1 The Lake District Part I

 Our getaway to The Lakes was exactly what I've been needing- but the shortness was not.

We're very go-go-go travelers (if you haven't noticed from the plethora of posts), and, to be honest, I've forgotten how refreshing a do-nothing trip can be for my spirits.  

Therefore: these pictures are information-less, other than bits and pieces.

I didn't read anything besides menus, 

I couldn't google sites,

and, since the dogs were with us, we couldn't go into the two castles nearby.

So, we strolled, 

ate,

and sat on benches for 2.5 days.

After we got up there Monday afternoon we headed to the lakeside walks at Brockhole, the visitor centre on Lake Windermere.

 Lake Windermere was formed by a glacier, which explains its resemblance to some of the lakes in Glacier National Park (scroll halfway down for an image of what I'm talking about).

 These weather-worn boathouses are how I picture the coves and bays in New England- I'll admit, it got me a little excited to travel up that way when we have to move back to the States.

 I've gotten some absolutely heartwarming shots of Paul and Sloan over the years- but since I always have the camera there are few of me with either of the dogs.  *sigh*

 Tuesday we decided to head to the coast- tip: don't.  Cumbria's coast, at least the four different towns we stopped in, is fairly nonexistent.  There was a lot of coastal industry, a lot of cliffs, and rocks.  The one "beach" we found that was open to the public was all rocks.  I know some people like this (ahem, Nice), but not me, and not the dogs.  Poor Max had a hard time walking around, and Sloan was desperate to fetch and we wouldn't let her for fear of her hurting a foot on landing.  At least the waves sounded like clapping when they rolled out.

 So... we went back to Brockhole on Wednesday.  Max was getting so hot in the sunny Spring weather that he needed a dip- and then he decided to roll in the gravel...

 which left him looking, according to Paul, like "an addict who tried to snort crack instead of cocaine."
(The grey on his shoulders is actually from his undercoats (tan and white) showing through- I finally broke down and did his first shave of the season before our trip.)

 This is a view down the lane from our holiday cottage.

Another view on our lane.  Sometimes I pinch myself...

Come back tomorrow for the rest of the pictures,

including some views of Ambleside, Hawkshead, and Windermere (the town)!