Del and I recently spent a lovely day and a half in the Lake District, this time getting right out into the sticks, away from all the bloody walkers and tourists, which have previously marred our sojourns there, in places like Keswick and Windermere, simply because you can't move for folk! To really appreciate the stunning beauty of this part of England, you have to get off the beaten track.

Before lunch, we enjoyed a nice long walk around the wooded areas of Elterwater, heading towards Chapel Stile and beyond. Nice and peaceful, without a soul in sight. The sense of tranquility was palpable. Not often one can say that about the Lake District in peak season!



Pile of Lakeland stone, just beside the path where we walked. On the way back, I picked up a couple of really nice bits (pretty heavy, though) and carried them back to the car, about a mile away at that point - certainly gave me an appetite for lunch!! The intention is to turn them into shelves to sit lamps on, for our new bespoke kitchen, which will have a very natural and organic feel to its design.







Just showing how lovely and clear the water was in the stream running alongside us. Some nicely coloured stones, too:













On the right, a nice pub we stopped at for a drink, on the way across the Hardknott Pass, at the tiny and remote little village of Boot:





Shown below is the Britannia Inn, in the picturesque village of Elterwater, behind the village green, where we enjoyed a superb pub lunch. Very quaint and idyllic! Details here for anyone interested: http://thebritanniainn.com/food-drin...the-brit-.aspx




The Stove restaurant, which was part of the Langdale Hotel, where we stayed, situated in the Langdale estate, just outside of Elterwater, where we enjoyed a superb dinner in beautiful surroundings:







And at night, where the vibe was really cosy and intimate:




Small reception check-in area, shown below. As the hotel rooms are dotted around the estate, you're given a small map with directions to your room! Ample parking facilities are provided right outside. This unconventional approach gives the hotel a very open, non-claustrophobic and relaxed feel, which is one of the things I liked most about it

Details for the hotel here: https://www.langdale.co.uk/index.html



The spectacular Wrynose Pass, leading onto the even more spectacular Hardknott pass, where the scenery was breathtaking, but the roads were, shall we say, 'somewhat challenging'!

Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrynose_Pass






Took my dad's little Honda for the journey (with its retractable panoramic roof), which was far more suited to these roads than the Brabster:










Remote, rugged and just stunning - the pics don't do it justice...





This is about as wide as the road got, and there were both sheer climbs, followed by blind bends, and sheer drops right at corners to contend with... It was certainly 'entertaining' when one met an oncoming car




A nice little choo-choo... Ravensglass and Eskdale steam railway:




The quaint little village of Boot:





I think we must've taken a wrong turn somewhere.........






Marco.