Camping - rain and shine

We've continued our string of trips away and jaunts around the country - oh what a life! This past weekend we were in the Lake District which is in northern England and one of our favourite places in England. It is mountainous and peppered with lakes large and small which add to the dramatic scenery. The little towns in the Lakes are quaint and we chose to stay in one of the best - Keswick. It lies on the edge of one of the larger lakes, Derwentwater, and is filled with cafes and tea shops, outdoor sports shops and delicious gift and homeware shops which make me want to buy everything on the shelves.

We camped in our tent between the town centre and the lake, which made getting about really easy and once there we didn't take the car anywhere. Good job really as the camping field was soggy and the tyres would have made a real mess! It rained at night but during the day the showers were limited to the morning so we got some lovely days out in the sunshine.

Joe's parents were also staying on the same site but in their caravan. In the UK, caravaning is very popular - the kind of caravan which gets towed by a car and called a tourer. Camping in tents is also really popular and Joe and I have camped many times in the past. This was Lucy's second trip and she loved it. She especially loved being able to walk to the next field and find her Grandma and Grandpa with their dog Tilly.

We took a boat ride on the lake and stopped off to do a walk around part of it, skim stones and generally soak up the sun. Then we caught a boat back to town. In the evenings we either cooked on the stove or one evening Joe and I headed out on our own and got some really delicious fish and chips at a cafe in town while Lucy and Grandma went to the Lakeside Theatre for some 'summer storytelling'. They both loved it and Joe and I really appreciated some grown up time and a decent F n C.

Boats on Derwentwater. We didn't take a rowing boat, but the 'launch' which is on the left in the picture....like a mini ferry which takes you where you want to go around the lake

We cut the trip a little short as the weather was due to get worse, and there's not much worse than packing up camp in a rain storm. We had a couple of lazy days around home before Joe went back to work today. Yesterday we spent the day in Rutland, a county north of us which is really pretty. We had a lovely pub lunch overlooking the reservoir there, and then an afternoon looking around some gardens for some inspiration for our own. Lucy enjoyed the quiz and the search for pixies and fairies which kept her amused. The chocolate caramel shortcake in the cafe was divine and worth a mention!

 

Lucy and Joe at the gardens yesterday

Lucy has another 2 weeks before preschool starts again, so we have more planned to keep us busy. No more trips but some days out, play dates, and a visit from our good friends Mary Kay and Bob of West Chester. They'll be coming to sample what England has to offer late summer, and I'm really hoping the weather is kind to them while they're here!