The Lakes

Last weekend we caught up with our friend and scientific collaborator, Rob to go on some walks in the English Lakes district. Despite spending the drive bagging out the English weather and the general lameness of it’s countryside we arrived to discover that the lakes are actually pretty darn spectacular. As we were arriving some of the peaks would occasionally appear out of the clouds and we caught a glimpse of the lake. It was all very picturesque in an English kind of way, with winding roads though green fields divided up via old stone walls and inhabited by sheep and cows. We stayed in a B&B in Keswick. Poor Rob chose the wrong room and took several hours to discover that the owners were trying to poison him with potpourri and smelling oils. But he survived the night and made it down to start the day with a massive English breakfast.
We set off for our walk by catching a ferry across the lake. A few hundred meters in we discovered a cool hand sculpture, which we couldn’t resist taking photos of

The walk to our lunch spot was really pretty with big hills behind us and moss covered english forest that reminded us of Hobbiton. Despite having a big breakfast we were mighty hungry when we arrived at a farm tea house that serves an amazing stew made from the sheep that roam the fields opposite. We wondered what they thought of us sitting there, eating one of their children .. but boy it was delicious!

One the way home we passed several magnificent views (which my camera can’t take good photos of), some rare English lizards, fields filled with tiny orchids and some belted galloways.
All in all it was an awesome trip.
Next … Fossils of Whitehaven!