Glad to be home

We’re safely home. We set off in pouring rain. The roads were awash. We seem to be driving through great lakes as the water formed huge pools across the roads as the leaves blocked the drains. Eventually we got onto the M6 motorway. Now the water caused further problems. The traffic ground to a standstill around Kendal. Finally we passed a trailer with an upside down car on it & men clearing the clutter of an accident. On we went. Next was road works. A second lot of road works appeared as we neared Shap. At least at this point you could be fascinated by the low-lying cloud over the fells & the way the mistiness floated around in the valleys. I think this must be the most beautiful stretch of motorway in the country, though forget it if you want to listen to the radio – the fells prevent any reception. We were beginning to wonder if we would ever reach Penrith, but we did.

The hotel itself was pleasantly updated, plenty of wood  features & log fires, even some interesting paintings. We remember delivering there 20 years or so ago – in those days we did a job delivering tourist info leaflets to all the hotels, B&B places etc throughout Windermere, Bowness, Ambleside, Grasmere, Ullswater & Penrith & once a year we ventured up to Carlisle & the Solway estuary. We were surprised to find the Penrith had now expanded more or less to the motorway.

The big problem we found with the hotel was the heating in the bedroom. It felt very cold & we realised the radiator was switched off. So we put it on & it became very noisy. Unfortunately, too, the bed was placed right up against the radiator with the result the heat from the bottom half of the radiator poured into the bed. Although we switched off the radiator at night, it didn’t stop the bed being far too hot for me at night. My knees tend to become radiators on their own at night. This pre-heating of the bed was just too much.

The weekend was further not helped by the fact the art exhibition itself was so poor. The more interesting exhibits I’d seen on line had already been removed as a new exhibition was due to start this week. What remained was very much student work, where the artists had yet to find their voice.

The Rheged Centre, where the exhibition was held, is a very confusing building on various layers. Some parts are ramped easily though that meant going a long way round rather than the much shorter stepped route. At one point we could see where the art exhibition was higher up. We tried the lift nearby to find that didn’t get us where we wanted. We went back down to the bottom to ask at the advice desk. They sent us to another lift. That only got us to some conference rooms. Down we went & asked a second time. They directed us to another lift. This time it worked but by this time the Fox was limping badly & our enthusiasm for the event was waning. We didn’t stay long.

The rain still came down. We decided to return to the hotel. On the way back we were surprised to see there was a thin scattering of snow on the Pennine fells. That explained the icy chill to the day.  We spent the rest of the day in the hotel, reading, snoozing, dining – a very quiet time.

It was a wonderful surprise to get up on Sunday to discover a white world with a blue blue sky. The frost was so hard you could almost see the crystal formations crusting the grass & shrubbery. We decided to come home the scenic route as it was such a beautiful day. So we came down along Ullswater & over the Kirkstone Pass. I always think Ullswater looks so spectacular at this time of year. It is surrounded by so many deciduous trees, birches & oak, that are so full of colour, of yellows & golds, even a touch of red. Even the grass was given a freshness by the brilliance of the sun. Stunning.

Ullswater in autumnal glory

Kirkstone Pass

On the way back we stopped at the golf club for a drink & a late breakfast of a bacon butty –so much tastier than the one we’d had at the hotel the previous day – and felt glad to be home. Last night the Fox made a Spicy Spag Bol, quick & delicious, the epitome of home. Today I’ve prepared a Cheese Pasta Medley – bacon & pasta in a cheesy oniony sauce. And we feel glad to be home. Last night we settled down to some music & a chat about our weekend away & our plans for the garden, & felt pleased to be back. I sometimes think going away for these short breaks is more about the renewal of appreciation of home when you get back, than about anything done while away – that can be disappointing, especially when it is as wet as last weekend was.

But at least we are back & glad of it. Not even the returned rain can dint hat joy.