In the Lake District the sun rises at 4:36 am. Quality sleep has to occur before that time. Unless you have room darkening blinds, which were not in existence in our 600 year-old hotel room. We met the day with a full English breakfast and a walk around this charming little village. It is a small series of quiet, twisting lanes and alleys leading past centuries-old shops, pubs and inns. No cars are permitted in the center of the town. We climbed up the hill behind the parish church and took in the view of the village below framed by the mountains. There was a lovely little park bench where we sat for awhile, taking it all in, accompanied only by a flock of bleating sheep and a few chickens. Truly peaceful.

We stopped at the Co-operative Grocery to pick up provisions for a picnic lunch. Small grocery stores usually have a lunch deal of fresh sandwiches, pasta salads, and salads accompanied by a snack and a drink for only 3 pounds! We added fresh baguettes and the biggest raspberries we had ever seen, headed out.

On the recommendation of our host John Watson, we set out for Ullswater, a lake meaning “deep water,” linked to Arthurian legend. Along the way, we saw a sign for Wray Castle. We have a weak spot for castles, so we had to go take a look. It was a Medieval-style castle built in the 1800s overlooking Lake Windemere. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and forest pathways and would be a great place to spend the day. We found a picnic table beside the castle that overlooked the mouintains and lake and had our delicious picnic lunch. Well worth the stop.

The drive took us through Ambleside, where Joyce (Sat Nav) had us make a sharp left-hand turn onto a mountain pass road know as “The Struggle.” The sign said,”The Struggle: 20% grade,” and we proceeded to drive almost straight up for miles. The Struggle is only one lane wide with sharp curves and stone walls on either side. Throw in some sheep meandering about, and we were convinced the road was aptly named. It was quite a thrill and really a spectacular drive!

We made it safely through the pass and arrived at Glenridding where we boarded the M.V. Western Belle, a 1935 steam boat. The boat was filled with families, hikers and dogs. Heather was just thrilled about the dog part! The hour-long cruise took us through the heart of the lake district. It was great for Courtney to be able to view the mountains that she had driven over. There were also 11 or so powered parachutes gliding over the summit of one of the mountains. We disembarked at Pooley Bridge, a village on the far side of the lake, where we stopped to have a cream tea before our return trip. We boarded the older M.Y. Raven, a steamer from 1889, that had once served temporarily as a royal yacht. The trek back over “The Struggle” seemed shorter on the return trip, since Courtney was now a pro at 20% grades and hairpin turns.

Upon our return to Hawkshead, we decided to dine at The Queen’s Head Inn. It turned out to be more of a fine dining menu than traditional pub fare. The menu looked fantastic, but we were trying to watch our pennies (or pence, should we say!). So we opted for the burger, which was served with chips and beer battered onion rings. We left totally stuffed. An hour later at 10pm, it was still daylight, which makes for a very short night! We can’t wait to see how short the night becomes in Northern Scotland…

On a side note, Hawkshead appears to be a pilgrimage site of sorts. Not in the traditional spiritual sense. Each morning around 10am tour vans roll into the sleepy little village and for an hour scores of Japanese tourists mill about the town. We asked a shopkeeper why this happens. This is a very tiny, out of the way village, which seems an unlikely place for Japanese tourists to visit. The shopkeeper told us that the Japanese LOVE Beatrix Potter. Who knew?

Enjoying the journey through “The Struggle,”

Courtney and Heather