I Spent most of the day driving from London towards the Lake District. Unfortunately, I went to the wrong Hertz to pick up my rental car, but they were so kind and chauffeured me in the back of a brand new Mercedes to the correct one in Marble Arch - thank goodness because I don't pack light. I had a lot of rain on my way up, which isn't uncommon, but a touch unnerving on their motorways with other cars flying past at an average of 80-90 miles.
Got to Cockermouth, which is on the edge of the Bassenthwaite Lake, in the late afternoon and took myself for a good walk. I ended up driving into Keswick, a beautiful little town full of cobblestone paths and hanging flower baskets then spent the evening wandering about taking photos. The fact that it stays light until almost 10pm caught me out and I missed the end of kitchen service at most of the pubs so ended up with a Tesco salad and a tiny bottle of wine for one back at the hotel.
The following morning, exploring the Honister Slate Mine
With the idea of being able to catch the sunrise over the lake at Keswick, I got up at 4.30am and headed out there to set up. Much to my disappointment, the sky decided to cloud over and I only got a hint of sun through the clouds. A little bummed, I decided to drive around and see what else I could find. This is where I stumbled upon Honister Pass and the slate mine. I did get caught in some strong wind and horizontal rain, but I also managed to capture some great views. With my jeans and shoes absolutely soaked, I decided that I really did need a pair of waterproof boots!
Made it back to the hotel in time for a hot breakfast. The Brits seriously know how to do bacon!
