I went to The Lake District!!

Hallooooo!!

I WENT TO THE LAKE DISTRICT!!!  But for anyone who follows me on Twitter or Instagram, this is hardly anything new under the sun :) And this image kinda captures my excitement:

No really, it felt that way. Backpack and all.

Before you have an opinion: yes, I did go to the Lake District by myself. And yes, I prefer it that way. Not that I am anti social or that I don't have any friends or family. It's just, when I have a weekend available and I really like to go somewhere, I just go. I am not dependent on other people's diaries. If it happens that I can go with someone? Great! If it happens that I am going on my own? Also great! At least I am sure that I have seen everything that I want to see.

That being said, here is the video. It is just an 8min edit from my 1 hour of footage. An hour!!!

  
Yes, I did an actual room tour. Not my usual thing to do, but this room was pure luxury! I am used to hostels with bunk beds, very questionable sheets, toilet and bathroom in the hall and 5 strangers for roommates. In the Windermere Centre I had a tiny but very clean room, with a comfortable bed and crispy white sheets and a kettle. A kettle!!!! A bathroom all to myself for just £43 a night!

Then, before you start reading, clic on this playlist and listen to it whilst you are reading this blog post :)

5 hours journey
I left Friday after work. I had a train from London Euston at 18:30 to Oxenholme where I was to change to a train to Windermere. The journey would take about 3 hours and 15 min. including walking and the change. Ideal to watch (500) days of Summer on my laptop on the train.

Well, that is definitely not the way it went. Whilst on the train to Oxenholme, the driver announced a delay of about 20 minutes due to something god knows where. "20 minutes is not so bad" you'd say. Well, I missed my train to Windermere by 15minutes and the next one (also the last one) was 50minutes later... Yay.

But eventually I arrived at Windermere station at 10:40pm, together with a very loud group of 15 year olds. Then I had to find the hostel I was staying in. Apparently it is visible on my face that I am lost, because a couple with backpacks asked me almost straight away: "Can we help? You seem lost". Unfortunately they didn't know where I needed to be, so they asked the very loud group of 15 year olds that just pasted.

Couple: "Do you know where the Windermere Centre is?"
Teenager: "This is the centre, sir"
Me: "I am looking for a hostel or hotel"
Teenager: "Oh, the Windermere hotel is up there, but there are no hostels here. The nearest one is in Kendall"
Me: "Never mind, thank you though"

Trust me buddy, I did my research and there are plenty of hostels in Windermere.

Anyway, former guide that I am, I managed to find the way. Whilst I was walking in the dark and quiet streets, I kept thinking: "This might not have been my best and smartest idea"...

When I finally arrived at the place I needed to be, I had to ring the door bell... The door bell! An older looking man answered it, let me in and introduces me to his wife. John and Brenda where volunteers for the Windermere Centre. The staff only came in at 8am and left at 5pm. Anyone the would arrive before or after those hours where welcomed by this lovely couple. John gave me my key with the words: "I won't bother you with payment tonight after such a journey. Just pay tomorrow morning". To which Brenda added: "Breakfast is at 8:30. We all eat together". Before I went to bed, I saw Miss Potter, just to prepare myself even a bit more for the next day :)

A Pottery day
Man, what a breakfast that was! Yogurt, cereal, porridge, muslea, fruit, fruit juices, English breakfast (beans/eggs, bacon, tomato, mushrooms and toast), tea or coffee. I still wasn't hungry at 1pm.

After an explanation from John of which ferry I needed to take and a leaflet that he lent me with the ferry and bus timetables, I was on my way.

I have to warn you about the amount of miles I have walked. 11miles= 17km. And that does not include the 'visiting' walking.

The planner that I am, I prepared my weekend carefully. Saturday was spent on the West side of Windermere lake. Hill Top lay in Near Sawrey and the Beatrix Potter gallery in Hawkshead. So I walked the entire thing and it is was a work out I hadn't expect.

Beautiful view on my way to Hill Top

Near Sawrey

By 11:10am I finally arrived in Near Sawrey and I had a timed ticket for 12:10pm. An hour wait. What else do you do after you've just walked for 40min? That's right, you sit down for a cup of tea and a beautiful view. A robin, just like the one Beatrix Potter drew, came really close. It was so cute!

And then, finally, Hill Top farm.

Hill Top, former home to Beatrix Potter

Hill Top garden view

I wasn't allowed to take any photos or film inside, which meant that I could enjoy and really be in the moment when I took it all in. The thought that this was actually were Beatrix Potter had lived and where she drew a faire bit of her stories was mind blowing.

She also used quite a bit of her interior to recreate some of her stories, like the story of Tom Kitten (Poekie Poes) or Samuel Whiskers (Ronald Rat). Copies of her little books lay in every room open on the page where she drew something from her house. 

If anyone is familiar with Beatrix' Potter work, you probably know these little stories. If not, grab a cup of tea, make yourself comfortable and enjoy :) Or maybe read this blog post first, as the video linked below is a 4hours video. No worries, they are all individual stories of about 10min each.

After Hill Top, I decided to walk to Hawkshead. It was 'only' 50minutes walking. Eventhough the scenery was breath taking (and I saw the lake where Jeremy Fisher was fishing), I was more than happy to arrive at Hawkshead.

Esthwaite Water

Esthwaite Water

Again, I wasn't allowed to film in the Beatrix Potter Gallery but again, I could enjoy and really be in the moment when I took it all in. In the former office of her husband, William Heelis, were some of her original drawings displayed. You can not imagen how exciting that was! It reminded me of when I used to draw Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck myself. If you knew me in high school, you might remember those two characters in my dairy :)

Beatrix Potter Gallery. Former office of her husband, William Heelis

The house was small, but I stayed as long as I could. By the time I walked out, it was time for tea. Earlier I had noticed a lady announcing tea and cakes at the Guide Association. Former Guide that I am, I decided to support their group. It was simple but de-lish.

By 4pm it was time to return to Windermere and stop at Claife Viewing Station on the way. I took the bus from Hawkshead to the parking lot.

Idiot that I was, I walked right past the station! It is under construction and I didn't bother to read any signs, so on I went. For 50minutes, until I finally realized I was waaaay too far. But, I discovered some pretty sights and I had an incredible workout. I am not complaining!

Beautiful view

By 5:30pm it was time to return to the Windermere Centre, but on the way I had a nice diner at the Spinnery. Not the best food I'd ever taste, but boy I enjoyed every bit after such a long day and after walking so many miles.

A setting sun over Windermere lake

Like a good girl, I was in the Windermere Centre before dark. John and Brenda sat once again in the little chairs in the hall, greeting everyone that returned from their adventures in the Lake District.

Boat trip and BP attraction
Sunday started easy, as I didn't had to be somewhere at a specific time until late afternoon.

But then it got tricky. Check out was before 12pm, but I couln't leave my luggage anywhere! This had to happen to me. I had visions of myself ending up at the train station at 1pm not being able to do what I wanted to do. But, thankfully I am solution oriented and after the 1minute panicking in my head, I went straight to my room and started to look for a solution.

A little brows on the internet and 3 calls later I found a local taxi company who offered the luggage storage service. Only 8 minutes walking, £2 a bag for the entire day. Bingo! John called it "having a brain", I said it was simply "having a WiFi connection".

As for the activities of the day, I didn't had anything planned but the Beatrix Potter Attraction. Thankfully I had a brows on the internet the night before to see if I could maybe go for a boat trip on the lake. I settled for a 45min trip around the islands, the Island Cruise. By 11:15 I was seated and ready to enjoy all the scenery.

The tour was beautiful and the explanations from the captain where interesting and funny. Unfortunately a bus of Asians filled most of the boat. Luckily most of them went inside as they found it to cold and windy on the deck. But unlucky that I was, I sat behind a guy with a Canon camera with a lens even a paparazzi would be jealous of. I came so close to just ask the guy: "Can you please keep your camera down? Those two people in that boat aren't that interesting. Really" But, me being me, I just held my tong.

But nevertheless, I absolutely L O V E D every second on the boat. At one point I even had that overwhelming 'wauw' happiness feeling that I coulnd't believe I was actually there. Made me actually want to move there. But, I am not very spontaneous and my common sense told me not to. But I did realize even more that I, at one point in my life, would really love to live in an area like the Lake District or somewhere in the Alpes with a dog by my side.

An amazing view on Windermere lake

I found the weather was perfect on Sunday.

After that boat trip I went straight to the Beatrix Potter Attraction. In my opinion it wasn't anything too special. Mostly puppets recreating certain drawings from Beatrix' stories. I have to say, it was quite dusty and I had a cold coming up so I had a constant smell in my nose. Not the most exciting thing to experience. The guy at the cash register said it takes up to an hour if you take your time to go through the attraction and that is exactly what I did.

Peter Rabbit's jacket in mr McGregor's garden

Hi Peter Rabbit

Once I made my way out of the shop (it was difficult), I went to the Beatrix Potter tea room for a delicious cream tea. That is also where I started writing this blog post. I can tell I left a lot out of this final blog post, because it was waaaaay too long otherwise (You can thank me later).

After the cream tea, I had a little spare time so went back to the lake side and sat on a bench looking over the lake. Yes all the other people seated on benches where 65+. As I've said before: I am going to rock being a granny!

By 3pm it was time for me to collect my bag and head back to Windermere train station. I felt genuinely sad to leave.

Once I arrived in Oxenholme, I soon found out that the train before my train had a delay. Huray! But I saw Miss Potter (again) on the train, so time passed quickly. I left Windermere at 3:58pm and sat foot in my room at 9pm. It takes up to 5 hours to go from Windermere to Thornton Heath. I mean, in just 2 hours I go from Brussels to London. Too insane!

Anyway, this was my trip to the Lake District. Whilst I am writing about it, I am considering planning a second trip within the next couple of months.

As always, thanks for reading!
xo - Sara