mike[space] dot net

It's half term this weekend, so Claire and I decided that we should take the opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and head up to the Lake District for a few days of greenery and fresh air. Of course on Saturday came the news that there were extreme weather conditions leading to flooding and problems for fell runners, but a quick call to the inn we were staying at reassured us that we should go anyway. We did have to deal with a few patches of flooded road, but nothing too difficult (although after 7 hours driving, dealing with them in the pitch black was a little disconcerting the first couple of times). We were warmly welcomed by the owners (John and Tony) of The Royal Oak and wasted little time in tucking into a fantastic meal. This set the tone for the short time we spent there; a friendly atmosphere, good quality food and a great selection of beers, along with very comfortable rooms and a beautiful location. There were lots of little touches that added to the overall experience, with John and Tony (and the rest of the staff) taking a real interest in all their customers. I can't recommend the place enough - we're already making plans to head back for Easter!

But it wasn't just about the Inn, Claire and I really wanted to get out and about. On the first day we headed up to Lake Windemere. We were very leisurely about this, and paid the price for our lack of attention, as we were surrounded by crowds of tourists and hustled and bustled about the place. The lake itself was beautiful, and once we got away from the main town to a small National Trust centre a bit further up, we were able to enjoy a short walk:

We then went for cream teas, where Claire was disgusted to witness the National Trust serving squirty cream instead of proper whipped cream. If we had been members, I think she would have ripped her card there and then. The scones were good though.

The next day, determined not to fall into the same trap, we headed to Lake Grasmere for a walk up into the hillside. The route should have taken us from Grasmere town, through Chapel Stile (what a fantastic name) down through Elterwater and back into Grasmere. Unfortunately, our map reading skills were not as good as we thought, and we wound up going completely off the intended path. Instead of 7km walk, it became a 11.5km walk, and instead of 3 pubs we only really got to hit the one (where I did get to drink a pint of the fabulously named, and pleasant tasting, Number of the Beast ale). It was brilliant though - properly tiring, and really blew the cobwebs away.

Sadly we had to cut the trip slightly short, and ended up in Devizes for the last night, where we had pretty much the reverse experience, staying at The Black Swan. Charging more for so much less, it was a bit of a brutal comedown, especially with such a long drive. The bathroom carpet had multiple stains, electrical sockets were taped over, hazard tape was applied to other wiring, a lightbulb was missing (and the light itself looked a bit dodgy), the shower bracket knackered, and the attitude of the establishment itself was dreadful (pretty offensive policy notices around the place). The receptionist who greeted us was very friendly, but that was pretty much all it had to offer.

Great weekend away, and a real reminder of how important it is to make some time to get away from the daily grind (okay, so I have less of a daily grind than Claire, but the point stands). Brussels next to visit the family - really looking forward to that!