My Continuing time in Paradise…….

Continuing on from yesterdays blog…….once Nicky had left me I sat on the bench at the end of Friars Cragg, alone, soaking up the peace, when my thoughts were disturbed by a Chinese family. The father came and sat with me and we chatted amiably about the view. It was his first time here. He told me he was from Milton Keynes, a place I lived for 30 years….small world syndrome appearing once more.

We continued our chat as his young daughter and wife took photos of each other….he was quite an old dad for the age of the children and was saying how his youngest son wouldn’t walk to the Cragg as it was boring. He was too old not to enjoy this beauty and made a decision there and then to work less and enjoy the peace more……..

A lovely chat with a random stranger……..with the beautiful view to enhance our words

I trundled back to Appletrees, taking piccies on the way. It was still cloudy, but even a grey day creates its own beauty here in Keswick

The following day I opened the curtain to low cloud hugging the hills but the promise was for a brighter day

I don’t think I’ve ever been in August before so the crowds took me by surprised when I arrived, but I simply enter my own little world and am alone. It was market day on Thursday, which I love in this little town and ambled round before catching a bus that starts and ends in Keswick. I stood at the bus stop with 2 men, one young one old. The youngest was telling us how he tries to get here every week to walk. It’s a 5 hour journey each way and he gets back at midnight 😳 – this is how much he loves Keswick….The older man was doing as I was. He’d climbed all the mountains in his time but now, hunched and frail, he takes the bus to see the views…..lovely strangers…

The bus takes nearly 2 hours, but takes in places I could never get to any other way. Along the bottom of Cats Bell, taking in Seatoller before crossing the wonderful Honister Pass

Then it was down alongside Buttermere, Lorton and Whinlatter before heading back to Keswick. Streams were clearly visible cascading down the mountains….simply wonderful…
The bus driver navigated the narrow steep roads as if they were motorways and the views were simply stunning, One elderly woman on board, as we trundled along shouted, “let’s burn some rubber”…which had us all chuckling as we rumbled along…

As we pulled back into Keswick, another bus was waiting to leave and after checking they came back to Keswick again, I hopped on that one for a shorter journey through the Borrowdale valley alongside Derwentwater. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the lake so high in summer and the famous Lakeside walk was impassable in some places unless you were prepared to paddle, which some were happily doing! Their shoes and socks in hands and echoes of laughter heard as feet met the cold water….

After a cuppa and rest I trundled down to the Lake and caught the launch to see the high lake close up. Some landing stages were closed and the rest had to be negotiated differently and the ends were under water….

Heavy rain is forecast for Friday so I decided to walk……..and walk……and walk

 

Until my legs told me to stop….but not before a last piccie of the evening