Lake District in England is a popular destination for its mountains, forests and lakes. I had gone to this beautiful place in November with my sister's family. I was on tenterhooks for the entire week, as the typical English weather was threatening to play spoilsport - grey, dark, rainy and cold. But, the weather cleared over the weekend & finally, the trip was back ON ! From misty & gloomy weather in the early morning hours to glorious sunshine in a matter of minutes - only for a few minutes though!
My sister kept the car heater at a high 30°C & we were feeling the heat, even though it was 5-6°C outside. The M6 motorway leads to Lake District and the drive was scenic throughout - we passed the Elland Road (Leeds FC) and Macron (Bolton Wanderers FC) stadiums amidst the countryside.
When we took a wrong turn, I was really happy as the curvy country road to Windermere was a delight. In fact, I wanted the road to continue forever and had second thoughts about reaching the destination. The 2 G's guiding us - Ganpati and GPS !
The Lake District includes the highest mountain in England Scafell Pike (on a clear day, it has a view of mountains in Northern Ireland to Snowdonia in Wales). It also contains the deepest and largest natural lakes in England, Wast Water and Windermere.
After parking the car, we strolled our way to the pier - the chilly November weather did not deter the English public, as they were desperate to have one final outing before the winter strikes in all its glory.
After a ten minute wait for the tickets, we were ready for the cruise. I decided to guts it out on the top deck and despite all the protective layers, I was freezing within minutes. I focused on the scenery and became numb to the chilly weather after a while.
The lake has 19 islands in total, including the privately owned ones. There are sailing clubs, hotels and private homes in these islands, perfect for a weekend getaway.
It is a stunning place to retire in the summers with a book in hand. I would love to spend a weekend in a cabin here.
There is only one town on the lake shore called Bowness-on-Windermere. Once we finished the cruise, we roamed this small town. There were a few decent options but once the kids overwhelmingly voted for pizza, the choice was straightforward.
After lunch, we explored the small shops and some of the local products were really enticing.
After a leisurely stroll, it was time for some serious business. It was time to play cricket in freezing conditions. A couple of locals appreciated our bravery to play in such cold weather. We were like, "we gotta do what we gotta do" (Indians can play cricket anywhere in any conditions).
After playing for more than an hour, we decided it was enough and time to head back home. As darkness began to set in & we made our way back to the parking area, I saw this old couple. Despite the chilly weather, they were enjoying moments of solitude sitting under a tree which, like them, had grown old and had weathered many a winter in its life. I could not shake this image from my mind for a long time - a perfect end to a wonderful day !
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