Today it was time to move on to my final destination in this adventure, London. Unfortunately I didn't plan today's journey very well. I purchased the train tickets first back in March in order to secure advance first class tickets at a good price. I purposely chose trains towards the end of the day so I could maximise my stay in the Lake District by doing an activity this morning. However, when it came to booking a car I found myself having to return the car before 1:00pm because it's a Saturday. That was nearly 3 hours ahead of my train departure. 

As there was very little point in returning the car earlier, I took my time getting ready this morning, aiming to check out close to 11:00am. Packing was the usual challenge and one holiday experience I won't miss. 

I headed back to Carlisle shortly before 11:00am. I decided that I would take the route with major roads this time following the A66 and then the M6. This provided a very easy and pleasant driving experience. 

After returning the car I headed to the train station. I decided to enquire whether I could exchange my tickets for an earlier service. Unfortunately, because I had managed to get such cheap advance tickets in the first place, to change them now would have been ridiculously expensive. Also unfortunately, Carlisle railway station doesn't have any facility for leaving your luggage so you can head off for a bit. My only choice was to wait it out at the station. But at least that was a nice opportunity to read over the notes I've been keeping for this trip and skim through some of the books I've purchased. 

This weekend there is maintenance on the west coast line which seemed to cause some chaos at Carlisle with bus services and announcements going off all over the place. When I first purchased my tickets there had been a note that the service might be affected by maintenance, but luckily for me the east cost line I had selected escaped the works. 

The first train from Carlisle to Leeds departed at 3:49pm. The train arrived in Leeds on time despite having to stop for a fallen branch across the line. At Leeds I transferred to the 6:45pm Virgin Trains service to London Kings Cross.  All up, that's nearly 5 1/2 hours of train travel.

Funnily, the first train, which was a Northern service, was a very ordinary train but smooth ride. The second train, which was the much swisher Virgin Trains service, was really bumpy. Of course, I think it was a much faster train, but surprising all the same.

There are a number of walks around Grasmere, including ones that take you towards another lake. After yesterday morning's experience I decided to set out on a similar adventure this morning. I was out of the hotel by 5:30am. This time there were a few other people out and about by then, so I didn't feel quite so freakish. This morning was a clear blue sky, so the mist was more patchy. But it created some beautiful effects in the woodlands. 

Before heading off on today's major event I wanted to walk into Grasmere village. I needed to pick up a couple of extra t-shirts as well as look for some acclaimed gingerbread that I'd been told about. I found a shop that appeared to be selling the gingerbread but the shop assistant was upfront and admitted that it wasn't the "famous" Grasmere gingerbread. It was more a ginger shortbread. It still sounded interesting and I was impressed with her honesty so I bought some.

From there I hopped in the car and headed towards Keswick. On the way I planned to stop off to view (lake) Thirlmere if I got the opportunity. Thirlmere is actually a man made reservoir formed from two existing lakes, but is still impressive. A parking spot did present itself along with a short walk to a view point. 

After that brief interlude I continued on to Keswick. In total it was only about 30 min drive from Grasmere and I was beginning to become familiar with the road. 

First stop in Keswick was a visit to the Derwent Pencil Museum. The Derwent Pencil Factory used to be in Keswick and I believe they used to do factory tours. The factory has moved so I figured the museum would be the next best bet. It has been closed for renovations and today was the re-opening date. It was interesting in that it explained how pencils were manufactured but it was a little bit lightweight. 

After that it was on to the physical activity for the day, and probably the last big walk of the holiday. Latrigg is a viewpoint overlooking Keswick that is meant to be spectacular. I had downloaded a map from the internet that indicated I should be able to walk there and back in about 2 hours. 

As I started the walk I looked at the fell (barren mountain feature) ahead of me and could make out people at the very top (see arrow below). 

Surely that wasn't where I was going? Not only did it seem like a hell of a hike, I didn't see how I could get there and back in 2 hours. Surely Latrigg must be a lookout part way up the fell?  It wasn't. Latrigg was the summit and the climb was surprisingly manageable. Having said that, it was still hard work.

On the way up I passed some sheep and goats who were, I assume, totally oblivious to their beautiful surroundings. 

The final stretch of the walk snaked up the side of the fell. 

And the view at the summit did not disappoint. I provided nearly 360 degree views. The main being Keswick and Derwent Water.

There were fields, fells and other lakes in other directions too.

At Latrigg there was a viewing bench occupied by a couple of ladies for the entire duration of my stay at the top. I can only assume that they were determined to make the most of the effort it took to get up there. 

It was interesting to see the architecture of Keswick from above. 

Perched at the top of the fell, I reflected on where I was. It was a definite "pinch me" moment and feeling of intense gratitude.

At the top I met a couple and we exchanged some stories of our ascent as well as adoration for the view.

I spent a good 30-45 min at the top, finishing by taking some photos I hope to be able to stitch into a panorama. Then it was time to descent. Fortunately, a much less strenuous activity. I made it down to Keswick just before 2:00pm. My parking was due to expire at 2:30pm so I topped it up to give me a little time to wander around the town. Quite by chance I made it down to the water's edge. 

On my way back to the car, the image of these grand houses and the mountains behind caught my attention. 

On the way back to the hotel I made my second attempt to find the famous gingerbread, having done some extra research. This time I found it. The shop is tiny and adorable (should have taken a photo) and clearly well known with a steady stream of customers. As for the gingerbread, as described it was quite different - hard to describe how - and quite delicious. 

One more night, then the final leg of my holiday down to London. The food at this hotel has been outstanding - the best of the trip so far - but I've definitely felt conspicuous as a solo traveller here. The place is teeming with couples. It makes it a little bit tougher but I haven't let it spoil my time.

Last night I had decided to get up early and retrace my walk around the lake to catch some moments. After yet another restless night it was easy to get up just after 5:00am and head out. The lake was draped in mist. By the time I reached them at 5:30am the birds were in full song. I recorded some, but the constant road traffic did hamper my attempts a little. 

A beautifully peaceful way to begin the day. 

(The WiFi isn't very fast here so I'll have to lower the resolution of photos before uploading them while I'm here) 

There was a lone man fishing in the centre of the lake. 

After my peaceful (if early) start to the day I made my plans and headed off in the car. First destination was Windermere to then walk to Orrest Head, a lookout above the village. I managed to find my way there successfully and the driving was relatively easy. 

From the car park my sources indicated it would be a couple of hours walking to and from the lookout so I was prepared for a hike. And although it was quite a hike up the side of the hill, it only took about 30min each way. The view was breathtaking. You could see all of (lake) Windermere which is so long I couldn't fit it into one shot.

And the views away from the lake were just as beautiful. 

It was a popular spot, though I realised later that many were in a group together. 

After Orrest Head, I had decided to visit Ullswater. I would have a couple of choices of activity including boat cruise and walking. I plugged in Glenridding, the town at the bottom of Ullswater, into the sat nav and blindly followed the directions. Soon I realised it was taking me on exactly the kind of narrow, bendy roads I had desperately wanted to avoid. 

But there was no turning back so I decided to go for it. Luckily there wasn't much traffic which certainly reduced the stress. The road was narrow, often walled on both sides and frequently twisting and turning.  Furthermore, it was climbing. I later discovered it was taking me though Kirkstone Pass which is the highest pass open to traffic in the Lake District. Not only was the road treacherous, but in the highest parts there were goats and sheep wandering across and along the road at times. It required massive amounts of concentration. It also epitomised what was hugely frustrating about driving today. I knew I was driving through breathtaking scenery, I could sense the views all around me, but I dare not take my eyes off the road for a second.

Luckily on this occassion, there was a parking stop at the top of the pass which allowed me to get some shots. The road I had driven on is the winding one in the distant middle of the picture. 

After pausing to take photos I continued on and made it to Glenridding. By this time it was coming up to 1:00pm. The weather was sunny and very warm. I decided against walking and settled on a cruise on the lake instead.  The next cruise was at 2:20pm so I wandered and had some lunch while I waited.

The cruise was very nice, with great scenery, but I must admit it wasn't that dissimilar to the Windermere cruise I did last year. I got a little bored towards the end. 

There was a smattering of sailing going on. 

Our boat was in the same style as this other one we passed. 

At Howtown there were lots of children engaged in various activities. I assume it was some kind of scouting site or similar.

Near the end of the cruise we passed this guy. He was a fair way into the middle of the lake paddling along. He handled the wake from our boat expertly. 

The cruise ended about 4:45pm. I decided it was time to get back to the hotel. When I punched Grasmere into the sat nav it was going to take me back through the Kirkstone Pass. There was no way I was going that. So I did some research of my own. By asking the sat nav to go via Troutbeck it picked a different route that appeared to be better, if a little longer. Of course, I wouldn't know until I started. 

Turns out it was a much better route and for the most part very easy. It still required massive concentration and I was still teased by epic scenery in my peripheral vision. I'm going to plan to see some of it properly tomorrow. 

As I wandered on my early morning walk I reflected on how I was feeling. Obviously, I'd love to stay in the UK longer, but I think by next week I will feel ready to return home. It feels like I have been away for much longer than 4 weeks. 

I stayed in the Lake District last year and definitely wanted to return to explore a bit further afield. I decided a more central location might be nice and a car would expand my options. Unlike just about every other destination on this trip I don't really have a definite list of places to see yet. I'm hoping it will be easy to find some places I can drive to then do some walking. 

The hotel I selected is a little bit different to where I stayed last year. It's a bit more spa/resort and less character and charm. Having said that, it will be lovely. I have a great view of the lake from my window that I look forward to waking up to.  This is pretty much that view.

After checking in, I headed out for a walk. The hotel is on the edge of (lake) Grasmere and I was hoping I might be able to walk all the way around. To my delight there is a walking trail that takes you most of the way and you can follow roads for the rest.

The other side of the lake gave me a good view of the hotel. 

The water in the lake is crystal clear. I saw someone swimming across it as I walked around. 

My plan is to get up early one morning and do a circumnavigation to catch the early morning light. 

To my surprise my legs felt OK this morning after yesterday's trek. Today was a travel day so I needed to be up early. I had a rotten night's sleep, so that was quite easy. I took at taxi to the train station well in time to catch my 8:50am Trans-Pennine Express to Leeds. This was the same route I took to get to Scarborough. From Leeds I caught the 10:49am Northern service to Carlisle. 

The weather in Scarborough had been mild with blue sky. From Leeds it got grey and chilly before finally clearing up at Carlisle.  

The countryside started with the familiar fields before changing to a more barren landscape in the Yorkshire Dales and then returning to more pastoral.

I arrived in Carlisle around 1:30pm. Next task was to pick up my hire car. I'm not fond of driving while on holiday, but I decided that having a car would provide me with more interesting adventure opportunities in the Lake District. I remember public transport being quite restrictive last year.

After figuring out how to start it (new cars!) I made my way first to Keswick. The lady in the car hire place asked if I needed help getting to Grasmere. I explained the path I planned to take. She suggested an alternative which would be much more scenic. I decided to take her advice. She was right, but it was distractingly scenic! With a new car and driving in England to contend with already, having the magnificent mountains and lakes in my peripheral vision made it even harder. But I managed OK.

I plan to explore Keswick in more detail later so I only stayed long enough for some refreshment and a couple of snaps. 

From Keswick it was just a 15min drive to my final destination Grasmere where the hotel is. 

The weather settled down last night so I was up early to see what the lake would offer me this morning. She didn't disappoint. I could have spent hours taking photos as the light changed. 

But I had an appointment with a train to London. Before leaving, I took some photos of the light from the skylights in the hotel. 

The trip was a little convoluted due to maintenance work. I had a bus trip from Windermere to Oxenholme. Another from Oxenholme to Lancaster. Then finally the train to London. It was express for more than half the journey and very comfortable. The scenery was a mix of what I've seen so far. I took this photo on the bus.

The train was operated by Virgin. Nice to see Virgin still have a sense of humour over here. I think Virgin Australia have lost that, which is a shame because I feel it gave them a point of difference to the competition.

My final hotel is in Earls Court. Very handy location. The room is tiny, but very funky and cosy. Will do nicely for the end of my trip. 

This morning when I woke up it was wet, grey, blustery and cold ... perfect! The kind of day that I could finally sit inside and potter around without any guilt of not being out doing something. Having said that, I still found it really difficult to just sit and be in the moment. But by the end of the day I definitely began to feel a sense of calmness that I know I needed. Even when the weather improved and my itchy feet forced me outside, I managed to stroll instead of the usual gallop.

This morning I took the opportunity to take some pictures of this lovely hotel. Once I started, small details began popping up in front of me everywhere I looked. I only stopped because it began to get busy with people and I didn't want to become conspicuous or a nuisance. 

Tomorrow I take the final train trip back down to London for a few days before starting the trek home. 

The weather was looking a bit grey when I got up and it started to rain around 10:00. Luckily I only had one thing I really wanted to achieve today. Not that I couldn't do lots more, but I want to make sure I keep time to wind down - the last 4 1/2 weeks have been non-stop.

On the last leg of the train journey from York I noticed scenery that was a little different to what I had seen elsewhere. But the train was so packed that I couldn't get a good enough vantage point for photos. To fill in the missing part of my photo journal I wanted to retrace the steps. I won't be able to do that on the trip back to London because I will travel that part by bus.

So I caught the bus to Windermere. There is a bus stop right outside the hotel but busses aren't all that regular so I had to plan my journey. I walked around Windermere a little. As with the other towns around here, so many of the buildings are faced with slate.

Then I took a return train ride to Oxenholme. In order to get back in time for the bus back to the hotel I had to travel there and straight back. 

Elsewhere I've travelled in England the fields are all neatly (or not so neatly) outlined with hedges and the occasional dry rock wall. But around here grey (slate?) walls are everywhere and hedges are rare.

As the train came into Windermere two airforce planes came in low over the lake.  Along with the fly pasts the other day I'm surprise how visible and active the airforce is in this really touristy area. 

I caught the bus back to the hotel. By this time it was only 2:00 and the sun was actually shining. I was feeling guilty for not finding something else to do. Doing nothing while on holiday is a skill I'm yet to master. But I don't want to get home and feel that I still need a break. So, a quiet afternoon it is.  

The forecast for tomorrow is rain all day. That would be a recipe for guilt-free slothfulness. Fingers crossed. 

It was an impossibly prolonged goodnight. Each time I looked up, expecting you to be done, you were still present. Slightly faded from the last time but still lingering. In no hurry to be finished with the day. 

But now you've finally fallen into the darkness. And I sit with the lights off, watching you rest like a parent watching in wonder at the peaceful sleep of their newborn child.

This is a bit different. With no evidence of any other life it feels like you and I are the only two left in the world. And you are in slumber. I keep watch alone. At least, that's what I like to think. I know there's really life inside you, hiding beneath the shadows. 

This would be the ideal time to make my confessions. But I just sit. Trying to hold on to this feeling for as long as possible. Afraid to fall myself. Determined not to squander this rare moment or surrender it to the numbness of sleep. 

In the early morning, when the first sunbeams sneak around the edges of the curtains, you are the first thought to enter my mind. What is your morning look? And though my eyes are heavy from insufficient rest, I can't resist the desire to peek. 

But you aren't ready. You maintain control and composure, shrouding your modesty with white mist. You force me to be patient and close my eyes for a little bit longer. 

Soon enough I try again. This time you're ready to greet me, though you rise just as gracefully as you fall. Gradually blossoming as the increasing light reveals your features.

We share a moment. 

And then, in an instant, that moment is over. Family surrounds us, darting across the sky and heralding in full voice. Exercising flight and song as if they were new discoveries being tested for the first time. Vying for our attention.

Time to go our separate ways. For a while at least. 

Have a nice day. See you tonight. x

After a delicious breakfast overlooking the lake I hit the road. I had two soft targets for today: visit Ambleside and retrace the train trip between Windermere and Oxenholme for photographs. 

I walked to Bowness-on-Windermere as that's where the cruises leave. Ambleside is at the top of the lake whereas Bowness is midway down. I wasn't sure what to expect in Ambleside but I knew the landscape in the north was more mountainous. 

In Bowness, these boats were tied up near the piers for the cruises. 

The cruise takes about 25 min each way. 

Ambleside is a mile inland from the lake. On the way I spotted these sheep under the cover of the bushes. Not sure what they were taking cover from as it wasn't raining at the time.

Ambleside is pretty. Lots of buildings made from slate and some great views of the surrounding hills and mountains. 

This two room building over a stream was curious. 

I passed a small gallery with some lovely local paintings and prints. They had a series of prints which were a good size for my place so I bought a couple. 

Other than that I did anything BUT amble around Ambleside. I had it in my mind to get to part two of my day and I knew that was kind of dependent on catching the 1:05 boat back. So I kept up a rapid pace. In hindsight it might have been nicer to wander. 

Anyway, I made the boat in time. On the way back it started to spot with rain that became constant by the time we docked. Faced with the prospect of getting a little wet my resolution to continue on disappeared completely. After checking timetables I found a bus was due in a few minutes that would take me past the hotel. Bargain.  

So, even though it's only 3:00 I'm staying here in front of the fire in the bar. I've had some warming soup. Time to relax.

I wake up early. This morning, as warm and comfortable as the bed was, I couldn't wait to peek outside and see the early morning lake. 

After a quick coffee I had to go and explore.