On Lake Windemere

The Met Office advised a sunrise at 4:48 a.m. We waited until midday for this event to occur!

Despite the terrible weather we made it a bateau day. We joined the MV Swan for a lake tour from Bowness, south to Lakeside, returning to Bowness, onto Ambleside before returning to Bowness, a distance of 21 miles in 2 hours. The enclosed vessel offered protection from the squalling conditions, allowing us to enjoy a comfortable journey & an appreciation of Lake Windemere's features. The lake measures ten and a half miles in length, one mile in width & at a depth of 220 feet, it is Britain's largest lake.

This afternoon we hired an electric cabin cruiser & bobbed our way around Lake Windemere. Restrictions prohibited us from taking the craft within 50 feet of the shoreline, hence, we weren't able to explore as we would have liked.

Today's parking options offered an all day £6 pay & display with a £2 refund on presentation of the parking ticket when purchasing a lake cruise ticket. The logic of this exercise I found puzzling. According to the cruise ticket vendor, we should have left a parking ticket purchased on another day on the dash, because the inspectors don't scrutinize individual tickets, and presented the just purchased ticket for the refund! An interesting offer I'm still trying to fathom.

Our four day visit to the Lakes District has been relaxing. Just what we needed to recover from the hectic schedule we had been maintaining. The Hare & Hound at Bowland Bridge has been our refuge away from the busy tourist route. While the weather hasn't been kind to us, we have enjoyed all the region has to offer. We leave wondering about the area's hidden beauty. The Lakes District was beautiful, but I'm sure we didn't see it at it's best. Perhaps reason to return another day.

Tomorrow we leave for Scotland. I wonder if it will be the high road or the low road?

Lakes District

Congratulations Ben & Alyce! Wonderful news of your engagement. Our very best wishes for a lifetime of love & happiness.

At seven o'clock we awoke to rain. By eight the sun made an appearance, bringing with it hope for improved weather conditions. This was wishful thinking on my part.

Disappointingly, without a Skipper's Licence, Phil hasn't been able to hire a yacht. Plan B was to hire an electric cabin-cruiser, however, this morning we dismissed this idea because conditions on the lake were unsuitable for boating. Instead, we revisited Hawkshead, Ambleside & Bowness. We enjoyed a very relaxing day in & out of coffee shops & some retail therapy for Phil. This evening I have very little to offer my journal other than a pictorial account of day three in the Lakes District.

 

Northern Lakes District

Waterproof attire was essential, but the fact that it rained until mid afternoon didn't dampen our enthusiasm for exploring this beautiful region.

As we climbed the Cumbrian Mountains, clouds descended to meet us. For a moment I was sure I glimpsed a 9. It certainly felt like a 9! Imagination was required, and lots of it. This morning we could only imagine the beauty of the areas we visited.

Patterdale stands at the head of Ullswater. It's usually dominated by Helvellyn, but the 3117 foot mountain was shrouded in cloud. Patterdale was named after St Patrick. It is claimed he walked there following his shipwreck on Duddon Sands in 540 AD. Built in 1853, St Patrick's Church is noted for its beautiful tapestries by Ann Macbeth.

Keswick is the capital of the Northern Lakes District & home to the Cumberland Pencil Factory. It is one of the oldest industries in the area. It was our plan to visit the museum, however, the £3.80 an hour for parking did more to dampen our enthusiasm than did the rain. A local government tax we weren't prepared to pay on this occasion. I mentioned the cost of parking in an earlier bulletin. On average, we are now paying £10 a day for parking. The cost of an evening meal! Even to visit an information centre or use a public toilet, one has to feed a parking meter. Then there is the additional 20 to 50p to do just that!

Bassenthwaite, on its namesake lake, is a remnant of glacial activity from a time past. Towering above the lake's western shore was Skiddaw. At more than 3000 feet, its peak went unsighted today.

Mid afternoon the rain abated. We continued our Cumbrian tour under an umbrella of grey sky. Stepping into Dove Cottage, once home to William Wordsworth, I was transported in time to 1799. Now in the care of the National Trust, it is claimed little has changed since Wordsworth lived there. The flagstone & timber floors, coal-grated fireplaces, the furniture & his belongings were just as he had left them.



At 5:39 p.m. the sky cleared & the sun shone!

Based on television news reports we faired well today. We understand Northern Ireland, Newcastle on Tyne, Shropshire & the Midlands have been lashed with storms, hail, heavy rainfall & flash flooding. We also had a better day than Rafael Nadal.

R & R-ing!

We overslept! I missed my skype date with my mother.

We've awoken to rain. It's a three-layer clothing day plus waterproofs for those venturing outdoors. Phil has dismissed the idea of sailing. Instead, he is on the Damson Walk Cartmel Fell Tarn. I expect in about half an hour to be able to see him on the track above the valley. My camera is ready!

I'm R & R-ing! I'm not sure what to do! I think I'll curl up with a novel & the day's telecast from Wimbledon. I brought the novel from home. I have yet to open it. When I saw the title 'The Seamstress' I thought of my paternal grandmother, Violet. The grandmother I never met. The grandmother I am getting to kmow. In the Australian 1914 Census her occupation was recorded as dressmaker. I wonder how the stories of the novel's central character & that of Violet's compare?

Llandudno to Bowland Bridge

Our approach to the city of Chester was met with an expanse of tidal mud flats. It appeared as if the Dee River had been emptied. An impressive sight, but one we weren't able to photograph because of a stopping prohibition on the A55. The river defines the border between Wales & England.

From Chester to Liverpool we passed through the industrial heartland of England. Not such a welcoming sight. While making a vital contribution to the country's economy, the factories' emissions would have been doing little for the well being of the planet. Gone were the interesting cloud formations. They had been replaced with a pall of smog.

Further north, on our approach to Kendal, we welcomed the return of undulating green hills & farming country. A coffee break at Kendal allowed time for the planning committee to approve a visit to Ambleside, Hawkshead & Coniston.

Ambleside is a major centre at the northern end of Lake Windemere. The onset of rain cut short our visit, but we plan to return during our stay. At Hawkshead we visited The Beatrix Potter Gallery. It was here Beatrix Potter wrote some of her famous children's stories. Her first, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, wrtten in 1893, was a favourite of Kate's & Jane's. Mine too!



Coniston is where Sir Donald Campbell set a water speed record and later died in 1967.
Again the rain spoilt an opportunity to explore this area. I expect we will revisit another day.

Today my ability to multi task was put to the test. I am now able to map read, watch the road, remind the driver to centre the vehicle, except when he's navigating a lane, take in the scenery, make notes for my journal and make a 'dash to turn' the laundry!

We almost had an accident on the M6! Fortunately she was watching that to which he should have been paying attention. Without pedals she was unable to do little other than brace for impact and offer a 'LOOK OUT!' He did. Another just in time moment!

We have arrived at Bowland Bridge. The Hare & Hound, a 17th century coaching inn, now a pub, is home for the next four days. We have a spacious attic room with an ensuite larger than our bathroom at home. It has recently been refurbished & refurbished very well. It seems incongruous with the public areas of downstairs.

I have claimed tomorrow morning for R&R.

Snowdonia

Beach Cove B&B, Church Walks, Llandudno, is a Victorian Terrace, complete with a basement flat. While promoting a 3* classification, the standard is very high & the attention to detail is commendable. A necessary ingredient when competing for the tourist pound. Our first floor room has a bay window, which offers a restricted view of the water, but with a camera lens adjustment & the help of photoshop, I managed to capture this morning's light dancing on the water. Then I woke the seagulls!

 

Betws-y-coed, Welsh for a clearing in the forest, is the information centre for Snowdonia National Park, our destination for the day. The highlight was the journey on the narrow guage rack & pinion railway to the summit of Mount Snowdon. The railway was purpose built as a tourist attraction and has been transporting passengers to the summit since 1896. At 3 560 feet above sea level, with the steeper sections having a one in five grade, a slow climb to the top was a certainty. Fifty minutes I'm told.

The scenery was stunning. It was breathtakingly beautiful! Unfortunately, with eight passengers crammed into a carriage, it was difficult to take photos through the swaying heads. Our arrival at the summit was a just in time moment. We managed several photos before a blanket of cloud obscured the view and eliminated any possibility of sighting The Isle of Man & the east coast of Ireland. It was difficult not to feel cheated!

I recall recording in an earlier bulletin that Port Isaac was the most beautiful place I had visited. That mantle has now been duplicated to include The Snowdonia National Park.





We returned to Llandudno for a meal at Home Cookin' Cafe, an eatery we have frequented each evening during our visit here. Tonight we enjoyed a baked dinner for just £9. There's a lot to like about Llandudno and many reasons to stay a while longer, but tomorrow we are scheduled to return to England.

Llandudno, County Conway

I awoke to a cacophony of seagulls screeching a call of good morning, but 6:00 a.m. was much too early to explore Llandudno.

Llandudno, Wales' largest resort town,  sits at the foot of a limestone headland known as the Great Orme. Because of its headland position it has two beaches, North & West Shores. Of Victorian vintage, with a Grade II listing, is the North Shore pier, which stretches 765 yards into Llandudno Bay. Of steel & timber construction, it is an amazing structure. A series of concessions offer visitors cafes, kiosks, shops, bars, a children's fairground & an amusement arcade. It is a pier without peer!

At a more reasonable hour we took the cable tramway to the top of The Great Orme, 692 feet above sea level. The summit offered a 360 degree panorama of County Conway, The Irish Sea & amazing images of cloud formations. Hazy conditions ensured the views were not postcard perfect, but nonetheless we marvelled at the vista. Our intention was to return by cable car, but due to an adverse crosswind, this facility was closed. He walked, she, with the bad knees, returned by cable tramway.

This afternoon we drove to Conway, a medieval walled town proud of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. I visited Britain's smallest house of just two rooms. One-up, one-down. Its footprint measures just 10' x 4'2". Originally built as a fisherman's cottage, its brightly painted facade was all too inviting, but the dwelling allowed for just one visitor at a time!







The weather is no longer considered in degrees, but by the number of layers of clothing required for a level of comfort. 5-6 layers equates to cold with an extreme wind-chill factor; 3-4 layers indicates it is cold with mild wind-chill factor; 1-2 layers are needed to be comfortable in a heat wave. All three classifications may require waterproofs when raining.

Ireland to Wales

It is day thirty-nine of our holiday. We are half way home!

Our departure from Dublin was delayed by the late arrival of The Swift from Holyhead. A technical problem I'm told. I'm leaving nothing to chance. I'm in the lifeboat!

Black Caviar has just won The Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, in a run that was inch perfect. Twenty-two wins from twenty-two starts is an impressive record.

We have arrived at Llandudno, Wales. A cafe meal & a walk along the esplanade was a fitting end to a lovely day.

Done Dublin

The Green Bus Company delivered a wonderful introduction to the city of Dublin. The hop-on-off system allowed us to explore the history & culture of The Republic of Ireland. If there is wealth in this city, it is well hidden. Her drab appearance was consistent with today's weather - grey!

Trinity College, founded by Elizabeth I in 1592, is the guardian of one of Ireland's most treasured possessions, The Book of Kells, The Gospel of the New Testament written entirely in Latin.

The National Library of Ireland receives a copy of every book published in Ireland. She had best be careful what she writes! The Marsh Library is the oldest public library in Ireland. Established in 1702, it contains more than    25 000 volumes & 200 ancient manuscripts.

The National Gallery houses more than 7 000 paintings, drawings & pieces of sculpture. Time didn't permit a visit.

The Houses of Parliament & Government Offices were inaccessible. However, the mantra of the Irish Government to right the country's financial woes is much talked about. 'We've got what it takes to take what you've got!' Sound familiar?

Mansion House has been the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin since 1715. Just twenty-four hours ago the Lord Mayor handed Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese democracy campaigner, the keys to the City of Dublin, a much spoken about event & grand occasion by all reports.

The Guiness Story began in 1759 when Arthur Guiness accidently burnt the barley! This led to the discovery of the now world famous beer. Two hundred & fifty-three years on, 3.5 million pints of Guiness are produced each day. That's a lot of burnt barley to mix with hops, yeast & water.
                                                             

The Ha'penny Bridge, so called because, for one hundred years from 1816 until 1916, pedestrians were charged a half penny per crossing.

Pheonix Park is an area of 200 acres dedicated to sporting fields, mainly Gaelic Football & Hurling, a park known to Dubliners simply as 15 acres! 'Tis desperate, t' understand it I am!'

St Patrick's Cathedral & Collegiate Church, the national cathedral for the Church of Ireland, is dated 1192. It is the largest cathedral in Ireland. In 2006 it's national prominence was used by eighteen Afghan refugees seeking asylum. Their asylum was denied.

The Christ Church Cathedral was the original cathedral of Norse Dublin. Founded in 1030, it is Dublin's oldest building. The medieval crypt includes the tomb of Strongbow, leader of the Normans.

Irish Nobel Prize winners Samuel Beckett, William Butler Yeats & George Bernard Shaw are well respected in the literary community. Dubliners are equally proud of favoured sons, writer, poet & playwright, James Joyce, Oliver Goldsmith & Oscar Wilde.

Equally well known is Molly Malone, the woman who sold mussels & cockles from a street cart during the day & folklore claims other favours after dark. Hence, she became known as Molly Malone, the tart with the cart!

Late this afternoon we joined a Liffey River cruise from the Ha'penny Bridge to East Link Bridge. The commentary was informative, but photo opportunities were limited by the twenty foot flood levees built either side of the waterway & the wet conditions. Worth mentioning is the Harp Bridge dedicated to Samuel Beckett.

We are bewildered by the bus system, more so by its drivers. This morning when boarding the #47 for the city, the driver confirmed we'd require the #47 to return to Ballsbridge. This evening in the city, a bus displaying #47 arrived at 5:30 p.m., the driver confirmed he would be going to Ballsbridge, but would not be departing until 6:00 p.m. The hour ticked over, bus doors open, 'No, this bus doesn't go to Ballsbridge!' We hailed a taxi! I've learnt several choice words since my arrival in Ireland. Words that would colour & add warmth to a dull day! Words that cannot go to print because my mother will read this.

This evening we met Marie, Cousin Patrick & Bridie's daughter & granddaughter, soon to be two year old, Alisha. It was lovely to connect with Marie, who has been my Irish supporter in researching the Sammon/Salmon Family Tree.

Life moves at an unhurried pace in Ireland, but the Irish have been quick to offer to share their homes, their unique culture & heritage. I have loved Ireland. I have loved her people. 'Tis been marvellous altogether 't has!