When applied to the Lake District: –

Any weather forecasting app needs to understand that the child’s slide rule calculation they use to forecast rain DOES NOT APPLY To any area with LAKE in the title! It’s simple enough!🙄

10% forecast – Thankyou BBC = Constant unpausing drizzle from 8.00am until 5.00pm . Please be more accurate next time.

Nevertheless/anyhoo The tour must go on. Today’s tour was currently designed to take in as many scenic villages that I could remember that had classic Lakeland pubs in them.

I must say that after the combined fell walking and cycling day yesterday – that it was tough going today. I made it even more so by pushing the bike up any incline that was remotely above average. But the one thing I’m good at is walking –so all was well.

The day started with the usual good intentions. The Elterwater Park Guest House is a real find and I recommend it – they manage to run a full service – fantastic breakfast and great customer care – All within the most strict health and safety guidelines that we all have to live with at the moment . And with views like the above to wake up to it couldn’t be better.

The bike is holding up –and I’m pleased to say surprisingly so am I . Here we are fully loaded ready for the off .

The bike might be low-tech but the satnav on my phone by Komoot which links by Bluetooth to the helmet to give me turn by turn instructions – Even on routes you have designed yourself is – bloody fantastic.

So I was a tad miffed when I asked for a mixture of road and gravel bike tracks – that the tech thought this was appropriate! It’s appropriate if I was on a camel !!

This might be a Pint 🍺 and Lunch themed day , so it was with great restraint that I waited until I reached Hawkshead – and headed for the Village Square to “admire the rustic buildings“ 😜

…. yeah 😆 Nothing to do with recalling that the excellent Kings Arms Pub was located there – so an early pint was compulsory.

Route planning now had to take into account the complexities of Sunday lunch and I recalled the marvellous Cuckoo Brow Inn at Near Sawrey where I had stayed with Ciara , Bel and Jess in June 2019.

My marvellous satnav was happy to cope with this detail …. I zoomed past Beatrix Potters house at Hill Top and at 2.00pm … was safely ensconced studying the menu.

Considering I still had a third of my tour to do today I couldn’t let rip on the full Sunday lunch / “oh go on then just one bottle 🍷🍷more between us“ – but I was more than happy with the fact that it’s all downhill from here to the little ferry across to Bowness.

The kicker about downhill runs especially down to Lake level is there’s always the uphill torture afterwards. The Ferry’s always fun though .

The huffing and puffing – getting off and pushing from Lake level Bowness onto the High level Bowland Bridge Road had to be seen to be believed. But it was more than rewarded by the absolutely best run of the day as once on the top the lanes ran 90% down – a thrilling – (almost too thrilling ) 30 mph downhill dash through stunning South Lakes scenery .

Which brings us to the red-faced jelly legged finish today at another place I’ll be happy to recommend. The cosy bunk house at the Witherslack Cycle Barn . Again super H&S safe – cycle themed , log burning , haven you need at the end of the day . 🤗

As Someone who lives in a town –I’m always amazed at the silence in parts of the country like this – and as the sun goes down on this last picturesque little scene – that silence is flipping deafening! :-)🤪

If I can still walk 😜 I’ll see you here tomorrow xxx