Great North Fun Days 26-28

In the past few days we've spent some wonderful time with family, driven along some improbably narrow roads, got soaked to the skin and arrived at a campsite the approach to which makes landing at the old Kytak Airport look simple.

We've spent the past couple of nights in a real bed in a huge house.  At least I think it's a huge house, it could just be that everywhere looks huge after several weeks living in a motorhome. However large it was it was lovely and, even better, it was full of family we don't see very often so it was great to catch up. While we were all together we headed down to Buttermere - a lovely place but not somewhere for the feint hearted MH driver.  It's not so much the narrow country lanes with overhanging rock faces that are the main challenge, it's mostly the other drivers out there, many of whom have little or no patience or understanding.  There were several occasions that made me wish I could convert the overcab bed to a gun turret. Even if it did't actually work I'm sure a motorhome/ Sherman tank hybrid would instill a little discipline on the roads and maybe improve people's manners.

Derwent Water from Catbells

If I thought the roads to Buttermere were fun they were simply the warm up for the approach to the CC site we're now on near Keswick.  Heaven knows how twin axle caravans make it down here.  A tight right hand bend into Grange and immediately over a narrow stone double hump bridge before squeezing along the road through the village lanes past badly parked tourists cars.  (I'm telling you - the Elddis Panzer would restore a little order.). Then a few more winding lanes before dropping down into a fabulous little woodland site.  No loo block but plenty of peaceful pitches.

After lunch we decided to walk around the lake but we got distracted half way round by Catbells fell so we climbed that instead. Not a big peak but in a perfect spot for panoramic views of Derwent, Keswick and the surrounding valleys.  We're hoping to tackle something rather more challenging when we're in Ambleside so this was a nice warm up.

Home for a cold beer - which always tastes so much better when it's been earned - and an evening spent making plans for the weekend.  We're off the infamous Ambleside Aire tomorrow which we're planning to use as a base for the bank holiday weekend.  Not sure I fancy tackling the traffic around Windermere over August bank holiday - at least not until I've got my rear gunner...

I don't know if I'll be able to update each day as we'll have no electric to recharge the batteries but if I can I will and I've no real idea how many people are following my mad ramblings but it's been a lovely way for us to keep track of what we've been doing.  Can't believe it's only just over a week till we head home - still, loads to do before then and probably much of it in the rain!