Monday, April 19, 2010

Monday 19th April 2010 A visit to Haweswater

The forecast for the day was for light rain, but since it came up sunny first thing we decided to go anyway.
The site is very much quieter after the busy weekend, I have been watching a pair of red squirrels clambering about in the trees opposite the caravan, they move through the branches and twigs as if it forms a motorway for them!
One of the motorhomes that came on yesterday sported the very latest fashion accessory, he put up a windbreak that was patterned as a dry stone wall, it was pretty convincing and gained many admiring glances from passers by...no doubt they will be all over like a rash by the end of the season!
Of course we lack the really essential fashion kit, like a giant Rucksack, Gaiters, boots and those flimsy walking poles that they all love.
I saw an elderly lady using a pair of them while coming down two steps from a shop in Ambleside. The not so good news was that they bent alarmingly when she placed a little weight on them.
I wonder how many folk have landed face down in the mud when one broke?
Any way we got under way fairly promptly and took the A66 in the direction of Penrith, then turned south on "b" roads to head in the direction of Pooley Bridge. As it was time for a cuppa we stopped beside a little stream where the ducks were obviously not your usual town variety and swam off as I approached.

In due course we were off again and watching the weather as it became very dull and we were hoping for some sunshine to photograph Hawes Water in complimentary conditions.
As it turned out we got lucky and I did this vertical panorama of three shots to do justice to the stormy sky.





The valley is of course a dead end, and I couldn't resist this shot looking back.


It was lunch time by now and we thought we would visit a cafe in Pooley Bridge (until we saw the prices!) incredibly they were twice as high as those in Keswick. To our surprise we got very tasty and cheap sandwiches from the post office and General Store, and some Toffee Muffins too, dinner for the two of us for £5:50!
We drove down the shore of Ullswater and found a Layby with a view to eat our sandwiches and share the crusts with some rather more "street wise" ducks than the ones I came across earlier.


Then it was into Keswick on the way back to camp to do a bit of shopping. After the busy weekend by comparison the streets were practically deserted!

I reckoned a nice rest would be a good idea, it was a sunny afternoon and I bobbed off to be woken up by a peculiar smell and the sound of a diesel engine.
Guess who was pitched next to the manhole cover to the loo pit? and it was emptying time!!!
Ah well... I decided it would be a good idea to get away till this was completed so drove along the road towards Keswick and stopped to take a couple of photos of a house that is very unusual: It's the only one that has ever really appealed to me!
Here it is in it's wonderful setting of the lake and hills.


And here is a closer view. Since the wind was biting cold I didn't hand around very long.
It was ten degrees cooler than on camp where we are sheltered by the forest.



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