Spirit Trail Day 12 - The end is nigh!

Nearly done!  Our inaugural lap of the

#SpiritTrail is coming to a close - neither of us can quite believe how the time has flown.

Today we started in Cockermouth (I'll wait while you finish sniggering) and followed the route of the River Derwent all the way to Workington.

Karen was in an extra special good mood on account of the fact that a) the heater in our room was stuck on "super nova" setting so we were super toasty/ roasting like pigs in blankets all night and b) there was blue sky!  We'd both put our rucksack covers and waterproofs on at the start of the walk - an age old way of guaranteeing fine weather, we really should have tried it earlier in the trek!

Both of us have noticed how much fitter we've got during the past 2 weeks. We were far from couch potatoes before but today we hoovered up the 12 miles to Workington - the slowest part was dragging Karen past the shops, especially after she spotted Debenhams.

I'll be honest, I'm no fan of shopping but my motivation for pushing on was driven by nothing more than a desire to see the sea - honestly I'm like an over excited 5 year old when it comes to the draw of crashing waves.  It may sound cute but trust me, it gets tiring after a while - there are old family cine films of me on the beach aged around 2 or 3 and each time someone lets go of my hand I waddle straight towards the sea, I literally had to be tethered to avoid causing an incident. I may have forgotten to mention that to Karen...

Our sea seeing duties completed we headed back for the train to Whitehaven - if you follow in our footsteps and prefer to walk there is a beautiful stretch of coastal path you could take instead.

Once collapsed in my hotel room (ok, maybe the 12 mile hike wasn't such a breeze after all) I realised that all our hikes were now done - tomorrow we are meeting the fab folks at The Rum Story and then heading home.  We shall be celebrating our achievement with a chippy tea later but, for now, I've decided to celebrate with a glass of Lakes Distillery whisky in my beautiful Cumbria Crystal glass - which I still can't believe has made it this far intact!

Click here for Cumbria Crystal

Click here for Lakes Distillery

And if you happen to be near Whitehaven tomorrow (14th September) do pop along to The Rum Story to say hello - we'll be there around lunchtime. 😀

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Spirit Trail Day 1 & 2- Hello Stranger...

Well, we did it, we finally met. After around 5 years chatting on social media and several months of intense planning for the trip I finally met my hiking partner for the next 2 weeks.  Karen is absolutely lovely though frankly I'm just pleased she didn't turn out to be a 20 stone biker named Barry from Milton Keynes.

There was no time to mess around with slow introductions - within an hour of her arrival we were off to Ulverston for the start of our trek and a meeting with the lovely guys at Shed 1 Distillery.   They're often asked why they don't do distillery tours - the answer is quite simple - you see that photo below - it's an aerial photo of their distillery.  The entire distillery.  There's a reason they're called Shed 1 and it's because despite winning awards for their excellent gins, they distil everything in a 25 litre still in the shed in their back garden.

We had a fabulous time sampling 3 of their brews and learning all about the botanicals they use and where they source them (mainly Cumbria).  Our trip was beginning very well indeed...

From there it was over to Cumbria Crystal who have very kindly agreed to give us two absolutely beautiful crystal goblets for our trip - the perfect G&T demands the perfect glass.  You can find them in Ulverston opposite Booth's and the factory shop is open 7 days a week.  If you visit Mon - Fri you can watch the experts blowing the glass in the factory - but please do remember it's a working factory and the glass blowers are performing an immensely skilled task so it's best not to distract them.

Their finished products are unashamedly top end and can be seen in all the British embassies around the world as well as in James Bond films and Downton Abbey (amongst many others).  Here's the VERY best bit though - from October through to 22nd December you can book to go in and blow your own crystal bauble for your Christmas tree.  How cool is that?  We already have our session booked!  You can book yours HERE - do it soon as they're bound to sell out really quickly.

The crystal goblets are absolutely beautiful and I know they will be perfect for our many G&Ts - we've got them wrapped up like footballs so we don't damage them!

After all of that excitement it was time to check into our hotel for the night - Virginia House in the centre of Ulverston.  This little gem has a well deserved reputation for fine dining and the fact that it has one of the best gin bars in Cumbria didn't influence our decision at all.  Honest...

Craig and Louise are the perfect hosts and the food was absolutely superb - really imaginative and utterly delicious.  I mean this in a really good way, but the whole thing was like getting to taste all the amazing food they make in a Masterchef final.

Following such a fine feed - and perhaps the occasional gin (just to be polite!) we slept like logs and devoured a huge breakfast this morning before setting off.  Craig and Louise waved us off and, as we took our very first steps, the very first drops of rain began to fall...

So how was the first hike?  Well, it rained. And rained.  And then rained a little more.  There was also a howling gale as we made our way up over the back of Hoad Hill - but the problem with putting two resolutely positive people together is that we refused to acknowledge that we were either cold or wet.  "Well it could be worse..."  "And at least it's not..." were the main topics of conversation

"At least there are no bears..."

"At least it's not snowing..."

The first day was just a short hop to Greenodd as I had a commitment to honour with the Arthur Ransome Trust - I was reading a chapter in a marathon reading of Swallows and Amazons.  Such a shame the weather wasn't playing ball, but it was still an excellent event!

Tomorrow we're back on the road again so join us (or even watch out for us!) as we make our way from Greenodd to Cartmel.  Here's hoping for sunnier skies!

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10 Curious Cumbrian Keepsakes

From crystal used by James Bond to mattresses filled with Herdy wool and some of the finest gin in the land - I have nothing at all against Cumberland Sausage and Sticky Toffee Pudding, but there are a whole range of gifts you could buy to remind you of your Cumbrian hols.  Here's my pick of the best!

1.  It's Crystal, Cumbria Crystal

Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a James Bond?  Well, here's your chance to own a glass that was used by Bond himself in Casino Royale.  Each beautiful crystal glass, bowl or goblet is crafted by hand and takes around 14 days to produce - you can even visit them and see the whole process for yourself. They're based in Ulverson, down on the south coast of Cumbira and it's free to go and take a look around the factory - plus there's plenty of free parking for your Aston Martin. (Or you can shop online here.)

2, Gin - the perfect tonic

Those who know me know I like gin.  There are a number of gin distilleries in the Lake District (on account of all the lovely water we have for them to work with) but my favourite is the One Gin. Brewed by the Lakes Distillery - it even managed to replace Plymouth Gin in my affections (trust me, that's no mean feat!). The tour of the distillery includes a free tasting of their gins (so make sure you've ducked out of driving duties).  (You can also find a number of gin parlours across the county - such as the excellent Virginia House in Ulverston.)

3. Perfect reminder of a dirty weekend...

After you've got good and dirty on the fells (what other sort of dirty weekend did you have in mind?!) - what you'll need is a good long soak in the bath and some lovely hand made soaps.  The Soap Company Keswick is a social enterprise offering a fabulous range of soaps and soap related products all made by a local team of disabled and/ or disadvantaged people.  The shop smells divine and whichever part of you is dirty, they're bound to have something to clean it (except perhaps for your dirty mind...)

4. Candle in the wind

We all know that no county can hold a candle to Cumbria (you see what I did there?) so picture the scene: you're lying in your bath full of Soap Company bubbles, holding a Cumbria Crystal glass full of One Gin (with a dash of tonic) - all that's missing are the scented candles.  Well, here they are!  These candles don't contain any paraffin or palm oil - they're 100% Eco Soy Wax, which means you won't get any of that nasty black smoke.  They're made by a tiny family business up on the Solway coast and there's no better way of bringing a piece of Cumbria home with you.

5.  Aaaannnnnddd relax...

OK, this one isn't exactly a pocket sized keepsake, but it is utterly awesome! Those fabulous folks at Herdy have recently collaborated in the launch of herdy®sleep, to make luxury wool mattresses with all the wool responsibly sourced from local Herdwick farmers for a proper price.  The mattresses are so snuggly and comfy that you'll be able to skip sheep counting and head straight to dreaming of Cumbria.

6.  Back on the bottle...

Whitehaven is just a short drive from Keswick and if you haven't been then you're really missing out.  There are LOADS of interesting things to do and some spectacular walks along the sea cliffs with stunning views out to sea.  The town has a fascinating history involving the deepest darkest mines, the slave trade, George Washington's granny and rum.  The Rum Story, in the middle of the town will tell you everything you need to know about to town's deep connections with rum - plus you can buy a bottle (or two) to remind you of your trip.

7.  Not a Cumberland sausage

If you don't want a Cumberland sausage but you're still craving meat products, then how about Cumbrian Biltong?  Originating in South Africa, biltong can now be found in most supermarkets, but the stuff you buy in little plastic packets doesn't compare with the real thing, properly made.  James Alexander Fine Foods is owned and run in Cumbria by Cumbrians who are passionate about showing the world that there's more to the county than sausages (although the sausages are really, really, good!)

8.  New Balance trainers, ainers, ainers, ainers...

A global brand, loved by Rihanna, and made in the heart of Cumbria - a pair of New Balance trainers are the perfect keepsake for slightly sulky, super trendy teenagers.  Their "quaint village" roots fascinate our American cousins who can't quite believe that something so cool could come from Flimby (right on the coast between Whitehaven and Maryport) - a tiny town with a population of around 1700 (though that's according to Wikipedia - it could be closer to 2.5 million in reality).

9.  Pick a peck of pickled peppers...

Hawkshead is right in the heart of the Lake District and Hawkshead Relish are right in the heart of the village.  Everyone loves their perfectly made pickles - even the Queen has had a taste - and whatever your piquant preference, there'll be something to suit your palate.  All of the positively perfect pickles and spreads are hand made in small batches in a converted 16th century barn on the edge of Esthwaite Water and taking home a jar or two is the perfect way to preserve your happy holiday memories.

10.  Far from plain paper

A two hundred year old family business, still based in a tiny village in the Lake District and run by the great, great, grandson of the founder - that's something you don't find very often.  They closed their retail shops a few years ago, but you can still buy beautiful stationery from them here - absolutely perfect for sending wedding invites for Lake District weddings and just wonderful  to work with for those who, like me, enjoy a spot of good old fashioned letter writing.