A few people asked if I might continue my blog for the trip so I will give it a whirl.

We left our house full of senior pets with an expected bit of worry, but more excitement and faith in our wonderful sitter. Traveling all night and being up over 24 hours is not fun and takes a couple of days to recover from. Yesterday is a blur, spent getting here and settled in Windermere, which is in the spectacular Lake District in Cumbria, England. We visited a pub called the Crafty Baa first then had an excellent dinner which included the best fish and chips. Seafood here is fresh and it is evident.

We are staying in a quaint bed and breakfast right in the city. After a full English breakfast we took a longish walk down to Lake Windermere and then spent the afternoon on a tour of the area. We had spectacular weather for the lake cruise! We then toured Beatrix Potter’s home, Hill Top, which was largely the inspiration for the Peter Rabbit series. This is something I have been looking forward to and enjoyed so much. When I was a child my Uncle Jack, recently passed, brought me a set of the Peter Rabbit dishes from England. I have always loved the books, especially the illustrations. Potters life is certainly worth reading about if you’re unfamiliar. After the success of her writing she threw herself into farming, particularly Herdwick sheep. She bought over 10 farms/2000 acres (all left to the National Trust) and had a passion for animals, land and nature that strikes a chord. Today I was able to take pictures of some of her illustrations and the corresponding inspiration from her home/grounds—definitely a highlight.

Grasmere gingerbread is also worth googling (and tasting!). The historic shop is in a little town where William Wordsworth attended school. The scenery here is absolutely stunning and the pictures don’t do it justice at all. The hills are called fells, one of the many local words derived from the Norse language, as the Norse were inhabitants of the area.

Here are some more Beatrix Potter photos and some of my favorite shots of the countryside and lake.