The Lakes District - Backbarrow
We have arrived safely in our next accommodation - a 200 year old cottage on the banks of the River Leven at Backbarrow (2 miles from Lake Windemere). Our young hosts and their boisterous Labrador Basil welcomed us warmly. The water in the river is rather high and fast flowing due to the heavy rain that they have had over the last days. Just outside our window is an old bridge and the water cascades through it at great velocity and lots of rumbling. Rather impressive. Some canoeists were pitting their skills against the rapids and strongly flowing water to get through the very flooded arch of the bridge - impressive to watch, especially as the water is not exactly warm. We have again been very fortunate with the weather and went for a lovely walk through the forest with its gurgling brooks rushing down to the river. A magical environment ! I can understand why Wordsworth became so lyrical here and requested to be buried in this area. This is also where Beatrix Potter lived and there is a whole touristy vibe in Windermere focused on her.
Everything is so incredibly green - and if it is not inherently green, then it is covered in moss. This lush green demands LOTS of water. This is a high rainfall area and is covered with rivers and lakes - so beautiful trees, vivid green moss, grass and bracken, gurgling brooks and gushing rivers everywhere. One can only feel healthy here with this over-oxygenated air.

Today was the day of another "doddle". Those of you who know "the doddle", know that it is something that sounds and should be harmless and ends up being rather epic. Our day of cycling turned into a doddle - need I say more ! We hired bikes at 10h00 - and got every minute of worth out of them by handing them back after 17h00. After those hard saddles - I wonder if either one of us will ever recover !! We collected the bikes on the shore of Lake Windermere, took the little ferry to the other side and started our ccycle through the forest along the shore of the Lake. Absolutely gorgeous - such beautiful trees and such a dense canopy. Some of the trees must be 1000 years old - judging by their size. In the forest we stopped at a small castle - which looked as it it had been built in the time of the Crusader Knights, but was actually only built in 1840 by some chap who needed tomspend his wife's inheritence.
At the north end of Lake Windermere, which is the largest lake in England and used intensively for sailing and boating, is the town of Ambleside. Another one of those really ancient quaint places, with ancient grey stone houses, covered with colourful flower baskets and pots, old stone bridges, tiny alleys and nooks and crannies. And crammed full of tourists ...and their dogs! It really looks like a perfect Beatrice Potter picture book - just more authentic.
Off we pedalled ...and not being the map readers of note - after about 5 km we realised that the place we had cycled to (along a really picturesque route) was actually in a totally different direction and off the map ! So back we went to find the intersection where we should have gone straight - found it (next to the basket of scones standing on the pillar next to a gate -£1 for some scones ) and off we pedalled along some rather steep and steady uphills on very narrow country lanes. We saw less and less people ....should have known ...no-one else is quite as rugged /stupid ! Following the map up a steep climb to "Basecamp" should also have been a warning. We ended up pushing the bikes up the last bit - as our legs were in strike mode. I think the after effects of Snowdon. My grumbling became very audible walking up the single track - which was really wet and muddy and impossible to navigate on the bike (which also seemed to be getting a mind of its own.) My worst premonition came true - the track down was just as wet, muddy and rocky as the way up ...oh my...do I really need these challenges. The smaller lakes, countryside and views made up for the cycling conditions, and when we eventually came across some other cyclists, I knew that we would eventually find that promised downhill and get back to the ferry. Need I say more than "definitely need to find a washing machine tomorrow" to give you some indication of what we looked like ! Great qqday - amazing cycling and walking area and the most stunning views.
Watersports - especially kayaking and canoeing - are also big in this area. The water, reflecting the grey sky, does not look that inviting even at the unexpected 20 degrees water temperature, and the windchill certainly demands really good clothing.
Something that I find very strange - as it is so different in Germany, are all the stone walls, hedgerows and fenced off areas, which really limits walking to actual walking paths and lanes (which are also used by cars) and stops one from walking between the fields and down to the streams. Everywhere one sees the signs for Private Property and No Access. Such a pity really.
Tomorrow we are off to Scotland !