A Couple of Days Away

Ullswater

The English Lake District is a three hour drive away from the house and we've just come back from a couple of days down there. The weather wasn't great, which is a shame in such beautiful countryside because the grey skies and low cloud pressing down on the mountains made taking photographs very tricky due to the light levels.

Troutbeck

We stayed at a small private hotel called the Cedar Manor in Windermere. It's the typical kind of hotel we go for; small and family run. The heart of the hotel is an old house next to a church and the house originally belonged to the Minister. The room was small but comfortable and well supplied with all mod cons. The food was fabulous and the price of the stay was negligible thanks to the midweek timing and the lovely G's skill in finding online discount vouchers.

Cedar Manor Hotel

Last month she did the same for us and we enjoyed a few days away in the Pennines, again in a small private hotel tucked away in the hills amongst some fabulous scenery and depressingly with much of the same weather which again put photography beyond my fairly basic skills. The food at the Lovelady Shield hotel was fabulous too, but more expensive due to the accreditation of the chef.

Cartmel Priory - We'll be at a family wedding there next month

The drive to both of these hotels is any car enthusiasts dream, filled with spectacular views, interesting and sometimes challenging narrow roads built for a more sedate type of travel and need that edge of the seat awareness for every corner, never knowing what you'll meet around the bend.

Driving

These hotels are both approximately the same distance south but on opposite sides of the country yet the landscape is very similar with rolling hills, deep valleys full of sheep farms and the ancient dry-stane dykes made without cement. The skill of these ancient dyke makers was incredible and work covers the land, often going straight up incredibly steep hillsides and gives the landscape its unique look.

Lovelady Shield Hotel

This is the third short break we've had this year, all using discount vouchers from the net and all in the kind of spectacular countryside that we love. Downloading the photos onto the computer last night I looked back at some of the shots from the last three months and found myself wishing that I could organise the weather better – at least as far as taking photographs is concerned. Oddly, we don't really mind what kind of weather we have on these short breaks as each kind of weather brings its own additions to the landscape and the views.

Toward evening - Loch Rannoch

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