and found an excellent British Wild Flower book and an art book that was on sale. It would have been cheaper for me to have gone to the pub, I think.
Meanwhile, Églantine had opted for a half day hike and managed to get some excellent photos in spite of the off and on rain. Here is one of the old bridges that she crossed and photographed.
And below is the photo of a lone walker in the mists of the Lake District.
To end the day on a brighter note, here is a photo of the evening fruit basket that was part of our evening meal.
Fruit was always a desert option at evening meals and at lunches too. Perhaps I should write a bit about lunches on this write up of the next to last day of our walking holiday. Each morning before breakfast two tables were laden down with lunch foods for us to choose. These items were in addition to sandwiches that were prepared. One could order sandwiches the night before from a menu of about 12 types and then fill a lunch bag from tables in the hall in the morning. Here is one table of lunch items.
In case the photo is too small for you to see easily, let me enumerate some of the items available:
Dried fruit, nuts, raisins, bread rolls, tomatoes, celery, carrots, various packaged cheeses, boiled eggs, several types of grapes, bananas, apples, oranges, and peaches were on this table. On the other table were at least eight types of candy bars, several types of granola bars, fruit bars, and hard candies. Tea bags of various sorts as well as instant coffee were available for those who had thermos bottles and teakettles were available in every room to heat water. Did I mention that we could have as much as we wanted to pack and carry and that this was in addition to the sandwiches?
7 comments:
I've never traveled to England, so these photographs are quite spectacular to see. How beautiful it looks there. Lovely place for a vacation.
Those lunch items look quite yummy too. Quite healthy and delicious. It looks like you had quite a fine journey.
I'm very impressed by the place you stayed at. The walks, provision of food and everything sound excellent. I wouldn't mind taking that holiday myself one year.
It astonishes me that these old walls continue to stand, much less arched bridges. And yet they do.
Really loving your vacation pics!
The slater's bridge is about 150 years old. Many indeed have washed away, but not this one; it was solid!
The lone walker is one of us, back from a "comfort stop", I would imagine. I thought she looked great against the landscape.
I still wonder at the artificial turf that was laid out under the various lunch snacks ; )
RD, You really should try to make it to England. It is very beautiful and also is the background for much of literature printed in English regardless of where the authors lived.
SGJ, It should be a lot easier for you to go to an HF house for walks since you are near where many of the houses are. There are weekend holidays as well as 3 day, 4 day, & 7 day holidays and, in England, there are holidays from February to December.
P, I think some of the walls get worked on every year but yes, others stand on their own for ages.
R, Glad you are enjoying them.
E, Thanks for the extra details.
On the subject of walls ... Hadrian's Wall, which stretches right across the country along the Scottish border, was built on the orders of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the early 2nd Century and is still standing. And one of the oldest bridges in Britain - Tarr Steps on Exmoor - is believed to date back to the Bronze Age (though it's a clapper bridge rather than an arched bridge). Legend has it that Tarr Steps was built by the Devil :-)
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