Terrafirma Travels

We stuck to south of the river, it's where the big tourist beasts are. Heavy day, knackered now, so bare bones. Started with tram into centre, very civilised.  First up Trinity guided tour, an hour in and out of the rain sometimes torrential. L's recent emergency purchase raincoat doing sterling work. Then the Book Of Kells, astonishing work over a thousand years ago. After the beautiful exhibition all about it, the book itself in a glass case in its own room seemed a little underwhelming (pics not allowed). Followed by the astonishing Long Room library. Next a Seamus Heaney exhibition in the Bank of Ireland building (!). L enjoyed, N rested feet. Bus to cafe near Guinness Storehouse - actually 2 buses and a walk because N got us off too early, an atypical geographical lapse. Lovely lunch in Mannings Bakery. The Guinness experience was very Disney and absolutely stuffed with mostly young people. The self-guided story was good, the video of barrel-making was excellent, and the p...

A mini-city-break booked through Thomas Cook - whatever next! All built around L's performance of just one poem at a book launch. It's a good excuse to come back to Dublin. Left home at 0815, Bristol Airport via Taunton Deane by 1030. V slick parking checkin at Silver Zone. Bag drop no queue. I'd paid £12 for fast track security which just dropped us into same scanners as the plebs, probably because there was no queue! Security easy cos everything stays in the bag. Had 2 coffees and a cheese twist in Starbucks for £12. Pretty awful. Had a fully loaded baked potato, a toasted ham & cheese and 2 glasses of tap water at Soho for £14 - tasty. Soho wins. Flight delayed by 30 mins (they only admitted to 15) due to weather in Dublin! Someone was sitting in L's seat ... why?! We turfed him out. The pilot banged it down and we felt why as we scurried across the tarmac - blowing a gale and raining. Welcome to Ireland. L's Irish passport had its first use, no-one blinked...

Reluctantly tore ourselves away from Ann, High Bield and Little Langdale and headed south. First stop Knutsford just because it's halfway to Hinckley, then because Dave & Sue were busy til 4pm we stopped off at National Trust Stoneywell. It's another Arts & Crafts holiday home for a rich family, but much more modest than Blackwell. It is built into a rocky outcrop, 'part of the landscape' being a thing.  The inside was delightful, quirky, compact. Had a lovely 18 hours with the cousins, meal out, loadsa chat, Strictly, slept in our duvalays but indoors, healthy breakfast. Had a good run home, via lunch in Gloucester obviously. Writing this on 8th after my monthly chemo - first chance to sit down after 2 days of washing, cleaning, gardening and generally catching up at home, including swim TT gym yday which left us a few healthy aches.

Started the day with Ann's delicious cooked breakfast, perfect eggs, bacon and tomato.  Ann gave us the latest on the storms, how her son Robert had taken stranded motorists into his house, how he had removed a tree blockage near the house, how some roads had been flooded and cars abandoned. But everyone was well, and no bones broken. However it was still raining in great waves across the valley, with fierce winds bending the fir trees nearby. We asked Ann for any board games she had, and were rewarded with a huge boxfull. Thing is, they were all for young kids. We played Junior Scrabble, without scoring. A bit frustrating. Then Connect 4  which L had never played. When she beat Nic twice, we stopped there. Had early lunch and ventured out, through showers and flooded fields, to Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts House near Windermere. We had been once, with Mary, many years ago. It was enchanting, with glorious wooden panelling and stained glass. We learned of the architect Macka...

First named storm of the autumn is coming in this afternoon for 24 hours or so. No problem with a day off driving anyway. Walked down to see a very fast flowing river under Slater's Bridge. Must have been a lot of rain overnight. Next the ever wonderful Cathedral Quarry. Then on to Tilberthwaite footbridge and ford - I don't think even the blasted Kankus would attempt that today. Back home past Shaw's and the road.  Kept getting passed by cyclists and runners, sometimes the same ones in both directions. They are on some kind of team orienteering activity, from the numbers on their backs. Some give us a cheery 'Good morning' while others are more focused on the road. It drizzled all the way back, and the rain set in properly as we had our elevenses coffee in Ann's cosy kitchen. Good timing. Now we prepared to hunker down and let Amy blow past. Some reading, some cards, perhaps even some writing.  As Lesley finished making the pasta dinner, the lights went out. Po...

We set off from High Bield on the well-worn driving route to Ambleside, parked up and began a walk to High Sweden Bridge.  The weather was better than previous days, with low cloud and unremittingly grey skies. But it was dry, though damp underfoot. The walk was fairly easy and with not too much up, though there were some wet patches with stepping stones. Nic used his trusty poles. The bridge was a fine sight, and we sat on a convenient stone to have the last of the stroopwafels and a rest. The return leg went past a force, as they call a waterfall around here. By the time we got back to Ambleside we had done 10k steps and were getting behind schedule. So we dived into a cafe to buy sandwiches. On the way back to the van, we stopped on a bridge in the middle of town and saw an uncommon bird, a black and white dipper, on a rock in the stream! To add to the joy, we then saw two longtailed tits in a nearby tree, cheeky little beasts.  We ate our lunch in the van and drove up to...

Wet weather today as forecast. Had a lazy (!) morning with baths and reading. Lunch in, then rain eased so grabbed an hour outside, a walk past the cake farm as far as the gate by the woods. The autumn colours are finally showing. Bought some cakes, of course, and got mobbed by the chickens. The blackberries this year are non-existent for the first time ever - unripe or fried. Lack of rain I suppose. Home for tea and massive blog catchup. Ann is out a lot today, friend this morning and family this afternoon/evening.  We're off to Zeffs for the final Downton film followed by a veg meal at Fellinis.