I'm off to London tomorrow for a few days before flying out to Italy (Rome, Florence & Venice) so I'll continue on my trip report after I come back from the trip. I know my progress is slow as I need to research info for my Italy trip. So please bear with me and I'll try to catch up when I come back.
Til then, take care =)
Wednesday 17 September 2008
Saturday 6 September 2008
23th Aug 2008 - Glasgow, Isle of SKye
Day 5
While cooking noodles as breakfast this morning, I met with a lady from the states who were here for 5 days on a conference. She’ll be traveling to Helsinki next for a leisure trip. After checking out, I thought I should at least see a little bit of Glasgow but end up I only manage to see Uni of Glasgow from afar and also the Kevinough Museum before setting off to Isle of Skye.
I took the scenic route from Glasgow to Skye via A82 & A87 and crossing the Skye Bridge instead of taking the ferry from Mallaig to Armsdale. The entire journey was stunningly beautiful. The amazing landscape prompted me to kept pulling up by the roadside whenever I can to take photos and also my eyes kept drifted away from the road ahead. Loch Lomand, Oinch, Fort William, Glencoe, and some other small towns and villages which I’d forgotten the names. Oh how I wished I could have 4 pairs of eyes (front, back, left and right) and 2 pairs of hands (one to maneuver, one to take photos). Well that’s the pity part of you being alone and driving. The hills, the rivers, the lakes… you just have to see it to appreciate the beauty of it. The photos that I've taken just could not illustrate fully the magnificent views.
As I need to arrive at the hostel by 5pm, I can only stop so many times for some quick snaps and go. Nearing the Skye, there were 2 blokes hitch-hiking by the roadside. I also saw an asian girl traveling on a bicycle which is pretty rare (at least to me). AT one of the viewpoints on the hills, there’s a Scottish men fully dressed up in kilts with his bag-pipes music performance for hire. Finally I arrived at the Portree Independent House at 5pm sharp. Checked in for the night for ￡13 in a 4-bed dorm. It’s similar concept as with Deston House, fully equipped kitchen, tv room and toilets, but its more crowded here.
After settling my stuff, I went out for a walk around Portree town. The town cener is not very big with only 2 (or 3) main streets. I went down to the pier. There's a famous seafood restaurant at the pier front and next to it is a fish and chips shop with quite a long queue. Quite many people who bought the fish & chips, sat by the pier eating and also feeding the seagulls which were plentiful. The seagulls seemed to have their own territories and you can see that some are bullying off other younger seagulls by spreading their wings and chasing them away.
Later, I went to Somerfields (supermarket) to buy some food and went back to the hostel to cook dinner. After dinner, I went out exploring around the river. There were some bugs (maybe midgets) that were biting me constantly so I had to kept moving around and shoving them away. I can just vaguely see the Cuilin mountains at the far end. I stopped by the car park to pick up some stuff from my car and met my other roommate. We then walked back to the hostel together. The lady (in her fifties?) is actually from Switzerland who was a biologist and she has been staying in Scotland for the past 5 years as she loves the nature and landscape in Scotland. Tomorrow, she'll be going to The Hebrides for a year to learn the Scottish Gaelic (a Scotts language). Her reason for learning this language is because she was very fascinated by this language as it is totally different from any other language. How inspiring. To learn out of interest and because you like it.
While cooking noodles as breakfast this morning, I met with a lady from the states who were here for 5 days on a conference. She’ll be traveling to Helsinki next for a leisure trip. After checking out, I thought I should at least see a little bit of Glasgow but end up I only manage to see Uni of Glasgow from afar and also the Kevinough Museum before setting off to Isle of Skye.
I took the scenic route from Glasgow to Skye via A82 & A87 and crossing the Skye Bridge instead of taking the ferry from Mallaig to Armsdale. The entire journey was stunningly beautiful. The amazing landscape prompted me to kept pulling up by the roadside whenever I can to take photos and also my eyes kept drifted away from the road ahead. Loch Lomand, Oinch, Fort William, Glencoe, and some other small towns and villages which I’d forgotten the names. Oh how I wished I could have 4 pairs of eyes (front, back, left and right) and 2 pairs of hands (one to maneuver, one to take photos). Well that’s the pity part of you being alone and driving. The hills, the rivers, the lakes… you just have to see it to appreciate the beauty of it. The photos that I've taken just could not illustrate fully the magnificent views.
As I need to arrive at the hostel by 5pm, I can only stop so many times for some quick snaps and go. Nearing the Skye, there were 2 blokes hitch-hiking by the roadside. I also saw an asian girl traveling on a bicycle which is pretty rare (at least to me). AT one of the viewpoints on the hills, there’s a Scottish men fully dressed up in kilts with his bag-pipes music performance for hire. Finally I arrived at the Portree Independent House at 5pm sharp. Checked in for the night for ￡13 in a 4-bed dorm. It’s similar concept as with Deston House, fully equipped kitchen, tv room and toilets, but its more crowded here.
After settling my stuff, I went out for a walk around Portree town. The town cener is not very big with only 2 (or 3) main streets. I went down to the pier. There's a famous seafood restaurant at the pier front and next to it is a fish and chips shop with quite a long queue. Quite many people who bought the fish & chips, sat by the pier eating and also feeding the seagulls which were plentiful. The seagulls seemed to have their own territories and you can see that some are bullying off other younger seagulls by spreading their wings and chasing them away.
Later, I went to Somerfields (supermarket) to buy some food and went back to the hostel to cook dinner. After dinner, I went out exploring around the river. There were some bugs (maybe midgets) that were biting me constantly so I had to kept moving around and shoving them away. I can just vaguely see the Cuilin mountains at the far end. I stopped by the car park to pick up some stuff from my car and met my other roommate. We then walked back to the hostel together. The lady (in her fifties?) is actually from Switzerland who was a biologist and she has been staying in Scotland for the past 5 years as she loves the nature and landscape in Scotland. Tomorrow, she'll be going to The Hebrides for a year to learn the Scottish Gaelic (a Scotts language). Her reason for learning this language is because she was very fascinated by this language as it is totally different from any other language. How inspiring. To learn out of interest and because you like it.
22nd Aug 2008 - Grasmere, Hawkshead, Glasgow
Day 4
Woke up early and prepared the journey to Glasgow, but only to find that the drive would only take me about 2hrs 40mins when I keyed in the postcode of the University of Glasgow (instead of 5hrs I thought). Hence, I thought I would visit Grasmere village and Hill Top Farm although it’s really not fuel efficient. Arrived at Grassmere and went walking round the village. The main center is filled with hotels, B&Bs and shops. It’s quite a small area. Went further towards the residential area where there’s a nice lake. There’s a riverside walk trail but I didn’t do it due to time factor.
Left for Hill Top farm and the car park is already full. There was 2 National Trust ladies standing guard so I asked them if there’s anywhere nearby I could park the car. They ask me to try at Near Sawrey. Parked my car at some kind of hall and walked back towards the Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Farm ticket office. It’s about 5 minutes walk away from the actual entrance of the Hill Top farm. Similar to the Beatrix Potter’s Gallery, it is time allocated entrance and mine is timed at 12.20pm, which is more than an hour away. It’s raining when I came out of the ticket office. With more than an hour to kill, I decided to check out a trail nearby as suggested by the ticket officer. The trail goes up a slope and I dare not go far up fearing my knee injuries while descending later on. So I went to the farm to visit the souvenir shop and also Potter’s garden. The shop is small with lots of tourist inside and I finished glancing through in 10mins. Went out of the farm and stood in the rain across the road under my umbrella looking at the hills, sheep and grassland. Finally, it stopped raining and the sky is blue again. Everything seemed refreshed after the shower. I went back into the farm to take the photo of the actual house. With 40mins to go and no other interesting places to go, I decided just to wait outside the house and do some people watching.
Finally it’s my turn to enter the house. No photo is allowed inside the house and they have kept the house in low light to preserve the things inside. Inside the house, there’s an actual wall fire in the living room, Potter’s art work, her collections and also some of her brother’s landscape paintings were also shown in various rooms in the house. At some areas, there's a Potter’s published book turned to a certain page. If you examine closely, you’ll find that the drawing is actually based on that place or the viewing angle.
Beatrix Potter moved to Castle Cottage (a bigger house), situated just across the road after marrying William Heelis, but she still comes back to Hill Top everyday to do her drawing and tend her garden. She extended one of her room upstairs to make it her office. In her office, there were landscape drawings done by her brother, and also a drawing each from her parents. Potter took after her father in animal illustrations while her brother took after her mother in landscape paintings. From the window of her office, you could see the by the willow tree.
After finishing the visit, I went back to my car, made myself some soup to go with biscuits for lunch. Then I set off to Glasglow. The scenery along the route is very nice, grassland and hilly terrains. All these changes as I near Glasglow, it’s obvious that I’m entering a city. Tall buildings, queuing traffics and flats. I check-in to the student’s dormitory of University of Glasgow at 5.30pm. The university opens up the hostel to the public during semester breaks. For a mere ￡16.80, I got a spacious single room (room 336) to myself. There are plenty of shower rooms and toilets outside the hallway and several kitchens in each floor. The tenants of a few rooms will be designated to use a certain kitchen. Also on each floor there’s a laundry room and it’s absolutely free (just bring your own washing powder or buy from the reception for ￡1). Also, if you have your own laptop, you can borrow a RJ45 cable from the reception and you can surf for free. This is the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in by far and it’s definitely so much better compared to the dorm I stayed when I was studying in UTM years back.
Although I wanted to go out and explore Glasgow, I know I needed to first settle my accommodations for the following few nights in Isle of Skye and Edinburgh. I decided to spend 3 nights each in Isle of Skye and Edinburgh. With the internet access, I started calling the hostels in Isle of Skye. It’s probably due to the Bank Holiday Monday that I could only get accommodations for Friday and Sunday nights in 2 different hostels in Portree. Next I tried several other hostels, B&Bs and Inns but to no vain. Gosh, how time flies by. I stopped my search as it’s getting really late and I need to do my laundry and also shower. Well, I’ll just have to see how it goes when I get to Portree tomorrow. Made myself some hot chocolate and went to bed at 2am.
Woke up early and prepared the journey to Glasgow, but only to find that the drive would only take me about 2hrs 40mins when I keyed in the postcode of the University of Glasgow (instead of 5hrs I thought). Hence, I thought I would visit Grasmere village and Hill Top Farm although it’s really not fuel efficient. Arrived at Grassmere and went walking round the village. The main center is filled with hotels, B&Bs and shops. It’s quite a small area. Went further towards the residential area where there’s a nice lake. There’s a riverside walk trail but I didn’t do it due to time factor. 
Left for Hill Top farm and the car park is already full. There was 2 National Trust ladies standing guard so I asked them if there’s anywhere nearby I could park the car. They ask me to try at Near Sawrey. Parked my car at some kind of hall and walked back towards the Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Farm ticket office. It’s about 5 minutes walk away from the actual entrance of the Hill Top farm. Similar to the Beatrix Potter’s Gallery, it is time allocated entrance and mine is timed at 12.20pm, which is more than an hour away. It’s raining when I came out of the ticket office. With more than an hour to kill, I decided to check out a trail nearby as suggested by the ticket officer. The trail goes up a slope and I dare not go far up fearing my knee injuries while descending later on. So I went to the farm to visit the souvenir shop and also Potter’s garden. The shop is small with lots of tourist inside and I finished glancing through in 10mins. Went out of the farm and stood in the rain across the road under my umbrella looking at the hills, sheep and grassland. Finally, it stopped raining and the sky is blue again. Everything seemed refreshed after the shower. I went back into the farm to take the photo of the actual house. With 40mins to go and no other interesting places to go, I decided just to wait outside the house and do some people watching.
Finally it’s my turn to enter the house. No photo is allowed inside the house and they have kept the house in low light to preserve the things inside. Inside the house, there’s an actual wall fire in the living room, Potter’s art work, her collections and also some of her brother’s landscape paintings were also shown in various rooms in the house. At some areas, there's a Potter’s published book turned to a certain page. If you examine closely, you’ll find that the drawing is actually based on that place or the viewing angle.
Beatrix Potter moved to Castle Cottage (a bigger house), situated just across the road after marrying William Heelis, but she still comes back to Hill Top everyday to do her drawing and tend her garden. She extended one of her room upstairs to make it her office. In her office, there were landscape drawings done by her brother, and also a drawing each from her parents. Potter took after her father in animal illustrations while her brother took after her mother in landscape paintings. From the window of her office, you could see the by the willow tree.
After finishing the visit, I went back to my car, made myself some soup to go with biscuits for lunch. Then I set off to Glasglow. The scenery along the route is very nice, grassland and hilly terrains. All these changes as I near Glasglow, it’s obvious that I’m entering a city. Tall buildings, queuing traffics and flats. I check-in to the student’s dormitory of University of Glasgow at 5.30pm. The university opens up the hostel to the public during semester breaks. For a mere ￡16.80, I got a spacious single room (room 336) to myself. There are plenty of shower rooms and toilets outside the hallway and several kitchens in each floor. The tenants of a few rooms will be designated to use a certain kitchen. Also on each floor there’s a laundry room and it’s absolutely free (just bring your own washing powder or buy from the reception for ￡1). Also, if you have your own laptop, you can borrow a RJ45 cable from the reception and you can surf for free. This is the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in by far and it’s definitely so much better compared to the dorm I stayed when I was studying in UTM years back.
Although I wanted to go out and explore Glasgow, I know I needed to first settle my accommodations for the following few nights in Isle of Skye and Edinburgh. I decided to spend 3 nights each in Isle of Skye and Edinburgh. With the internet access, I started calling the hostels in Isle of Skye. It’s probably due to the Bank Holiday Monday that I could only get accommodations for Friday and Sunday nights in 2 different hostels in Portree. Next I tried several other hostels, B&Bs and Inns but to no vain. Gosh, how time flies by. I stopped my search as it’s getting really late and I need to do my laundry and also shower. Well, I’ll just have to see how it goes when I get to Portree tomorrow. Made myself some hot chocolate and went to bed at 2am.
21st Aug 2008 - Keswick (Walla Crag & Ashness Bridge - A Farmed Lanscape)
Day 3
Woke up @ 7am and freshen up preparing for my walk. According to the walking guide, this trail is approx 9km, considered moderate and will take 3-4hrs. Well, from experience I knew that most likely I’ll take double the time said in the guide (time spent to take photographs, take breaks to catch up on my breath, getting lost…). So I made sure that I start early just in case I got lost then I’ll have more time to hopefully find my way back.
The guide is divided into 6 main sections starting from the Moot Hall but I took a short cut since the trail actually takes me somewhere in between my hostel and the Moot Hall. The initial 4 points are rather easy to follow as the guides provided are very clear and the trails are either roads or on clear footpath signs. I first pass by a farm house and turn into the woodland going uphill. As the footpath curved round to the left, I got a good view across Walla Crag and Falcon Crag. There’s a stream on my left and big grasslands on my right. Very soon, I saw herds of sheep grazing on the grassland. Looking downwards, I can see the lovely Borrowdale. Keswick is actually at the junction of several valleys, including Borrowdale.
Continuing on the path towards Walla Crag, I came out of the woodland to a vast opening with clear views of the surrounding rolling hills. Felt great to stand in the open field and take in the magnificent views. Next, I climbed over a stile (it’s just a wooden plank placed at the wall fence so you can get to the other side of the wall) and reached the viewpoint of Walla Crag. It has stunning views over Keswick and the surrounding fells and the Derwentwater Lake. Simply breathe taking!!! The wind is very strong up here and I had to be careful not to be blown away. There’s a fellow hiker arriving at the viewpoint and left after a 5 minutes break. I lingered little bit more and moved on as other hikers start arriving.
Looking at my guide, I couldn’t make out the path I should take as there were 2 possible trails and both of them are not really clear. There weren’t any sign posts as well. While checking my maps, the couples behind me followed one of the trails although I think the guide pointed to the other. Then there’s a senior couples who came and took the trail I though to be true. So, I followed on. The senior couples were really fit and quick. Very soon I lost track of them while I’m stopping to snap photos. As the path is now very unclear, I’m not sure which way I should go. I can see a possible trail on the left leading up towards a steep hill but then the guide did mentioned not to take the trail towards the left. But if I don’t take the trail, there isn’t any other obvious trail around. Standing in the vast grassland, I looked around for signs of other hikers. Then I recognized the red rucksack carried by the senior couple earlier on and they are already half way up the steep hill. So although unsure, I followed on to the trail leading uphill, constantly looking back down to find if there’s any other trails that I’ve missed.
The climb was a pretty steep and I had to stop couple of times to catch my breath and rest my weakening legs. Finally I reach the top but it started to rain so I decide not to stay but work my way down. I wasn’t sure if the path I took was the correct one and soon I know I followed the wrong path. As the path has now disappeared and although there’s sign of possible footpath but it doesn’t seem to be leading to the correct path. I am officially lost. I don’t know where to go; I can’t see anybody around but sheep. Studying the map and the guide, I figured I need to find a way towards the lake. I could see some trails some distant away so I thought if I could work my way there then I should be ok. So I cautiously make a straight line walk through knee-deep bushes and small trees. But as I near the trail, I came to realize that there’s an edge drop to the streams below hence I can’t get to the trail directly. So, I’m stuck again but I’m still calm as it’s only about 12noon so I have another 8hrs to get myself back before its dark. Worst case scenario is I back-trace my trails and go back to where I come from.
Suddenly, I heard some noise like people’s yelling from a far. I stopped and listen. Nothing. So I continue on walking up alongside the streams then I hear it again. I stopped and scanned. There, I saw a group of people on the opposite side of the hills. That’s a slight relieve. So I reassess my location and try to work my way towards the group of people. There’s a fence in between me and them so I climbed over the fence only to find that it’s a sharp fall to the stream. I continued going upwards as I think there should be a place where the streams start hence I could cross over. Finally I found the place where I could cross the streams and made it to the opposite hill. Now, with the fresh shoe marks in the mud and clearer trails, I am much more confident that I could continue on this walk. However, while on the way, I almost sprained my right ankle as its pretty slippery and muddy. Now I started descending the hills. On a split path, while figuring which path I should take, I saw the hiker I met at the Walla Crag viewpoint. Hence I followed him downwards but my speed now is very slow as my old injuries on my right knee started to pain again. I had to constantly rest to release the stress on my knees.
At the bottom of the hill is the famous Ashness Bridge. Many hikers and tourists stopped here for a picnic lunch. I too sat by the river and had an apple and rested. I was very relieved that from this point onwards, it’ll be level road walking and no more climbing up and down. Walking along the lake’s shoreline was pretty nice and relaxing. While passing a grass field, I noticed an old Herdwick sheep. I inched closer trying to get a close-up. Then the sheep looked up straight towards me. It’s so cute, like a cartoon character. After a while, he moved away.
Continued on, I reached the lakeside I was at yesterday. So I sat down and rested. Later as it’s getting sunny, I found a shaded natural chair formed by the roots of a tree. I took off my wet shoes and socks. Lean on to the tree and rest. It’s very relaxing listening to the lapping waves, chirping birds, and mild wind. I would have stayed for hours if not that I needed to use the toilet. After my toilet break, I sat by the docks. My knees are hurting and I thought does this means that no more hiking / climbing while I’m at Scotland?
Feeling hungry, I went back to the town and bought a ready meal (Tikki Masala chicken rice). After my shower and dinner, I rested at the tv room munching on Pringles.
Woke up @ 7am and freshen up preparing for my walk. According to the walking guide, this trail is approx 9km, considered moderate and will take 3-4hrs. Well, from experience I knew that most likely I’ll take double the time said in the guide (time spent to take photographs, take breaks to catch up on my breath, getting lost…). So I made sure that I start early just in case I got lost then I’ll have more time to hopefully find my way back. The guide is divided into 6 main sections starting from the Moot Hall but I took a short cut since the trail actually takes me somewhere in between my hostel and the Moot Hall. The initial 4 points are rather easy to follow as the guides provided are very clear and the trails are either roads or on clear footpath signs. I first pass by a farm house and turn into the woodland going uphill. As the footpath curved round to the left, I got a good view across Walla Crag and Falcon Crag. There’s a stream on my left and big grasslands on my right. Very soon, I saw herds of sheep grazing on the grassland. Looking downwards, I can see the lovely Borrowdale. Keswick is actually at the junction of several valleys, including Borrowdale.
Continuing on the path towards Walla Crag, I came out of the woodland to a vast opening with clear views of the surrounding rolling hills. Felt great to stand in the open field and take in the magnificent views. Next, I climbed over a stile (it’s just a wooden plank placed at the wall fence so you can get to the other side of the wall) and reached the viewpoint of Walla Crag. It has stunning views over Keswick and the surrounding fells and the Derwentwater Lake. Simply breathe taking!!! The wind is very strong up here and I had to be careful not to be blown away. There’s a fellow hiker arriving at the viewpoint and left after a 5 minutes break. I lingered little bit more and moved on as other hikers start arriving.
Looking at my guide, I couldn’t make out the path I should take as there were 2 possible trails and both of them are not really clear. There weren’t any sign posts as well. While checking my maps, the couples behind me followed one of the trails although I think the guide pointed to the other. Then there’s a senior couples who came and took the trail I though to be true. So, I followed on. The senior couples were really fit and quick. Very soon I lost track of them while I’m stopping to snap photos. As the path is now very unclear, I’m not sure which way I should go. I can see a possible trail on the left leading up towards a steep hill but then the guide did mentioned not to take the trail towards the left. But if I don’t take the trail, there isn’t any other obvious trail around. Standing in the vast grassland, I looked around for signs of other hikers. Then I recognized the red rucksack carried by the senior couple earlier on and they are already half way up the steep hill. So although unsure, I followed on to the trail leading uphill, constantly looking back down to find if there’s any other trails that I’ve missed.
The climb was a pretty steep and I had to stop couple of times to catch my breath and rest my weakening legs. Finally I reach the top but it started to rain so I decide not to stay but work my way down. I wasn’t sure if the path I took was the correct one and soon I know I followed the wrong path. As the path has now disappeared and although there’s sign of possible footpath but it doesn’t seem to be leading to the correct path. I am officially lost. I don’t know where to go; I can’t see anybody around but sheep. Studying the map and the guide, I figured I need to find a way towards the lake. I could see some trails some distant away so I thought if I could work my way there then I should be ok. So I cautiously make a straight line walk through knee-deep bushes and small trees. But as I near the trail, I came to realize that there’s an edge drop to the streams below hence I can’t get to the trail directly. So, I’m stuck again but I’m still calm as it’s only about 12noon so I have another 8hrs to get myself back before its dark. Worst case scenario is I back-trace my trails and go back to where I come from.
Suddenly, I heard some noise like people’s yelling from a far. I stopped and listen. Nothing. So I continue on walking up alongside the streams then I hear it again. I stopped and scanned. There, I saw a group of people on the opposite side of the hills. That’s a slight relieve. So I reassess my location and try to work my way towards the group of people. There’s a fence in between me and them so I climbed over the fence only to find that it’s a sharp fall to the stream. I continued going upwards as I think there should be a place where the streams start hence I could cross over. Finally I found the place where I could cross the streams and made it to the opposite hill. Now, with the fresh shoe marks in the mud and clearer trails, I am much more confident that I could continue on this walk. However, while on the way, I almost sprained my right ankle as its pretty slippery and muddy. Now I started descending the hills. On a split path, while figuring which path I should take, I saw the hiker I met at the Walla Crag viewpoint. Hence I followed him downwards but my speed now is very slow as my old injuries on my right knee started to pain again. I had to constantly rest to release the stress on my knees.
At the bottom of the hill is the famous Ashness Bridge. Many hikers and tourists stopped here for a picnic lunch. I too sat by the river and had an apple and rested. I was very relieved that from this point onwards, it’ll be level road walking and no more climbing up and down. Walking along the lake’s shoreline was pretty nice and relaxing. While passing a grass field, I noticed an old Herdwick sheep. I inched closer trying to get a close-up. Then the sheep looked up straight towards me. It’s so cute, like a cartoon character. After a while, he moved away.
Continued on, I reached the lakeside I was at yesterday. So I sat down and rested. Later as it’s getting sunny, I found a shaded natural chair formed by the roots of a tree. I took off my wet shoes and socks. Lean on to the tree and rest. It’s very relaxing listening to the lapping waves, chirping birds, and mild wind. I would have stayed for hours if not that I needed to use the toilet. After my toilet break, I sat by the docks. My knees are hurting and I thought does this means that no more hiking / climbing while I’m at Scotland?
Feeling hungry, I went back to the town and bought a ready meal (Tikki Masala chicken rice). After my shower and dinner, I rested at the tv room munching on Pringles.
Tuesday 2 September 2008
20th Aug 2008 - Lake District (Keswick) - cont
Day 2
After the gallery, I drove to the Hill Top Farm (10-15mins away) to visit Potter's house. But the carpark is full hence I decided to leave and head to Keswick. I checked-in to Deston House, Independent Hostel without prior booking as I couldn't get hold of them whenever i called. Independent hostel meant that they only open the reception at certain hours only so lucky when i arrived there's a staff there doing the daily cleaning and checked me in for 2 nights. A bed in the 6 bed female dorm costs GBP13 pppn. They have a fully equipped kitchen with all the utensils, free coffee and tea, huge dining room, tv room, toilets and showers.
The staff showed me the way around the hostel and also showed me how to get to the town center so I could get a local map from the tourist info centre at the Moot Hall, which is just a mere 10 mins walk away. Bought a walking guide (60p) for tomorrow's activity and got my local map. The Keswick town is slightly larger than the Windermere. The heart of Keswick is its Market Place, ringed round with shops and hotels. which is now renovated into a pedestrian priority area. It is now rapidly becoming known as the" outdoor clothing capital" of England because of the number of national and local specialist retailers supplying every need. It has a fantastic setting between Derwentwater, Blencathra and Skiddaw, and is the favorite centre for Lakeland climbers and serious fell walkers.
With the map, I found my way to the lake. Similar to the Windermere, there're more swans, ducks, gondolas and tourists. You can also take a boat ride round the lake Derwent or hire a small speed boat yourself. Following the shoreline and a path thru the thin woods, I reached the connecting lake where there's less people. As it's starting to get dark, I went back to the town to find a supermarket. Found the Co-op store and bought some instant noodles and soup pack. Went back to the hostel, showered and cooked noodles. Nice hot soupy noodle. After dinner, I loitered in the TV room reading up on Scotland while watching the TV programs.
After the gallery, I drove to the Hill Top Farm (10-15mins away) to visit Potter's house. But the carpark is full hence I decided to leave and head to Keswick. I checked-in to Deston House, Independent Hostel without prior booking as I couldn't get hold of them whenever i called. Independent hostel meant that they only open the reception at certain hours only so lucky when i arrived there's a staff there doing the daily cleaning and checked me in for 2 nights. A bed in the 6 bed female dorm costs GBP13 pppn. They have a fully equipped kitchen with all the utensils, free coffee and tea, huge dining room, tv room, toilets and showers.
The staff showed me the way around the hostel and also showed me how to get to the town center so I could get a local map from the tourist info centre at the Moot Hall, which is just a mere 10 mins walk away. Bought a walking guide (60p) for tomorrow's activity and got my local map. The Keswick town is slightly larger than the Windermere. The heart of Keswick is its Market Place, ringed round with shops and hotels. which is now renovated into a pedestrian priority area. It is now rapidly becoming known as the" outdoor clothing capital" of England because of the number of national and local specialist retailers supplying every need. It has a fantastic setting between Derwentwater, Blencathra and Skiddaw, and is the favorite centre for Lakeland climbers and serious fell walkers. 
With the map, I found my way to the lake. Similar to the Windermere, there're more swans, ducks, gondolas and tourists. You can also take a boat ride round the lake Derwent or hire a small speed boat yourself. Following the shoreline and a path thru the thin woods, I reached the connecting lake where there's less people. As it's starting to get dark, I went back to the town to find a supermarket. Found the Co-op store and bought some instant noodles and soup pack. Went back to the hostel, showered and cooked noodles. Nice hot soupy noodle. After dinner, I loitered in the TV room reading up on Scotland while watching the TV programs.
Last nite in Swindon
After one year in Swindon, I'm moving out of my lovely nest I resided for the past 13 months tomorrow. Spent the day cleaning up my room. Although Swindon is just an industrial town and not as beautiful as other towns like Bath, but I quite like my place. It's home away from home.
Next up, I'll continue on traveling down south for the next 2 weeks before joining my friend to Italy. As you might have notice, I've just came back from up north (Lake District & Scotland) and I'm still catching up on my trip report and also all the photos. Yes, it's all play and no work now =) I still have a few things to think through while on my travel. So I hope I can come to a conclusion by the time I get back to Malaysia.
Don't envy me, you too can do it if you want to. You are in charge of your own life.
Next up, I'll continue on traveling down south for the next 2 weeks before joining my friend to Italy. As you might have notice, I've just came back from up north (Lake District & Scotland) and I'm still catching up on my trip report and also all the photos. Yes, it's all play and no work now =) I still have a few things to think through while on my travel. So I hope I can come to a conclusion by the time I get back to Malaysia.
Don't envy me, you too can do it if you want to. You are in charge of your own life.
Monday 1 September 2008
20th Aug 2008 - Lake District (Keswick)
Day 2
Woke up @ 7.45am to prepare for my departure. Went down for breakfast and there's already several other guests in the dining table. The owner greeted me and sat me down. Started with some cornflakes, followed by toast and coffee. His daughter was helping him serve the food. Then the full English breakfast with sausage, bacon, egg, baked beans, grilled mushroom and tomato. With a full stomach, I cleared my stuff into my car. The owner was kind enough to let me leave my car there while I hike up the Orrest Head Viewpoint on a hill nearby, made popular by the poet William Wordsworth. It has long been proclaimed one of the finest viewpoints in the Lake District offering an extensive panorama and it is very easy to reach on foot as it's not a steep climb and after 30mins I reached the top. Its an amazing view from the top overlooking the windermere lake and the surrounding hills. As i was alone there so i was jumping and running around taking shots of the view and also myself. Just I as I was ending my crazy run around, other tourists started to arrive. Phew, talk about good timing =)
Back at the B&B, i bid the owner goodbye and head to Hawkshead for the Beatrix Potter's Gallary situated just 30mins away. The roads were narrow winding country roads. So concentration and going slow is the way to go. Park & Display carpark at the village costs GBP2.20 for 2 hours. Lucky the machine takes debit card as I didn't have enough coins.
I first stopped by the Old Grammar School founded in 1585 by the Archbishop of York, Edwin Sandys. The ground floor classroom retains many old & original desks covered in carvings done by the boys, including the poet William Wordsworth and his brother John. Upstairs is the headmaster's study and a classroom containing an exhibition relating to the history of the school, the founder and William Wordsworth.
Hawkshead is quite a charming little town. It's layout reminds me of my visit to Padstow minus the pier. Bought the entrance ticket for the Beatrix Potter Gallery for GBP4 from the tourist information centre adjacent to the gallery. It's a scheduled entry (meaning they only let you in according to the time written at your ticket, which is just a piece of paper attached to the brochure) as the gallery is pretty compact. It's a 17th Century building, which was once the office of her husband, local solicitor William Heelis, has remained largely unaltered since his day. Upon entering, you'll come to a reconstruction of part of William Heelis' office on your left. To your right is a room similar to a living room and behind that is the kitchen. Upstairs in several small rooms, you'll come to the exhibition of a selection of Beatrix Potter's original drawings and illustrations (changes annually). You can also find her published books and some information about this amazing lady.
Helen Beatrix Potter (28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943) was an English author, illustrator, mycologist, and conservationist who was best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit. Potter published 23 children's books in total. With her earnings from the books, she bought the Hill Top Farm and many other farms nearby to protect them from being industrialized. She died at Castle Cottage in Sawrey on 22 December 1943. In her will, Potter left almost all of her property to the National Trust — 4,000 acres (16 km²) of land, cottages, and 15 farms. The legacy has helped ensure that the Lake District and the practice of fell farming remain unspoiled to this day.
Woke up @ 7.45am to prepare for my departure. Went down for breakfast and there's already several other guests in the dining table. The owner greeted me and sat me down. Started with some cornflakes, followed by toast and coffee. His daughter was helping him serve the food. Then the full English breakfast with sausage, bacon, egg, baked beans, grilled mushroom and tomato. With a full stomach, I cleared my stuff into my car. The owner was kind enough to let me leave my car there while I hike up the Orrest Head Viewpoint on a hill nearby, made popular by the poet William Wordsworth. It has long been proclaimed one of the finest viewpoints in the Lake District offering an extensive panorama and it is very easy to reach on foot as it's not a steep climb and after 30mins I reached the top. Its an amazing view from the top overlooking the windermere lake and the surrounding hills. As i was alone there so i was jumping and running around taking shots of the view and also myself. Just I as I was ending my crazy run around, other tourists started to arrive. Phew, talk about good timing =) Back at the B&B, i bid the owner goodbye and head to Hawkshead for the Beatrix Potter's Gallary situated just 30mins away. The roads were narrow winding country roads. So concentration and going slow is the way to go. Park & Display carpark at the village costs GBP2.20 for 2 hours. Lucky the machine takes debit card as I didn't have enough coins.
I first stopped by the Old Grammar School founded in 1585 by the Archbishop of York, Edwin Sandys. The ground floor classroom retains many old & original desks covered in carvings done by the boys, including the poet William Wordsworth and his brother John. Upstairs is the headmaster's study and a classroom containing an exhibition relating to the history of the school, the founder and William Wordsworth.
Hawkshead is quite a charming little town. It's layout reminds me of my visit to Padstow minus the pier. Bought the entrance ticket for the Beatrix Potter Gallery for GBP4 from the tourist information centre adjacent to the gallery. It's a scheduled entry (meaning they only let you in according to the time written at your ticket, which is just a piece of paper attached to the brochure) as the gallery is pretty compact. It's a 17th Century building, which was once the office of her husband, local solicitor William Heelis, has remained largely unaltered since his day. Upon entering, you'll come to a reconstruction of part of William Heelis' office on your left. To your right is a room similar to a living room and behind that is the kitchen. Upstairs in several small rooms, you'll come to the exhibition of a selection of Beatrix Potter's original drawings and illustrations (changes annually). You can also find her published books and some information about this amazing lady. Helen Beatrix Potter (28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943) was an English author, illustrator, mycologist, and conservationist who was best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit. Potter published 23 children's books in total. With her earnings from the books, she bought the Hill Top Farm and many other farms nearby to protect them from being industrialized. She died at Castle Cottage in Sawrey on 22 December 1943. In her will, Potter left almost all of her property to the National Trust — 4,000 acres (16 km²) of land, cottages, and 15 farms. The legacy has helped ensure that the Lake District and the practice of fell farming remain unspoiled to this day.
19th Aug 2008 - Lake District (Windermere)
Day 1
After checking in, I rested in my room recovering from the long drive. The room is pretty small, with a single bed, a wash basin, a small TV and 2 small table cabinet, but its sufficient for a single person. The toilet & shower is located upstairs. As I will only be here for one night, I wanted to make the most of my time here so I head out although it's drizzling. Armed with a local map I got from the B&B, I went out wandering around with no particular destination in mind. The town of Windermere is very compact but lively. I ventured into an area which i thought was a park but turned out it's actually the local library. Coming out from the library, I stopped to look at my map. A very kind lady also coming out of the library stopped and asked if I needed any help. Her act warmed my heart and I smiled saying "I'm fine, thank you" (coz i have no idea where I wanna go). Looking at the map, I saw there's a public footpath nearby which would lead me toward the lake promenade area. So I decided to go there since I still have about 4 hrs before the sun sets. I took the wrong lane thinking it was the footpath but turned out its a dead end with holiday cottages to my left. As I turn back towards the main road, an old lady (living there) with her raincoat over her head pointed me to the correct entrance way. Hmm... people here are sure really friendly =) It was actually a tiny lane hidden next to the lane I took. The path took me through the woods with a stream to my right. At the end of the path, I came out to a main road and took a left turn towards the lake. There, I was welcomed by the beautiful lake Windermere.
Swans and ducks flocked around tourists for breadcrumbs, dozens of gondolas and boats parked at the shore for rent. I lingered at the promenade watching and photographing the swans just inches away. 2 Japanese girls standing near me kept saying 'kawaii' (meaning cute in jap). Further down the path, i came to the docking bay for yachts. They were all lined up neatly and most of them are actually for sale. Several new models were also on display on land but the price tags on it really shocked me (some are equivalent to the price of a house). Back at the promenade, small kids having fun feeding the birds while their parents watch on with a big smile on their faces, lovers and couples strolling along the shoreline, everybody is having a wonderful time. Such a peaceful and nice scene...
As it started raining again, I thought I better head back. It soon turned into a really heavy downpour. Despite having an umbrella, I was still soaking wet knee-down. This doesn't help when I overshot my turning without knowing it until a few blocks down. Shower time, the water was icy cold !!! No matter which way I turn the knob there just isn't any hot water coming out. Quickly braved myself thru the cold water shower and back to the room to warm up. Dinner was tomato & vege soup pack, bread and pringles. Watched some Olympics and surfed a while and slept @ 11pm with the rain still going strong outside.
After checking in, I rested in my room recovering from the long drive. The room is pretty small, with a single bed, a wash basin, a small TV and 2 small table cabinet, but its sufficient for a single person. The toilet & shower is located upstairs. As I will only be here for one night, I wanted to make the most of my time here so I head out although it's drizzling. Armed with a local map I got from the B&B, I went out wandering around with no particular destination in mind. The town of Windermere is very compact but lively. I ventured into an area which i thought was a park but turned out it's actually the local library. Coming out from the library, I stopped to look at my map. A very kind lady also coming out of the library stopped and asked if I needed any help. Her act warmed my heart and I smiled saying "I'm fine, thank you" (coz i have no idea where I wanna go). Looking at the map, I saw there's a public footpath nearby which would lead me toward the lake promenade area. So I decided to go there since I still have about 4 hrs before the sun sets. I took the wrong lane thinking it was the footpath but turned out its a dead end with holiday cottages to my left. As I turn back towards the main road, an old lady (living there) with her raincoat over her head pointed me to the correct entrance way. Hmm... people here are sure really friendly =) It was actually a tiny lane hidden next to the lane I took. The path took me through the woods with a stream to my right. At the end of the path, I came out to a main road and took a left turn towards the lake. There, I was welcomed by the beautiful lake Windermere.
Swans and ducks flocked around tourists for breadcrumbs, dozens of gondolas and boats parked at the shore for rent. I lingered at the promenade watching and photographing the swans just inches away. 2 Japanese girls standing near me kept saying 'kawaii' (meaning cute in jap). Further down the path, i came to the docking bay for yachts. They were all lined up neatly and most of them are actually for sale. Several new models were also on display on land but the price tags on it really shocked me (some are equivalent to the price of a house). Back at the promenade, small kids having fun feeding the birds while their parents watch on with a big smile on their faces, lovers and couples strolling along the shoreline, everybody is having a wonderful time. Such a peaceful and nice scene...
As it started raining again, I thought I better head back. It soon turned into a really heavy downpour. Despite having an umbrella, I was still soaking wet knee-down. This doesn't help when I overshot my turning without knowing it until a few blocks down. Shower time, the water was icy cold !!! No matter which way I turn the knob there just isn't any hot water coming out. Quickly braved myself thru the cold water shower and back to the room to warm up. Dinner was tomato & vege soup pack, bread and pringles. Watched some Olympics and surfed a while and slept @ 11pm with the rain still going strong outside.
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