Lucky 13

The annual fixture of the Lake District gets under way---with a twist. There's a rail strike with a warning that the first Saturday of our trip will be curtailed. Several of our 13-strong party leave a day early, although a couple of guys manage to get trains early on the Saturday morning. For me, with an engagement on the Friday, that option is closed to me, so I'm the last to arrive on the Monday afternoon.

From the railhead at Penrith, there's a view of the 15th century castle built to help protect England from Scottish raids. It's a breezy afternoon, in contrast to what I get to hear about the day before, when the walking party is turned into drowned rats. Schadenfreude from me as down south, I had a sunny day of cricket at the Oval!

The bus to Keswick, our base for the week, leads me to the market square, colourful with a duo of South American musicians and Luchini's ice cream parlour.

More often than not, the daily excursions split into the walking (8 people (and drinking (5) groups. We hit on another ice cream stall on the walk down the former railway between Threlkeld and Keswick. On another day we pass a tiny church in the Newlands valley south-west of Keswick. We see it most years but these images are from different angles.

From Ambleside to Grasmere it's an easy walk on a trail that was once used to bypass the main road and transport coffins between the two towns. Fortunately our loads are much lighter than what the bearers had to contend with. Rydal Hall, a magnificent 18th century ancestral home, provides a comfortable stop not for coffins but coffee. Later on we skirt another lake, which like all the lakes is either called "water" or "mere" or "tarn"---Rydal Water.

Another of our favourite walks takes us south-east from Keswick to Ashness Bridge and a beautiful tarn in the mountain fastness. Once again it's been a very satisfying few days.Read more