Tapp's Travels

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Having set off on what may well become a seven week tour of the UK, without a single booking was a little daunting!  So while driving up the motorway,  we called one of our favourite sites near Penrith.  They had one space.  We booked it on the spot.  Then rang Northumberland to be told they had “limited availability”.  We booked two weeks of that too.  Sorted.  Well, for a couple of weeks, anyway!

We spent 320 miles and nine hours battling HGVs on the motorways.  What are they all carrying – and to where are they taking it all?  And, possibly more importantly, how are they going to manage without diesel in the future?  Finally, just 18 miles short of target, we stopped for supper at Tebay.  One of the only two motorway service stations in the country that sell real food.  (The other being Gloucester services.)  (And for the record, as of last week, there are 105 motorway service stations in the UK!)  Home made cottage pie and cabbage, followed by sticky toffee pudding, caramel sauce and cream.  Excellent!

Friday dawned beautifully.

We decided to head for Loweswater in the NW corner of the Lake District.   After Keswick, the roads degenerated into narrow winding lanes.  Luckily, not too much traffic, but extraordinarily few places to park.  Eventually, we found the National Trust carpark we were looking for.  But not before bribing a local inn to allow us to use their parking area with a promise of a drink on our return.  After walking half a mile northwards  we found the National Trust carpark neatly tucked away in a clump of trees.  There was a lovely bridleway running from this well hidden park along the west shore of the lake.

Half way up the lake, at Holme Wood Bothy, we met Sebastian.  He’s having a bit of a gender crisis.  We were first introduced to him as a her.  This was by a bunch of lads on a boys’ weekend away.  Apparently he/she is on her third annual party in the woods with the boys.  But he’s not very talkative, so we are not sure why he’s transitioning!  On the way past she was sitting in a camp chair, but on the way back he was just hanging about in the doorway!

Not eating enough breakfast, I’d say!

Also in the wood, we came across a wishing tree.  Just pick a crayon and add your wish to the tree.  We are wishing that tourists and residents on Skiathos are OK and gradually getting back to normal.

Leaving the lake, we had the promised drink at the Kirkstile Inn.  Then, rather foolishly, decided to drive down the side of Crummock Water to Buttermere.  Far too much traffic coming north on a narrow road with passing places.  Then.we found Buttermere to be heaving – so we bailed out and drove over the Fells via Newlands Pass, back to Keswick and on home.  We forget just how long driving in the Lakes can take to get anywhere!

Back at base later for a well deserved cup of tea just as the sun sets…

And now it is time to move onwards and upwards.  Northumberland, here we come!