Three Walks from Buttermere Day Two: Crummock Water and the Rannerdale Valley. . .

As nice and convenient as the hostels are in the U.K., let's face it - no one ever gets a good night's sleep.  On the second day,  the hard walkers were planning to go up Pillar but the distance, height and pace they were planning to do was a bit beyond my capabilities that Saturday morning.  So I took the map and decided to plan my own easier walk around Crummock Water, taking the time to enjoy the scenery, snap photos and even sneak in a little knitting.

The first stop was to spend a little time drinking in the  morning reflections on Buttermere.  The water was so, so still.

Then I reluctantly turned away and headed for Crummock Water which is not that far.  Here is the bottom tip of it.  There is a nice path that leads around the entire lake.

And then I saw what at first looked like an island but on closer inspection, was attached to the mainland.

It was the perfect spot to stop for a break and some knitting.  I just hung out there for half an hour enjoying the quiet, the water and the surrounding mountains.

Then I continued on.  This is the head of Crummock Water looking back.

And here's the view on the other side.

I then headed for the Rannerdale Valley path.  This is a designated area of Outstanding Beauty and if I'd been a few weeks earlier, there would have been no mistaking why.

Bluebells!

A bit past their prime, but the mountain slopes and valley are full of them.

Can you imagine how gorgeous this would look at the beginning of May?

The valley itself is a lovely walk.  I took the lower path through most of it.

Looking back at Crummock Water.

And once I'd climbed over the hill to my right, I was again looking down at Crummock.

With several stops, my entire walk took about five hours, allowing me lots of time to go into Buttermere, have a latte and a fish and chips lunch and enjoy the rest of the afternoon knitting while waiting for the hardcore walkers to come back.  It was lovely just having a day to myself amidst all this beauty and it completely refreshed me, allowing me to tackle the hard walk the next day.  This is what is so great about the Lake District; there are any number of walks for all levels of fitness and each offers its own rewards.  I definitely want to return to this valley when the bluebells are at their best.

But there was still one more surprise for the day.  The Liverpud and I headed down to the lake after dinner to catch the sunset.  And to have a good look at Fleetwith Pike (the one in the center) which we were tackling the next day. Not a bad view is it?  And we didn't have to climb anything to get it.

I just love all these colours together. Stunning.