Saturday 4/5/19

We left YHA Borrowdale and headed to Grasmere via Keswick. The mountain scenery continues to astound us and it was close to freezing, about 3 degrees when we set off about 8:30am and there has been snow overnight!

We stopped to take this photo in front of Borrowdale hotel, Rob’s face tells the picture of how cold it was but otherwise a beautiful day.

Keswick is gorgeous but a bit busy, especially today, part of the bank holiday weekend. We also found out that they have “Light the lakes” on Sunday night, where hundreds of walkers walk up “Scafell Pike” and the trail is lit by their lights. I wish we had found out about it as it sounds like a really special thing to do.

Courtesy, Light the Lakelands festival flyer, 2019.

Keswick village, taken from Hope Gardens on the foreshore of Derwent water.

The flowers are out despite the cold.

Derwent Isle in the middle of the lake. This photo is the reverse of the one taken from the village – absolutely stunning area!

Keswick market, bustling on a Saturday long weekend. Lots of sweets, clothing and food stalls.

Lunch at the Oddfellow arms, Keswick. Rob found this pub by watching the locals. Both meals, Beef and Ale stew and Haddock, Peas and Chips were under £6, about $11.00. My first taste of Yorkshire pudding! So good on such a cold day!

Castlerigg standing stones, just outside of Keswick. surrounded by peaks – a very special place.

I’m totally blown away by how close everything is here, so much to see and all of it so close.

Fell in love with this stone bridge, again in Keswick.

We arrived Grasmere mid afternoon and immediately set out for a walk, we followed this lane, public footpaths around the village as it follows the C2C. Our hotel, travellers rest is the white building on the left of the photo.

Grasmere is another lovely village and home to William Wordsworth’s Swan cottage which is currently under restoration.

We visited his memorial which is in the Church surrounded by a daffodil garden, his favourite, (not yet in bloom). A lovely and fitting resting place for a man who left the world with so many beautiful poems…

“I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

And all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodills;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze…” from, I wandered Lonely as a Cloud, William Wordsworth.

Hoping to do a walk tomorrow. 😄