Fab World Tour

Monday 18 September 2006
Ok, back in England. Chester...mmm...well it was a hike from the station to the YHA - why are they always so bloody far from the station. I'm getting fitter carrying the weight. I worked out my pack is 17kg and my day pack with my guide books is about 9kg. So all up I'm carrying 26kg not including what I'm actually wearing. Boots, coat and clothes probably add another 2kg. (now I'm getting annal but when you're shoulders are screaming these silly calculations go through your head). And you know what, when you add that 28kg to my frame of 60kg I still am a lesser mass than the obese people around me on the streets and on the public transport - and they have to sleep and shower with that much weight - no wonder there are so many people with walking canes - their legs just can't keep up - literally. Take note boys - what happens when you live on a diet of deep fried foods and very few fresh fruit and veges!!!!! I'm not joking it's not Yanks I'm seeing huge like this it's Brits.

Anyway the YHA is another beautiful old home (being sold as they can't afford to keep it) - it'll go for a bomb. I took photos to prove it. Amazing stained glass sky-light, etc.

Chester, well I had to walk the town this morning with my full pack, and I've worked out when I have to do this the poor place suffers my hard judgement. Salsbury and Oxford suffered the same fate. It's hard to be kind when you can't dump your pack and walk easily. It is actually quite a pretty town and the old town wall is a great way to see the city - all the pretty bits are inside the walls. Got some nice pics and topped up the chocolate supply at my favourite English chocolate shop - Thorntons...mmm...yum...trust me to get my priorities right - have to include chocolate in the daily diet!

Caught the train at lunch time and headed up to the Lake District. Took all afternoon to get there but that's ok - beautiful scenery. Reasonable day - overcast but fine. Pretty views. Got to Ambleside about 3pm dumped the gear at the most central hostel yet (except Oxford) and walked into the village. What a beautiful spot. The hostel is right on Lake Windemere (that is right on the lake - there is a pontoon at the front door for those who arrive by boat!) My room view is directly onto the Lake. The weather is closing in this afternoon so hope tomorrow is not a repeat of Snowdon...

Wandered around the village and found heaven! Oh Tammy and Fran wouldn't you love this place - two organic food shops that sell everything from fruit and vege to dairy produce to deli and butchery lines. And...one also sells the prepared product from an ajoining restaurant. So treated myself to apple pie and cream (there have been apples falling off trees so had to actually eat some). Came back the next night for dinner but foolishly didn't book so missed out and ended up with average chinese...oh well thems the breaks...

The hostel is packed and met more English people (where are the international backpacking fraternity? - obviously not staying YHA!)

Tuesday 19 September 2006
Had a whole day in the Lakes. After a very wet and windy night amazingly it is reasonably clear today. Cold and windy abut not raining. Spent the morning cruising the lake trying to take photos as the sun peeped out from the clouds. Photos don't work when it is dull - there's no definition to the scenery. A very beautiful place and I can see why the English have flocked here since Victorian times. Attracts the posh end of the market (like an English Noosa or Port Douglas). This afternoon I was very lucky and one of the YHA staff was heading out in his car and offered me a lift to see some of the places (basically it's pretty hard to get around here without a car - and walking you need a week to cover just some of the ground). So, in 4 hours I saw a huge amount and didn't have to be the one concentrating on the driving - narrow winding roads - not easy. For those of you who are interested or have memories - not in any order - saw Wast Water, Buttermere, Crummock Water, Keswick, Derwent Water, Borrowdale Valley, Coniston, and went over Hardknott Pass. Sort of area you could spend years exploring and in good weather you can drink in the views - both small and large. Hunter and Maclean - I have sent you a postcard of the view from Hardknott Pass.

Buttermere is supposedly Britain's wettest place. Certainly there is plenty of ground water. When you get out around here to walk to a lake edge, walk around a roman fort, get a a vantage point for a view - the ground underfoot is very squashy and wet. There are bogs and 'sinks' and springs and streams everywhere. I could imagine how isolated those roman soldiers must have felt based up on the Hardknott pass looking out to the west and counting the days til they were relieved. Interestingly the troops based here were from what is now Bosnia and Spain....