June 30, Ulverston to Lowick in reverse

 It is not uncommon to walk from Ulverston to Coniston as the first stage of the Cubria Way.  In fact, I encountered at least a half dozen people to-day who were doing just that, but it is almost 20 miles and this is hill country; it is also rain country.  Too much para mí.  I had devised a plan whereby I would be picked up by taxi in Winderemere, dropped off in Ulverston some 30 minutes distant, walk to Lowick, about 8+ miles (en route to Coniston), and take the bus back to Ulverston.  But the bus schedule did not suit, so I devised a better plan: drop off stuff in Ulverston, have taxi take me on to Lowick, and walk back to Ulverston, and that is what I did!

It did rain, but not for long, and there were certainly hills.  Finding the path was problematic several times, but you know, that is simply a feature of this kind of hiking.  

Make your way over that sucker!

Walking through ferns that were as tall as I am.

Such a nice red arrow marking the Cumbria Way, only there are hardly any:

A field with very many sheep:

A field with very many cows:

A bridge:

A pony:

With very fancy hoofs:

A big cow would be a good example of a tautology:

Big tautologous cows make for big dirty farm work:

WE PAY 4 SCRAP dumpster obscuring path:

Yonder, can you see it?  A sign post?  So exciting! (Click and make larger , then maybe you can)

A monument to marking the beginning or end of the Cumbria Way:

I am expecting hills, but like that?

There were lots of exchanges with Harry, the host of the AirB&B where I am staying.  I thought I would tear my hair out communicating with him or rather not communicating, but it all worked out and  Bramble Cottage  really is an exquisite place with many artistic but not silly, details.  After settling in on my return from Lowick, I went off to a large supermarket almost a mile away to buy (mainly) fruit, eggs, and potatoes, but also onions, tomatoes, bread, and a few other necessities.  It took a bit of doing to figure out how to use the stove, but eventually success (you had to activate a switch on the wall) and a tasty meal!

June 30, Windermere and environs, but Windermere mostly. A rest day.

Some days are divided into three parts, like this one for example.  At 5:30 (a.m.) I headed off to Holehird Gardens, a few miles over hill and dale away, which gardens are open to the public "dawn 'til dusk," in other words, all the time, but officially at 10:00 when the volunteer staff show up.  Would you believe I had the place all to myself?  

From Windermere, it was another gorgeous walk, truly.  

Someone must live here, and if they don't they should:

Prime real estate for the right critter.

But not for this guy:

The entrance to the gardens for walkers, such as myself, was a little bit off putting:

 

But once past that, a world or exquisiteness awaited:

There were beds of astilbe in various colors—divine—but the photos came out blurry.

A lily pond, too:

Then, back in Windermere, it was off to do some local walking that involved a stretch along the lake, as well it should:

The route went by the Jetty Museum, and never having been to such an attraction, I paid the £12 and went in.  Here are some things you can learn there:

There was a boat called the Esperance that was transported to Windermere over 150 years ago, which transport required the removal of railway tracks to allow it, the boat that is, to fit under the bridges.

Then there was Septimus Bland (1908-1987), chauffeur to Alfred Sladen before WW2.  Very often the chauffeur was expected to look after the boat AND car.  Sladen left his Cambridge University, Royal Henley regatta rowing oar to Bland in his will when he died in 1944.  The oar used to hang in the hall at Sladen's house over the front door. (Now that is one heck of an inheritance.  In case you are wondering, the oar is now in the Jetty Museum.)

Beatrix Potter lived near Windermere after she married a solicitor, bought several farms, and left 4000 acres to the National Trust.

One also learns—in case one did not already know—that toilets on boats are called heads, because of their location near the bow on old sailing ships.

The first known life jacket was patented in 1765.  It used pockets full of cork blocks to keep the wearer afloat

Fenders used to be filled with sheep's wool or horse hair.  Now they are filled with solid foam and full of air bubbles.

And Brass is often used on boat fixtures because it does not rust.

I hung around longer than I wanted to in order to hear a talk on boat preservation.  OMG, the presenter was so totally incoherent it was shocking.  After about 15 minutes I could stand it no longer and escaped.


But before leaving the Jetty Museum, we look at the boat house:

This boat hung on the wall reminded me of some of the huge prints Suzie and Jay have, you know, in terms of installation:

 

On the way back, one passes through some beautiful woodland.  I named this place Peter Rabbit Woods:

Also, I encountered a wedding party:

I was hoping to catch a shot of the two flower girls who carried the same bouquets as the bride and wore organdy dresses tied in the back with a huge, light pink bow.

Later, in the afternoon, it was time to explore the hub of Windermere.  

I stopped in at the local art gallery.  This is not me:

And I met Holly (the white dog) and Jackson( the tan dog), both elderly, and in town for some kind of Shih Tzu reunion.  Anyway, both were rescues and now are enjoying a happy old age:

Sometimes you just are at your:

Like when you are tyring to communicate with the AirB&B owner about checking in....this for tomorrow in Ulverston whither I go to begin the Cumbria Way.  It is supposed to rain.

June 28 Windermere to Ambleside, almost

 Walks to Ambleside, the far end of Lake Windermere, Bowness being the near end, depending on where you are, of course, get lots of stars; I am all for that!  I had downloaded one, then I saw another that looked easier, and I thought that since I would probably walk the walk in both directions—about 6 miles each way, I opted for the easier one. You know what?  It was not so easy! Major ups and major downs:

In fact, the reason it was an almost walk is because close to the end was a rocky descent that was muy muy steep and long.  It was either do that and take the bus bak or turn around and walk back.  

And there were several navigational challenges and rain, but not hot!  And I think I bound my bad knee too tightly, so it was hurting.  It was a beautiful walk, though.

Here is a sample of an easy part:

Rain clouds gathering:

A highlight near the beginning of the walk, Orrest Hill, offers a spectacular view of Lake Windermere:

Rain clouds gathering in earnest:

You probably have to enlarge the photo to see that someone tied the lid of the garbage can to the fence.  Very enterprising!

Wouldn't it be nice if you could ticket vehicles that block entries to the path you are looking for.  Oh, they live there, so they would be perfectly happy if no one wanted to pass through?  Well, even so!

As I was going up these not-steps, I wondered what it would be like to go down them in the rain.  Push that thought aside!  Fortunately, it was not raining on the return and I descended sideways:

Bridges give one such a sense of perspective:

On the return, at about 1:30, Orrest Hill had attracted slew of visitors

The rain clouds had disappeared:

One could access the view point the blue way, Miles without Stiles, or the red way, "Why not  make it really hard?":

I did the red way going up!  

Another fine, and somewhat exhausting, day.

June 27, Kendal to Bowness-On-Windermere

 All my anxiety about walking from Kendal back to Burnside was for naught.  It turned out to be easy and very pretty; certainly not the way I came into town!  And I got to the official starting point by 6:00 a.m., about forty minutes before I would have had I taken the train.  Beating the train was a real John Henry moment (less than perfect analogy, but couldn't resist), but that is how I felt! 

This, the final stage of the Dales Way, was quite lovely, just like the rest minus that stage from Ribblehead to Sedbergh, which was either bog or asphalt. (A bit more about that later.)

Path flanked by gardens:

So, I am wondering: all those fire doors that had to be kept shut at the Riverside Hotel in Kendal....how does that work, exactly, I mean how to you then make it to some Fire Assembly Point?

Two beauties:

But now I must tell you the saddest thing.  There was a sheep with its leg caught in a railing.  I tried to free it, but  couldn't.  A few minutes later, I asked a few young people  headed that way if  they would try to do help (I had my doubts), but then a farmer kind of guy said he would go take a look.  Him I trusted.  I do hope he was able to free the poor thing.  It was very very sad.

On to more beautiful things:

How now......?

Moss covered stone wall:

River view:

When it comes to changing light bulbs, I do not do ladders:

Note: Hazards of stiles and gates: getting your fingers caught, getting stung by nettles, and pricked by thorns, and many other annoyances

By and by I met a man who asked if I was doing the Dales Way.  "Yes," I said.  "Beautiful, i'nt it," he replied. "Yes, indeed, except for bogs near Ribblehead." "Oh," he went on,"I did it a few years ago; it had rained a month in a day.  I was so covered in mud and wet that by the time I got to Sedbergh, I just couldn't pitch my tent, so I phoned the wife and told her to come and pick me up!" I had to confess that I do not camp to which he responded, "Same with the wife. Same with the wife."

Right near the end of route, was this sign:

And I ask, "What, exactly?"

Photo taken at the officially official end:

After one emerges from the last gate, one does not take the waiting car.  No.  One walks down a steep hill into Bowness-On-Windermere.

Lake Windermere and people upping and downing from and and to:

The residential section of Bowness.is reminiscent of Marin, say, Ross, but "downtown" Bowness is a real scene!  Mobbed, mobbed I tell you, street after street lined with shops and coffee houses, and well, you name it, and motorcycles, and cars, and busses.  Oh, hordes of people, like a swarm of locusts.  Where do they come from?  Windermere, as in the town, not the lake, is a couple of miles up a big hill.  It, too, has an active town centre but is nothing by comparison, probably because all the ferries leave from Bowness.  Anyway, I am staying at a divine B and B.  What a contrast to the Riverside in Kendal!  Beautiful room that looks out on a fabulous garden and the weather is just perfect.  Heaven!  Oh, and close to a Booths (high end grocery store), one of the reasons I chose this place!

Fresh flowers from the garden—see through window— in my room:

Ok, why not complain! The gorgeous room looking onto the garden is attached to the house in which the owners live and they blast the TV all day. Found a (partial) solution!  Airpods!