Bike Route: None
Walking Route: Around Keswick, about 2 miles
Accommodation: Latrigg View (Apt 1) - Hedgehog Hill (Airbnb); host Christine
Dinner: Cella Bella Italian Restaurant: pan-fried sirloin steak with potatoes and vegetables, spinach and mushroom pasta. Excellent.
How nice it was to wake up in our lovely apartment on a beautiful morning and know we had nothing we needed to do except rest. And do laundry. And plan and load bike routes for the next week. And pay bills. And buy groceries. At least none of those things involved pushing bikes up hills.
We did it all, and walked around Keswick and browsed some of the great outdoor shops. We tried on several waterproof jackets. Mine in particular had failed miserably on the few days we had rain earlier in the trip, and I had decided that if I found one I liked, I would replace it. I found a couple that looked good, but couldn't decide between them. The forecast is for this incredibly good weather to last another 10 days or more, so there isn't a real urgency for waterproofs--yet. We bought fresh local cheese and bread, and the basic breakfast items (yogurt, fruit, granola, juice, coffee, eggs, milk).
As the host seated us for dinner in the evening, he said Ken looked like someone and asked if he was related. We didn't catch the name, so Ken asked him to repeat it. The host explained that the guy worked in the kitchen--then he went back to the kitchen and brought the guy out. There was a little resemblance, and we had a little laugh and confirmed that the two were not related. That is the kind of fun personal exchange that has been so common on this trip and that we have so enjoyed. Partly it is possible because we speak the language, and partly because the Welsh and British are just so open and friendly.
Clean clothes. Plenty of good food. A quiet, clean, comfortable place to stay. Who could ask for anything more.
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| The main shopping street in Keswick was busy on this sunny day. We thought it was still a bit chilly (65 degrees), but the Brits were all out in their summer clothes. |
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| Victoria-era buildings in local green slate. This is the Keswick I remember from my earlier visit. |
