Edge of the Lakes

It's great to get into the English Lakes to enjoy the scenery and (sometimes) feel inspired to write. But it's now the start of the school holidays in England and suddenly (but not surprisingly) all the beauty spots are really busy. There are the usual day-trippers who have come up from the Midlands and northern counties (or even further) but there are also the longer-term holiday-makers, many equipped with caravans and trailers and suchlike.

This is all great for the local economy etc but it makes it difficult for semi-locals like us to get around. We're kind of used to just heading off for the hills when it suits us. But it seems to be suiting a lot of people at the moment so the place is as busy as could be.  And the unusually good weather across the UK means more people than usual are have a staycation and being drawn here.

But that's actually no big deal. To get out into the hills today, rather than waste an hour or two in the car, I walked from home, via Kendal town centre up to the local fell. It's not very high or particularly exciting but it has great views across the Lakes and there was no messing around with traffic.

Though this won't replace trips out into the mountains proper, it is a great fall back. A nice way to spend a morning.