Aug 28+29 Ribblehead and Hawes

The Yorkshire Dales are storybook pretty:

A sink hole; you do not want to fall in:

Local residents:

And their friend:

 The highlight of today's walk was the Ribblehead Viaduct, build c. 1850.  Even in the rain and mist and from a distance, it is impressive.  Note that the arches are not symetrical:

Closer, where you can note more easily that the arches are not symetrical:

No one has heard of the Richmond Way Walk, not the B and B people, not anyone I have met, nadie.  There is not one sign post for it.  Yet clearly it was a major route (see photo), granted by road or train, not through hill and dale.

Cottage, but nor where I stayed.  Where I stayed was gorgeous:

Reached said gorgeous B and B about 11:15....it was only about 11 miles.  Key and instructions left at door.  Looked forward to a cozy afternoon and an opportunity to take care of a lot of logistics.  There was no phone signal.  There was NO WI FI!!  No, it is not that the password had not been left, there was none.  Guess what I had to do?  Read!  It was nerve wracking until it became almost relaxing.  There was one other guest, a man, mid 60s or so, an arrogant bore.  He was patiently explaining to me that the Romans built roads to move their troops and such.  Te digo, "Salve atque vale hasta siempre, Señor!"

Sheep in the mist and rain:

 View, mist and rain dissipating—for five minutes—from Pennine Way section of today's walk:

Wee passageway:

Arrived in Hawes and went to cheese factory.  Stone press for pressing out water/whey from cheese. (the miniature model looks more convincing):

Watching cheese being made is not a wowzer experience, but it did make me realise that the reason cottage cheese is high in protein is because it still contains a lot of whey.  Now I don't have to ponder that anymore.

Also visited a place where they make rope.  The first thing you see are huge bobbins around which the fibres are spun, then there are machines that twist and pull and stuff.  Who figures out how to make these impressive machines?  

Hawes is a cute little town with two, yes, two grocery stores.  B and B owner, Wayne by name, helped me "get sorted" with my route to Redmire, which I will be doing after the Herriot Way.  That section had been haunting me since forever.  Now I am actually looking forward to it....if the weather is good, it ought to be a mighty fine walk!