A Holiday and a Longing?

Good morning everyone, and I hope you are all well this fine morning.

If you thought that it had been quiet at Chez Smudger this week , you would have been right. The last week has been family vacation week - and boy did we need it.

Tilly, my little one, made a valid point though.

"Could daddy survive a week without his computer?" - Good question.

Our Holiday

As you can probably guess from the picture left, we went to the Lake district. We love it up there. Such a beautiful place - but now so busy.

We are not great walkers, but boy did we walk this week. Not that far compared to the "professional" hikers and walkers, but a long long way for us. The car sat there , for the most part, unused, which I suppose is a good thing.

We have a few pictures to show (when they are developed) and I will post them when we get them.

One of the fav places to go was the District Visitors center at Brockhole. Liam and Laura, at their request I might add, spent an afternoon weaving a fish, and then decorating it. (and also gave myself and Cathy a quiet afternoon together walking through the woods - very pleasant) Sounds ludicrous in some ways I know, but the results where pretty good.

Another day involved a demonstration of Birds of Pray from Muncaster Castle - with the day finishing with Laura having a picture taken with a Barn Owl - very pretty.

We stayed in a lovely complex of flats and apartments on on the hillside in Ambleside, at the north end of Lake Windermere. The Kids were well happy as the complex had its own pool - open all day to the residents (and we ended up spending a lot of time swimming) - but we , of course, had to suffer one of the main British pre-occupations' - the weather. For the later part of the week it was awful in part. Heavy rain, mist on the hills, not that that stopped us going out.

Whilst Cathy and Liam went to see the local Cumbrian Games, Laura asked to go and see the local glass blowers. Adrain Sankey ( http://www.glassmakers.co.uk ), has a studio by the famous Ambleside Bridge House. As a present for my beloved, I had already been and brought a lovely glass candle holder (she loves the more discrete - tee light type holders - small, not "in your face", candle holders) - the last one of a particular order, but Laura wanted to see again the glass blowers at work. She was fascinated. Both Liam and Laura had seen the blowers working before - but Liam had seen, asked his questions and that was enough for him.

But Laura?.

So we went back and she stood there for a good hour, watching, taking all the activity in - everything. There were the odd questions, but normally silence. I must admit, I do like to watch the glass blowers myself, but not to that extent.

I even managed, or should I say Tilly and I , to get a little bit of painting in too. Still not great, but at least this time I had ago at a landscape. Not bad for a first go I suppose, but I still had to look longingly at the professional "Lake District" Watercolours. Now there was skill.

The M.V. Teal - c/o the Winderemere Lake Cruises

Another must for us (although I didn't go cause I wasn't to well) was the lake cruise. This started a very long time ago when Cathy and I went to the Lake District with some family friends (this was for the first ever visit up there). Now I had, and to some extent still have, a fear of large tracks of water. I thought lots of things. The boat will rock to much. It WOULD sink, you know that sort on non-sense thinking. After some little persuasion, I agreed to go on the boat ( the Swan ). It was great. The gentle rocking of the boat, the wind blowing through my hair. I have been on the lake a number of times since. No great problems, but even now, after all that time , I am still nervous of the whole thing. I guess that will never really change.

 

And How did Dad manage without his computer for a week?

We noticed that this year, and we haven't been for a few years as it was, that even the Internet had managed to imprint its-self into the Lakes. The was an Internet Cafe on Ambleside High Street and a several BT Internet phone booths. But did I succumb.?

No.

But it sure is good to be back on "sugarbug" now that I am home.