We are back from the Lake District. Christine and I have just had four great days in Grasmere to mark our 40th wedding anniversary. It has been great fun, plenty of walking between Grasmere, Skelwith Bridge and Elter Water about six miles a day, not too far for experienced walkers but with the adverse weather far enough for us. We are now home with aching legs and in need of a rest.





We were very fortunate with our choice of hotels which we picked of the internet staying at The Grasmere Hotel, a country house hotel which proved to be absolutely brilliant, very friendly and with a chef that must be up there with the best in the Lakes. Mind you it's just as well as we were in need of rest and recuperation after trekking over the fells in sometimes quite bleak conditions as you can see in this view over Elter Water.





So it is back to the hotel in an afternoon, a read, perhaps a little nap, shower and change and then down for a pint while Christine prepares herself for the evening, then onto a four course meal and finally collapse in bed about 10.00pm. It's a hard life but somebody has to do it!


I must say that had I been a young person out here looking for some action then Grasmere is not the place to be, basicaly at 9.30pm it is shut. I took a walk about the village after dinner one night and passed two couples near the village pub and a dog wandering about by itself probably wondering where the action was and that was it the place was shut. Having said that, we were that shattered that we were also tucked up in bed by ten o'clock resting ready for the next day's breakfast.


Friut juice, nice healthy start, then a bowl of grapefruit segments, very healthy, followed by Special K with red berries, that's OK still healthy Christine is having the sames, but then she goes straight for the toast and marmalade while I has the fried egg, sausage, hash brown, bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes and beans before joining her on the toast and marmalade. Life cannot get much better. The only downside is I can't fit in a scone with my morning coffee.


As I say Grasmere is not the centre of the Lakes nightlife probably having more than it's fair share of people even older then us. Take Edith and Elsie probably not their real names but they could be, anyway they were a lovely old couple of sisters who took to sitting with us in the lounge before dinner. Both were deaf, one was partially sighted, neither could remember anything and both had to be careful what they ate. Ordering their dinner had us in stitches, Edith picked the meals for both of them and told Elsie what she was having except that by the time they had to order she had forgotten so ordered something different. Elsie, not remembering what she was going to have was quite happy with whatever she got. "Have you enjoyed your meal ladies" asked the owner later "have we eaten already Edith" asks Elsie. We chuckle and get on with our coffee with mints, it's nearly half past nine, time for bed.


But these were nice old dears and let me say now that I have nothing against old folks in principle, I hope to be one of them one day myself but when they arrive en masse on a coach trip football hooligans have nothing on them.


There we are Christine and I ordering our afternoon Earl Grey with a bun to put us on till dinner time, minding our own business, having a quiet break when outside a coach pulls up and out gets forty or so old folk on a bus trip. All forty of them descend like the plague into our coffee shop and all stand around our table. "Who you sitting with Edna", "I'm with Violet", "Come on Joan we can sit here these two wont mind moving up" What! I'm not moving anywhere and if Phylis "who is 83 you know" wipes her sleeve across my bun one more time she will not make 84 that's for sure. My chair is rocked by Zimmer frames and walking sticks, I get more than one handbag the size of a small mail sack round my head and an umbrella in my ear. We decide to leave and as we walk out I glance back just in time to see Phylis polishing of the remains of my bun. Hooligans, if they had been teenagers the police would have pulled them in for causing a riot.





So have we enjoyed it. Abolutely, the Lake District is one of those places where it is difficult not to relax and chill out, everyone talks to everyone else and with views like these it ranks with the best counry side anywhere in the world.


I am just looking for tonight's menu I am sure Christine will have done one for me to pick my evening meal although it seems to be well hidden. Never the less I bet we still have four courses, we are used to that now and breakfast, can't wait for that.