tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23454099570487538402024-03-13T16:32:06.453+00:00Julia Hedge's Laces
"Oh damn," said Julia Hedge, "why didn't they leave room for an Eliot or a Bronte?"
Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.comBlogger681125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-3053258526137339002020-08-28T17:56:00.001+01:002020-08-28T17:56:14.232+01:00Lake District Holiday Part Four: Finally Getting Up Helvellyn. . . <p>It's often touted as the best walk in the Lake District and one of the best in the UK, but bad weather has always forced me to turn back from Helvellyn - the third highest mountain in England. But on the last day of our vacation, I finally got to the summit and I can now see what all the fuss is about.</p><p>I didn't want either the drama or the crowds of Striding Edge, so we went up a better and just as scenic a way.</p><p>We parked at Glenridding and headed up towards Sticks Pass.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyUcViUnFcrZQDjjsAmorVrPUGh5IcVl0lVVFWubA68ntiOOMT8740VAb3yC8dFEH-39sxr2vFVDglPDAW-k2ULuMNS0bL55vEGw4kqltgEqK0vMJprCP4jgccRCwsJAkrkz5Xt8jzxU/s757/IMG_20200814_090739701.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="568" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyUcViUnFcrZQDjjsAmorVrPUGh5IcVl0lVVFWubA68ntiOOMT8740VAb3yC8dFEH-39sxr2vFVDglPDAW-k2ULuMNS0bL55vEGw4kqltgEqK0vMJprCP4jgccRCwsJAkrkz5Xt8jzxU/s640/IMG_20200814_090739701.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I liked this route because there are level areas where you can rest between all the ups. And this valley has a lovely path to walk along. We're heading for the ridge in the center of this photo, then we'll turn left and go up to Raise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaFyhjxgYAnNYW4qlWeDZ0Q9qrRmsg-v3e0_k53Zpgga8vYZilq2ScCfeXyj1bTzT8GPUkMebpHZGOmhcGxgDnT2oVH4PERAD_D36jTkp4LGGSiM0yDmpB-LlFUqMdlNZO1g2vqIw_mY/s944/IMG_20200814_100541302.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaFyhjxgYAnNYW4qlWeDZ0Q9qrRmsg-v3e0_k53Zpgga8vYZilq2ScCfeXyj1bTzT8GPUkMebpHZGOmhcGxgDnT2oVH4PERAD_D36jTkp4LGGSiM0yDmpB-LlFUqMdlNZO1g2vqIw_mY/s640/IMG_20200814_100541302.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3Ljbz8qV0tfrQM8N4_J-ehL1la4jjOmY6Z3Ei9_360g0S7KCVfjfa399YKUOBhyphenhyphen_qwpcLaFuoGpdG9pa_Lt_-dUkvRREIUe0NCtp3s9_GrPC3Oo7wOSI42ESFSn49GENsFgJ7r1wAss/s708/IMG_20200814_101312084.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3Ljbz8qV0tfrQM8N4_J-ehL1la4jjOmY6Z3Ei9_360g0S7KCVfjfa399YKUOBhyphenhyphen_qwpcLaFuoGpdG9pa_Lt_-dUkvRREIUe0NCtp3s9_GrPC3Oo7wOSI42ESFSn49GENsFgJ7r1wAss/s640/IMG_20200814_101312084.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71v0XgCN_GH2zoPBjK_k-3e4LMa16LoIdw7HeK21Leedap7WNMqhZtsj220n7Q4HMjEwfCzZB1nb4X-ZioiqHbxnlYIbImCE_zq3eHxlDRHXgj5cZGNPe_dIfFt4ZEFOLR4gVuY3y2Ow/s708/IMG_20200814_102455241_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71v0XgCN_GH2zoPBjK_k-3e4LMa16LoIdw7HeK21Leedap7WNMqhZtsj220n7Q4HMjEwfCzZB1nb4X-ZioiqHbxnlYIbImCE_zq3eHxlDRHXgj5cZGNPe_dIfFt4ZEFOLR4gVuY3y2Ow/s640/IMG_20200814_102455241_HDR.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the view from Raise where you can just see Thirlmere peeping out below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhllBqxPkHECoh0vQPH33wZsbtNJ-pd5vfGDsBmA0CObbVoyt3QFD-cQ0Q1zALtCNLet-_N_uJDNqLk-6K_Qny9cvP106AhcOr97BY-GhJYDU-Fod1zpFAyPwLgbvE_PeZDQ4EwHKkKe4/s708/IMG_20200814_110221831.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhllBqxPkHECoh0vQPH33wZsbtNJ-pd5vfGDsBmA0CObbVoyt3QFD-cQ0Q1zALtCNLet-_N_uJDNqLk-6K_Qny9cvP106AhcOr97BY-GhJYDU-Fod1zpFAyPwLgbvE_PeZDQ4EwHKkKe4/s640/IMG_20200814_110221831.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was as far as I'd ever been and that day was full of cloud and rain so I never saw the next bit of our route. But again, it was lovely to have a flat bit with lots of views before climbing Lower Man and then just the last bit of up before Helvellyn proper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJo4GWOLq9z2oVBKxsHdvEzwCCA8n_i4i8Z12-ROLQL5c6U0ZZrFqEL44vl12rlAXvP-bDUJyQ_QeqyxQQRLfS1mh5pWXGmA0t8v5mFZOYnd7lhG30sYiXCFbEeSZm6ZsvCuEYBzsFkKc/s845/IMG_20200814_110617487.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="845" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJo4GWOLq9z2oVBKxsHdvEzwCCA8n_i4i8Z12-ROLQL5c6U0ZZrFqEL44vl12rlAXvP-bDUJyQ_QeqyxQQRLfS1mh5pWXGmA0t8v5mFZOYnd7lhG30sYiXCFbEeSZm6ZsvCuEYBzsFkKc/s640/IMG_20200814_110617487.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7O-BOziXhRdNJg0ySKP9E3SiF8O4iXg_cBdw2axUDlbntkbAgcDr9xxslrXzS6XH0G2yDgBbDbZ1jo8dJ5aQa3q0iLdtZ8ybBrMwhFoDRPdODOIkEMhKv5eECrCh4U9JVCfgvM74zt8/s944/IMG_20200814_112605336.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7O-BOziXhRdNJg0ySKP9E3SiF8O4iXg_cBdw2axUDlbntkbAgcDr9xxslrXzS6XH0G2yDgBbDbZ1jo8dJ5aQa3q0iLdtZ8ybBrMwhFoDRPdODOIkEMhKv5eECrCh4U9JVCfgvM74zt8/s640/IMG_20200814_112605336.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2csm0g93KOHgn55SMICCtJXykwycfqWdJfysdi_FZtAOTwpeGsQudgrulnf-7UqkF0_oaf0tqrQ9i5xUV0SkF6T7deLXxUdJDxvEUJyNLjmrBCsrRf7dSTQtjLBFjqNSb5AP6WL0_oU/s944/IMG_20200814_112719547.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2csm0g93KOHgn55SMICCtJXykwycfqWdJfysdi_FZtAOTwpeGsQudgrulnf-7UqkF0_oaf0tqrQ9i5xUV0SkF6T7deLXxUdJDxvEUJyNLjmrBCsrRf7dSTQtjLBFjqNSb5AP6WL0_oU/s640/IMG_20200814_112719547.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's Lower Man looking steeper as we approached. Have I mentioned how hot it was?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujrHcJd0NnA8uNg_8GO_ZqsIorySY48DNGWQ5mRHc5E9JmTnRENackagGDfTsTCf_VoioG2R9JkBTf2L3DOcoAnKcFAH0IIy8Y0w5eoXQyS0awrbB-Lot_bRPk1DfzbzZ8g2LzgeZK2Y/s708/IMG_20200814_114352735.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujrHcJd0NnA8uNg_8GO_ZqsIorySY48DNGWQ5mRHc5E9JmTnRENackagGDfTsTCf_VoioG2R9JkBTf2L3DOcoAnKcFAH0IIy8Y0w5eoXQyS0awrbB-Lot_bRPk1DfzbzZ8g2LzgeZK2Y/s640/IMG_20200814_114352735.jpg" /></a><div><br /></div><div>And now we're on the top of Helvellyn looking down at Swirral Edge and Catstye Cam. This is another route you can take either up or down.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_F_vknvxF8hi2MYIeEkijbyAlJvAcbk4C72ijZxBhm8VUj3HRX62UYzowQxDVPHaac0GsWytRX4yCXSa7adQhqe0K_b-cYZfYXZ42u8FGPTBv4EYvf_hQSTxg7GVRxs8wOfbfPqgssik/s944/IMG_20200814_121739041.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_F_vknvxF8hi2MYIeEkijbyAlJvAcbk4C72ijZxBhm8VUj3HRX62UYzowQxDVPHaac0GsWytRX4yCXSa7adQhqe0K_b-cYZfYXZ42u8FGPTBv4EYvf_hQSTxg7GVRxs8wOfbfPqgssik/s640/IMG_20200814_121739041.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And the next three photos are of Striding Edge from various angles. It doesn't look too bad from here, but I had a good look at it with binoculars and it's definitely not for me. Too narrow a ridge and a bit of scary scrambling. It may be a walker's rite of passage, but you get the same views no matter how you get to the top.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wepuyLpPt1Iq8uBPxOe09jFsVjlsiGh9SgjRT7uPQ6mbYCy_q0Mtd59ECb_pAB_ag-Bkqjxr_3H7_ksXKb7jxE2ognnOd00WeqBt1AwZrnViUg1rfHzJ4Yl7Gq55LvYORUCNyAS8IJ4/s944/IMG_20200814_120436553.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wepuyLpPt1Iq8uBPxOe09jFsVjlsiGh9SgjRT7uPQ6mbYCy_q0Mtd59ECb_pAB_ag-Bkqjxr_3H7_ksXKb7jxE2ognnOd00WeqBt1AwZrnViUg1rfHzJ4Yl7Gq55LvYORUCNyAS8IJ4/s640/IMG_20200814_120436553.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwONbjjJ9a-P1YuBjm0kemPDP4jLyAg1fvq1gNVtNVJI10AtQr15DYfzdNnTRRVvnRirjaKNzbHSbww9nFlwd9a4RrD7WhQDgCUZ1LoFN8UI-NRP6Yah0X_MBU8vJK41DwP5AYQQeo04o/s708/IMG_20200814_124920544.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwONbjjJ9a-P1YuBjm0kemPDP4jLyAg1fvq1gNVtNVJI10AtQr15DYfzdNnTRRVvnRirjaKNzbHSbww9nFlwd9a4RrD7WhQDgCUZ1LoFN8UI-NRP6Yah0X_MBU8vJK41DwP5AYQQeo04o/s640/IMG_20200814_124920544.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBf1PsNZvYDZOst_emNVyvFMZf84GOnMYXnYBZf9iEGugl4nwt-hUSDVJ1MpuxZlaQij_VPqPb0msTyn5y0WRteOKXLZg6VdKxYpO8cHyGDSdPU6a99Y5FohtZNwjeUrOC-S6hQVXGg5E/s944/IMG_20200814_130146400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBf1PsNZvYDZOst_emNVyvFMZf84GOnMYXnYBZf9iEGugl4nwt-hUSDVJ1MpuxZlaQij_VPqPb0msTyn5y0WRteOKXLZg6VdKxYpO8cHyGDSdPU6a99Y5FohtZNwjeUrOC-S6hQVXGg5E/s640/IMG_20200814_130146400.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We then headed towards Nethermost Pike and then Dollywaggon Pike, two more Wainwrights to conquer.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZoDwLneCtCOxH9pdA18Mox4QjiSBY7EWf0A6HZc2n9RRp4Fc-We4Gv96ZO_EHpKrMELs0lICef85TMnvlpsiNYL1u7NtIQyMQBc5RE-OxHrjPsrBSnemfJ6Ah0xcS5eDC7AW9tFM3Ss/s944/IMG_20200814_131453866.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZoDwLneCtCOxH9pdA18Mox4QjiSBY7EWf0A6HZc2n9RRp4Fc-We4Gv96ZO_EHpKrMELs0lICef85TMnvlpsiNYL1u7NtIQyMQBc5RE-OxHrjPsrBSnemfJ6Ah0xcS5eDC7AW9tFM3Ss/s640/IMG_20200814_131453866.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And looking back at the path without the sun glaring in our eyes.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUEEkvCcZkVoqshUip8RN2LkS701NZ1nvDMTgI7BLZWTUOkVS4ykhz9p-S2xFUqrbWf2l2P56vQCJNTHXypkNaytpc0ljCTKwSdmAFoXqWe_6fD2PE83uDg6ZpAf607kEIXmb054OEKc/s944/IMG_20200814_134224377.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUEEkvCcZkVoqshUip8RN2LkS701NZ1nvDMTgI7BLZWTUOkVS4ykhz9p-S2xFUqrbWf2l2P56vQCJNTHXypkNaytpc0ljCTKwSdmAFoXqWe_6fD2PE83uDg6ZpAf607kEIXmb054OEKc/s640/IMG_20200814_134224377.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The descent was surprisingly fast, heading down to Grisedale Tarn. The path consists mostly of large stones arranged as a very long staircase but as it was dry, it was easy to navigate.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM62uPY6zWVw0Qon8PJEn0Env-nQ0xmh_bFv45MNTSpJ55YAPeBAwdMD-fimd38JczwEOJJ0CzjdSgdj-jUq52nUnv46PMTlWoBceLBqyqZqwsNE5Cs4g4l80ATzqZK27kouwjCZpfups/s944/IMG_20200814_134926267.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM62uPY6zWVw0Qon8PJEn0Env-nQ0xmh_bFv45MNTSpJ55YAPeBAwdMD-fimd38JczwEOJJ0CzjdSgdj-jUq52nUnv46PMTlWoBceLBqyqZqwsNE5Cs4g4l80ATzqZK27kouwjCZpfups/s640/IMG_20200814_134926267.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>But one last great view before the descent.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRdFVP02zIudmEMOYTqgpp9hr4ocDoGvcw4LvIDP8h_ULYGrWaMwb4U1ZdPjiwobkqpKhlNAcXsjcbZNhjoS2x2z4owuF6cPd_0A7SKiFVnM9GqLC9nK1yijlZOPYbzI6SDQTPSf09w4/s944/IMG_20200814_134934893.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRdFVP02zIudmEMOYTqgpp9hr4ocDoGvcw4LvIDP8h_ULYGrWaMwb4U1ZdPjiwobkqpKhlNAcXsjcbZNhjoS2x2z4owuF6cPd_0A7SKiFVnM9GqLC9nK1yijlZOPYbzI6SDQTPSf09w4/s640/IMG_20200814_134934893.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And some relief for tired and hot feet in the tarn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XzuvphQ7BcuJ4K7kPkhZiESCjOFFczCJW8Zw44yvQVy_E5e1WlTZi13dsnCrS9WHLWRNqMTZwTtWV6T9i5_J0co_KB0CzjAAj_VjK5sRwRjj5UsoV3w_z0K3t3GxyQpjN1lAnye29qA/s708/IMG_20200814_141925274.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XzuvphQ7BcuJ4K7kPkhZiESCjOFFczCJW8Zw44yvQVy_E5e1WlTZi13dsnCrS9WHLWRNqMTZwTtWV6T9i5_J0co_KB0CzjAAj_VjK5sRwRjj5UsoV3w_z0K3t3GxyQpjN1lAnye29qA/s640/IMG_20200814_141925274.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0SupPVamj4WjmP3NfSxDitqQrFBlImke8djp9ouvgdhOk43ea5RMDOh3Dy70sTPMFbBtIXQR0f0KOYBMtEiExmThMiB_kMhnYpQmPOVkijDSaH9bUeigPeSKlS2jIHEHNYuo8y6LLk8/s708/IMG_20200814_141938506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0SupPVamj4WjmP3NfSxDitqQrFBlImke8djp9ouvgdhOk43ea5RMDOh3Dy70sTPMFbBtIXQR0f0KOYBMtEiExmThMiB_kMhnYpQmPOVkijDSaH9bUeigPeSKlS2jIHEHNYuo8y6LLk8/s640/IMG_20200814_141938506.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was very tired by then and have to say the valley path back to Glenridding seemed to go on forever. This was more technical than the descent as the stones were uneven and slippery at times and you had to pay attention.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMhmuPF3xTXwUEFAVVQr2AgSALdlUmHWqvwlQjWjm2FWAW8A83VcsOLJBBmnfTZPAhbOah-Gv623GpXPRimpETYBIFExrX6rjm_Eu_j8tNb6XmwVTTglkiOU9NFTL-wbq8PPyOs2GlrE/s708/IMG_20200814_153029567.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMhmuPF3xTXwUEFAVVQr2AgSALdlUmHWqvwlQjWjm2FWAW8A83VcsOLJBBmnfTZPAhbOah-Gv623GpXPRimpETYBIFExrX6rjm_Eu_j8tNb6XmwVTTglkiOU9NFTL-wbq8PPyOs2GlrE/s640/IMG_20200814_153029567.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We were out for about eight hours (had a longish lunch break at the top of Helvellyn) and walked about 13 miles in total. Completely exhausted by the end, but what a walk! Definitely in my top ten. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-16792469754823474102020-08-26T16:23:00.003+01:002020-08-26T17:17:25.412+01:00Lake District Holiday Part Three: Two Walks Among the Heather. . . <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our fourth and fifth day of walking brought two of the hottest days. Lots of sun beating straight down so a lot of these photos are unfortunately very hazy.</div><p><b><u>Day Four:</u></b></p><p>We all wanted to do a walk that started from Keswick so we began by a visit to the famous Castlerigg Stone Circle which always impresses, but perhaps moreso in a different type of light. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4SJn3ME0bO5s885e-1ob2mXbNpkVr4uYpmvIBfBJvrXfQRtl43XjUwlZ6RjgLUCDdLArcRQVBmNUJliI1vSvvrU3VqL8B8j0acYto7l2IsSJrbVKSxbr8RqHJv8PkQCWaXvPRPofnRV0/s811/IMG_20200812_101203805_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4SJn3ME0bO5s885e-1ob2mXbNpkVr4uYpmvIBfBJvrXfQRtl43XjUwlZ6RjgLUCDdLArcRQVBmNUJliI1vSvvrU3VqL8B8j0acYto7l2IsSJrbVKSxbr8RqHJv8PkQCWaXvPRPofnRV0/s640/IMG_20200812_101203805_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The sheep had the right idea.</div><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBwj5cNh0kY-MDzbpgKT0vGpKTN0UWZlicw1p-D4LJMUq1sr4aceZYUcwtebEa_PC5ScBnXbFAs0COy0nCLMbbshr13HDdJiWhJFIUM-zJGFsMLvmFrmPgpwi9xqZ-ZefaM0m-B9sl-8/s811/IMG_20200812_101509525_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBwj5cNh0kY-MDzbpgKT0vGpKTN0UWZlicw1p-D4LJMUq1sr4aceZYUcwtebEa_PC5ScBnXbFAs0COy0nCLMbbshr13HDdJiWhJFIUM-zJGFsMLvmFrmPgpwi9xqZ-ZefaM0m-B9sl-8/s640/IMG_20200812_101509525_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We then decided to climb two smaller Wainwrights - Walla Crag and Bleaberry Fell. The Liverpud had done these before, but they were new to me. You can see the heat haze over Keswick as we were walking up.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAb1ep5rJf1gOBX5IQ344-rfKLmMzvFdQGrZ5lfMmrU1PgV8EDo2EUb7igjZ1w0TPLF014cB6NRcfl4BQVcwEPQiMDr8gcIJvskPkRAqtiGX08cQomWDHK4LzbBD5wiu4eTSaIW9up1Eo/s811/IMG_20200812_105625025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAb1ep5rJf1gOBX5IQ344-rfKLmMzvFdQGrZ5lfMmrU1PgV8EDo2EUb7igjZ1w0TPLF014cB6NRcfl4BQVcwEPQiMDr8gcIJvskPkRAqtiGX08cQomWDHK4LzbBD5wiu4eTSaIW9up1Eo/s640/IMG_20200812_105625025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The big surprise waiting for us on this walk was all the heather in bloom (sadly not looking its finest in these photos due to the intense sun). We've always avoided the busy Lakes in August so I've never really associated the area with heather, but of course there's lots of moorland between the fells and this walk had it in abundance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX24UsTZTCBUwG_dCdWFwMtS_3R1mSzo9_n3YBuOZa3VoVHY2op6yyVykGv0DhtnQuw6gv-6RTptsrvVvdThS-iEklgsXSpGV1Rb_6Ohc_vSvPeyWG_on-ho6-br5YpzEseDh7tZj_szA/s608/IMG_20200812_110902852_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX24UsTZTCBUwG_dCdWFwMtS_3R1mSzo9_n3YBuOZa3VoVHY2op6yyVykGv0DhtnQuw6gv-6RTptsrvVvdThS-iEklgsXSpGV1Rb_6Ohc_vSvPeyWG_on-ho6-br5YpzEseDh7tZj_szA/s0/IMG_20200812_110902852_HDR.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the famous view from the stony crop on top of Walla Crag, looking out over Derwent Water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwPEwTLwSOqLFUacfn7yoAgQTE8S1Sjdyteq0BEh16c812xA-EYpHGWYF-JkTUu0gfhIE5Jw7EGQxbxJBXXD52C1Z9HHAf4M_OYSXNHW4xQ7y7GxMtK-4g9IkzKoW35EOR8HsnSirHa0/s811/IMG_20200812_111104924.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwPEwTLwSOqLFUacfn7yoAgQTE8S1Sjdyteq0BEh16c812xA-EYpHGWYF-JkTUu0gfhIE5Jw7EGQxbxJBXXD52C1Z9HHAf4M_OYSXNHW4xQ7y7GxMtK-4g9IkzKoW35EOR8HsnSirHa0/s640/IMG_20200812_111104924.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And you can see the trail leading off to the left towards Bleaberry Fell.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeXu7QiyA6m_lY8MQjGILEdyuzpY7OmNp29YRFACmGQ5sIN1cH6YkJ9NFbnu14HGllu95RmYpmm-19qjyNqcRqoQkDr2MDIEiQUq0N44PkKO0Pg-Lh7-zXH1TyEp7oB9Pbbp5NQfKi68/s811/IMG_20200812_111415285_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeXu7QiyA6m_lY8MQjGILEdyuzpY7OmNp29YRFACmGQ5sIN1cH6YkJ9NFbnu14HGllu95RmYpmm-19qjyNqcRqoQkDr2MDIEiQUq0N44PkKO0Pg-Lh7-zXH1TyEp7oB9Pbbp5NQfKi68/s640/IMG_20200812_111415285_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHBqITBHd9SOT_VNaHo2AR4DX5mrOaO0bQx_4TzOMTmBvDoxy7eEqzkD3qHjdQ8NxhWjX9PY2QyG_L1Od1biVl-Ol05CaG8l8H4rtCBD3BT-cIuq_fkM5BYFy4jRQ3HTjLL7HK9N018M/s608/IMG_20200812_113311362.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHBqITBHd9SOT_VNaHo2AR4DX5mrOaO0bQx_4TzOMTmBvDoxy7eEqzkD3qHjdQ8NxhWjX9PY2QyG_L1Od1biVl-Ol05CaG8l8H4rtCBD3BT-cIuq_fkM5BYFy4jRQ3HTjLL7HK9N018M/s0/IMG_20200812_113311362.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Mo2tzWP7fquazwR73R2doRmaADdatItgp2nx4Chnr7hym_5DGFSVNzPRRCXpDwz-fDs3lDa8lvspqCQ3aLhrFWDjyHyoEWgty9Jt1cq39CKXvmApVSuD662fMP1LhB47O3ExKJVUhT4/s811/IMG_20200812_113353302_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Mo2tzWP7fquazwR73R2doRmaADdatItgp2nx4Chnr7hym_5DGFSVNzPRRCXpDwz-fDs3lDa8lvspqCQ3aLhrFWDjyHyoEWgty9Jt1cq39CKXvmApVSuD662fMP1LhB47O3ExKJVUhT4/s640/IMG_20200812_113353302_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And the view from the top of Bleaberry. At this point, I'd had enough of the heat and so turned round the same way we'd come, and headed back to our accommodation while the boys went on to another fell.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LbE9ljkxe9VUBVyirKX4twGOD9x_JuNicHLxEpDPLtUEB5v3tIwU8aOmDqdAeAxK_LkZkrH1h8AF3HY4M_EpbO-HYOXY7Str_twAmzmaEsiPN7z6qRDGvxxRIpjjwgmyh5huYdxGaWs/s811/IMG_20200812_120358257.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LbE9ljkxe9VUBVyirKX4twGOD9x_JuNicHLxEpDPLtUEB5v3tIwU8aOmDqdAeAxK_LkZkrH1h8AF3HY4M_EpbO-HYOXY7Str_twAmzmaEsiPN7z6qRDGvxxRIpjjwgmyh5huYdxGaWs/s640/IMG_20200812_120358257.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><b><u>Day Five:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to drive about forty minutes to Crummock Water and start our walk from there. This is a very pretty part of the Lake District and often quite deserted but not today - if I'd aimed my camera to the left, you'd have seen lots of families on the beach.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkotrpJaNkphRWzCI3clM0Hyo-2tXKBx5sKfuCKaO7HPvPGFG4xsTFdbiuGGYf9nvycagnw1nvjgEiJgETwOHK5DkHM9KkcS9uAg950ldR-HxNGpQtSuvgRsebGXf2W4YJfJDvKBzqPA/s608/IMG_20200813_094314180_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkotrpJaNkphRWzCI3clM0Hyo-2tXKBx5sKfuCKaO7HPvPGFG4xsTFdbiuGGYf9nvycagnw1nvjgEiJgETwOHK5DkHM9KkcS9uAg950ldR-HxNGpQtSuvgRsebGXf2W4YJfJDvKBzqPA/s0/IMG_20200813_094314180_HDR.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is Melbreak, our Wainwright for today. We scaled it via a path on the right hand side. Very steep and the path had lots of loose shale on it, posing a bit of a technical climb.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0dxAKxTXBPrrquvVU8IoTOT8qpcIMmSSjP_bvxfrmkPK2bH-JV9hg9mnhbGbx3JguQIiulYKl2CZUBVRFJILkKjZD0we6AsfuVTkrwAclQF8UnFbb74oLZfiO_Wf4l3KrpATN9lGwU0/s811/IMG_20200813_095232038_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0dxAKxTXBPrrquvVU8IoTOT8qpcIMmSSjP_bvxfrmkPK2bH-JV9hg9mnhbGbx3JguQIiulYKl2CZUBVRFJILkKjZD0we6AsfuVTkrwAclQF8UnFbb74oLZfiO_Wf4l3KrpATN9lGwU0/s640/IMG_20200813_095232038_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Part way up, you can look back and see Loweswater. We certainly got glimpses of most of the lakes during this holiday.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGOk7RZ-nG4ZUMeCRrVOjycUtNawLKXZ4z8FDO_kBm38uZyhu5fUzaWz7RLSf2FxsQO3WP-e2boxLnHL8e7UpjOAn5XGuPs16eqf3UKD42QDX4X9lrS2IMESpAab6h8dzcAORn7KOpac/s811/IMG_20200813_103620829.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGOk7RZ-nG4ZUMeCRrVOjycUtNawLKXZ4z8FDO_kBm38uZyhu5fUzaWz7RLSf2FxsQO3WP-e2boxLnHL8e7UpjOAn5XGuPs16eqf3UKD42QDX4X9lrS2IMESpAab6h8dzcAORn7KOpac/s640/IMG_20200813_103620829.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Heather was also in bloom alongside the path going up.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nFzO6D6uFWbRJip9Z3O5yWW8Gar0d8KGbEaxPjz7iJY5hPiHaG2XhesUqeE6UA-FmzZdq76Dl5sXLucltlRrbg689mtma1Ex3BxtegS_nERqMIa53AZsl2vcIQhAlo2fiVSNmZMkGJg/s608/IMG_20200813_105131102.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nFzO6D6uFWbRJip9Z3O5yWW8Gar0d8KGbEaxPjz7iJY5hPiHaG2XhesUqeE6UA-FmzZdq76Dl5sXLucltlRrbg689mtma1Ex3BxtegS_nERqMIa53AZsl2vcIQhAlo2fiVSNmZMkGJg/s0/IMG_20200813_105131102.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>About a third from the top you could take a quick peek around the side. Crummock Water is directly below and that's Buttermere in the distance.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIulZMsqRBo8taiAGL9GN3DXxt4lEU0YdH__IWj2QOBgLLLiPS3AVFvxBIDPOl4gdj1gCjPlqvN6C0m-NxJxnUhJAZLwdqp5sx0BQwbTPlxv9AO_QxxZEuffGM1ytnSRjdfoqJ3DVBipo/s608/IMG_20200813_110353223_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIulZMsqRBo8taiAGL9GN3DXxt4lEU0YdH__IWj2QOBgLLLiPS3AVFvxBIDPOl4gdj1gCjPlqvN6C0m-NxJxnUhJAZLwdqp5sx0BQwbTPlxv9AO_QxxZEuffGM1ytnSRjdfoqJ3DVBipo/s0/IMG_20200813_110353223_HDR.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And now we're on top of the ridge heading towards the far side where we'll make our descent.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxB1ci9knWiuQCQgbBWaCxjYg28r2PMu0LFnVcpj05e0UjSriolNt-22vT5FKTB7Dp0tRp1_cRK__yjBX70sAh-suePNzpsffy7N967XhYsQiC7xJUvoHSj8FgqDh7Qod_OHUljnWQzk/s811/IMG_20200813_111945229_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxB1ci9knWiuQCQgbBWaCxjYg28r2PMu0LFnVcpj05e0UjSriolNt-22vT5FKTB7Dp0tRp1_cRK__yjBX70sAh-suePNzpsffy7N967XhYsQiC7xJUvoHSj8FgqDh7Qod_OHUljnWQzk/s640/IMG_20200813_111945229_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>But first, the full view, as we enjoyed a very welcome breeze on the top.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSuMGS-1rF7yjs0w9zDeX2WdMqzIqpV3mjL7GWVb7jRhd7BSJuVPpOIosLH9rPy7F3rHK95DpeLDKLd_Pqc4ZBcMvO8tZXDVCV52FxRHZnoogW5zJ8lpKX-c9YDwEtJ-mkLrTijdRFlQ/s811/IMG_20200813_114937446.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSuMGS-1rF7yjs0w9zDeX2WdMqzIqpV3mjL7GWVb7jRhd7BSJuVPpOIosLH9rPy7F3rHK95DpeLDKLd_Pqc4ZBcMvO8tZXDVCV52FxRHZnoogW5zJ8lpKX-c9YDwEtJ-mkLrTijdRFlQ/s640/IMG_20200813_114937446.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The descent was very easy and gradual and at the bottom is Scale Force.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReQw050cdo4IXg-6tJu6uW6J0eOlXWgZR2fWWsrs9ZGcPwI4APvRrYCiv3xMV5SU0V3WrhWqfFpxpQN2PXC37tKzyEfvz5vwMNeaNHlSPTOiFXOsjtEV_0FdS9nFWny8IEb-J-PWTa3E/s608/IMG_20200813_125103881.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReQw050cdo4IXg-6tJu6uW6J0eOlXWgZR2fWWsrs9ZGcPwI4APvRrYCiv3xMV5SU0V3WrhWqfFpxpQN2PXC37tKzyEfvz5vwMNeaNHlSPTOiFXOsjtEV_0FdS9nFWny8IEb-J-PWTa3E/s0/IMG_20200813_125103881.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then we skirted Melbreak and came back along the Crummock Water path. You can walk entirely around this lake which I did several years ago (<b><a href="http://juliahedges.blogspot.com/2016/06/three-walks-from-buttermere-day-two.html">blogged here</a></b>). As I did then, we stopped for a break on that little spit of land you can see jutting out.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RPSV2VRq1_7VNxP4oVVlxU3V-UYMXItxi1DEfwvp3s1utqJh53HLUsPawx8Puq-25pA3Ghmmed-Q4oTs3frtCC0WfJ5TqBELwBzj7olCS2K-tKoONYBWb2fjTeN8cTlixSg7QaAMr-A/s608/IMG_20200813_132142558.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RPSV2VRq1_7VNxP4oVVlxU3V-UYMXItxi1DEfwvp3s1utqJh53HLUsPawx8Puq-25pA3Ghmmed-Q4oTs3frtCC0WfJ5TqBELwBzj7olCS2K-tKoONYBWb2fjTeN8cTlixSg7QaAMr-A/s0/IMG_20200813_132142558.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the view from that spit. You can see how steep Melbreak is on the left. It was good to get the climbing out of the way early; the rest of the walk was a delight with wonderful views. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wZMv94sIbZu4NwR-EP_TnIc2otjRrlCmVBNxRSQgiNuq6zkOXXFHD1GIgHcfvhnuonmQDMBkQv0ml2pySllLZlODAfcy9uMpRKTvjJMv9Q6mJP9RD6QdvLcOJDTh36Rtoy0ENUJvIHU/s811/IMG_20200813_133151203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wZMv94sIbZu4NwR-EP_TnIc2otjRrlCmVBNxRSQgiNuq6zkOXXFHD1GIgHcfvhnuonmQDMBkQv0ml2pySllLZlODAfcy9uMpRKTvjJMv9Q6mJP9RD6QdvLcOJDTh36Rtoy0ENUJvIHU/s640/IMG_20200813_133151203.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> </div><div>I have really enjoyed tackling some of the lesser known hills on this holiday - you still get some wonderful surprises and you have them mostly all to yourselves.</div><div><br /></div><div>But for our final day, we went on a big one and a popular one and it was a fantastic walk. Back with that one soon.</div>Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-62262563412153792712020-08-24T16:17:00.006+01:002020-08-24T16:18:04.764+01:00Lake District Holiday Part Two: A Circular From Hartsop and A Few Thoughts On Summer. . . <p><b>Day Three</b> of our holiday saw us tackling this little Wainwright - Hartsop Dodd which stands at 618m. You basically start climbing up a path that runs just to the left of the drystone wall you can see running up the fell. Then you turn left and follow the ridge up to the summit. It's a steep climb but not a long one.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqbC-iyrhEnZdvkQaYEbVPena6WZ0Ea5F_xETyej5LM0FCvf4aKGx12tBhU1vWvMp428qR6KhlT8SwZP5OpWK-uvo4GL8YbwBUyY96RhBMsaEzgtIp2Lj4vVqpTNFzunl6QoBwt3EaBI/s876/IMG_20200810_095955985_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="876" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqbC-iyrhEnZdvkQaYEbVPena6WZ0Ea5F_xETyej5LM0FCvf4aKGx12tBhU1vWvMp428qR6KhlT8SwZP5OpWK-uvo4GL8YbwBUyY96RhBMsaEzgtIp2Lj4vVqpTNFzunl6QoBwt3EaBI/s640/IMG_20200810_095955985_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once you've turned left, you can look behind you at Brothers Water directly below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGQQ-EQumKwIxOeiGmZoSYKbdJD7CPe09XpIRPbnWZjnHJZRxZpCS37e8lgtaW0LI1-n-IN5UqSHGa2LrVJewzRTsMkkNoIFWe1ncxbNFCEaFnK5nQZzVwCw6_dE_OGgH7MEaRfo9Ysg/s608/IMG_20200810_102212194.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGQQ-EQumKwIxOeiGmZoSYKbdJD7CPe09XpIRPbnWZjnHJZRxZpCS37e8lgtaW0LI1-n-IN5UqSHGa2LrVJewzRTsMkkNoIFWe1ncxbNFCEaFnK5nQZzVwCw6_dE_OGgH7MEaRfo9Ysg/s0/IMG_20200810_102212194.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And Ullswater further back at the end of the valley.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeZ5j9-oMIMxwzGtEHfJRBo8fcP99C76bluzLRK7HS_LHl9Fk4yoReywp7Mchnt3Yzj_UfKECPmU8Fok_1rXQBqpFUIhkEv3R5Xy3cz5GoepsWSdzqgLwoAB2od9em6Ce4EFHyH3LOqo/s811/IMG_20200810_102219559.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeZ5j9-oMIMxwzGtEHfJRBo8fcP99C76bluzLRK7HS_LHl9Fk4yoReywp7Mchnt3Yzj_UfKECPmU8Fok_1rXQBqpFUIhkEv3R5Xy3cz5GoepsWSdzqgLwoAB2od9em6Ce4EFHyH3LOqo/s640/IMG_20200810_102219559.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here are some of those views along the ridge as we walked towards Stony Cove Pike.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQ_XMSqR7tP_x3KSM03YnCsZ16KyEMsfxofp_5IxRWMmwuyB4jPObr3E-AigO02sw44onqnyrK_POdguS5Q18XzcCJeZr-1TEc-fMKgoCTyR5i3mKm3KPD6wxS-gb_72PGFuQD5xv7sg/s811/IMG_20200810_111939437.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQ_XMSqR7tP_x3KSM03YnCsZ16KyEMsfxofp_5IxRWMmwuyB4jPObr3E-AigO02sw44onqnyrK_POdguS5Q18XzcCJeZr-1TEc-fMKgoCTyR5i3mKm3KPD6wxS-gb_72PGFuQD5xv7sg/s640/IMG_20200810_111939437.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4Us8hHhF6f-ntsdgGKJ-MulrJs1wyAcM04Z16EgBzKYd3IOU-tZY4udD1V1FaXtMv5FL_YRiCZeaTCEQ7hFcT2TGRsjxYY6GLSFjhNAKEKkgVdQTWWwBPWCWTAydTNiuVg5yd1o2jDg/s811/IMG_20200810_112742423.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4Us8hHhF6f-ntsdgGKJ-MulrJs1wyAcM04Z16EgBzKYd3IOU-tZY4udD1V1FaXtMv5FL_YRiCZeaTCEQ7hFcT2TGRsjxYY6GLSFjhNAKEKkgVdQTWWwBPWCWTAydTNiuVg5yd1o2jDg/s640/IMG_20200810_112742423.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCFW1_ihigBxCTLlvXcqCvktyQ2SUMoP4_nRGPxFxcntFB96rHnHZM-z9HVZ4jyr1iu4yXhE0F0xXvgnyf-spLx2uVuJGALj4enaU359dzW1zLkbvv42M39X-8mY8uRtpa4UPz3htE4M/s741/IMG_20200810_120025316.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="741" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCFW1_ihigBxCTLlvXcqCvktyQ2SUMoP4_nRGPxFxcntFB96rHnHZM-z9HVZ4jyr1iu4yXhE0F0xXvgnyf-spLx2uVuJGALj4enaU359dzW1zLkbvv42M39X-8mY8uRtpa4UPz3htE4M/s640/IMG_20200810_120025316.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And now you can see Windermere ahead.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ksxWQkyiizOFGP1cfGuGIFskyyTnBTHMV8NKFcYjRSTEkpXGtaUCTeteVO1nlpD_rHiEZszmuH4oURSqFrS2bSsCzZnEU7SRoIWoA8-MYgOcQ7Wnn0uW0dXMiY9yZgGb7XIfuvQssww/s608/IMG_20200810_123004683.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ksxWQkyiizOFGP1cfGuGIFskyyTnBTHMV8NKFcYjRSTEkpXGtaUCTeteVO1nlpD_rHiEZszmuH4oURSqFrS2bSsCzZnEU7SRoIWoA8-MYgOcQ7Wnn0uW0dXMiY9yZgGb7XIfuvQssww/s0/IMG_20200810_123004683.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There are so many routes and so many different mountains in the Lake District that even after nearly ten years of walking in the area, I'm still piecing all the bits together. It's a little like a jigsaw puzzle because you are often viewing hills you've climbed but from different angles and different directions. There are always delightful surprises in store and there was one today when we came unexpectedly upon this view of the <b>Kentmere Horseshoe</b> (one of my very favourite walks in the Lake District, blogged about <b><a href="http://juliahedges.blogspot.com/2020/04/flashback-walk-september-2019-kentmere.html">here</a></b>). </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4St0oYZyDflfeneSNi4Z3Vrnhps7-xvXt_qujNaFlKGYq3jOvQSoA0cnu5_gABJIzcviVqMd3C4CD5Qpmjh1KEL25elROn5U-0Xnni5tTYVjG-M7psj7UV_2ICL-r59fidfA8gDd8fGA/s811/IMG_20200810_123010991.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4St0oYZyDflfeneSNi4Z3Vrnhps7-xvXt_qujNaFlKGYq3jOvQSoA0cnu5_gABJIzcviVqMd3C4CD5Qpmjh1KEL25elROn5U-0Xnni5tTYVjG-M7psj7UV_2ICL-r59fidfA8gDd8fGA/s640/IMG_20200810_123010991.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvL4ytW8z1Y7JQnOKF_pcV37n5QWje-YFX7oNxq6D6i0T829LINTubULwgzH_53mZ5bkkckMhK4_t1MoK99Nck_WZ8KAte-j0Wo0cvXP78zqkkAX41t3B2ozMbesYbHM_JcXA7Af-puA/s608/IMG_20200810_124130124_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvL4ytW8z1Y7JQnOKF_pcV37n5QWje-YFX7oNxq6D6i0T829LINTubULwgzH_53mZ5bkkckMhK4_t1MoK99Nck_WZ8KAte-j0Wo0cvXP78zqkkAX41t3B2ozMbesYbHM_JcXA7Af-puA/s0/IMG_20200810_124130124_HDR.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We had intended to continue on to High Street and make our way towards Angle Tarn, but it was so very hot and there was quite a descent followed by a steep path up to Thornthwaite Crag. So we decided to cut the walk short and head back along this valley that follows Pasture Beck.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DN9Owib1sSImfXIafzGKOqVDZZicFWxiePjUBv1GODfdHfhAXy731ZXg-RLaYlRE0q7r0w3uzkTBdAFzLFFCEKPuOLqxnAf2R4uRmisCCYlt-qEEqa6mFJzJ2D-9N20de2lpZes687o/s811/IMG_20200810_133135445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DN9Owib1sSImfXIafzGKOqVDZZicFWxiePjUBv1GODfdHfhAXy731ZXg-RLaYlRE0q7r0w3uzkTBdAFzLFFCEKPuOLqxnAf2R4uRmisCCYlt-qEEqa6mFJzJ2D-9N20de2lpZes687o/s640/IMG_20200810_133135445.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is looking back at where we've come down. It was a very pleasant track and someday, we'll go back up it and finish the walk we'd intended.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMweGOd_SrTyw4OU9hoMBXEnmZDPh8MpTYDobMJRY6anZIzbgmoWOGmDhY2bbKIKu2U6Nf0uZThKKX_la1OREfz_IFL1FO2SiaILu-ymh8J9hm2t49WjH0wlS_LBwgNsVnpsEPRCz4pmM/s608/IMG_20200810_144404174.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMweGOd_SrTyw4OU9hoMBXEnmZDPh8MpTYDobMJRY6anZIzbgmoWOGmDhY2bbKIKu2U6Nf0uZThKKX_la1OREfz_IFL1FO2SiaILu-ymh8J9hm2t49WjH0wlS_LBwgNsVnpsEPRCz4pmM/s0/IMG_20200810_144404174.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The sheep were very relaxed, probably too hot to move.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZYptwEruszLbrlm4vSiiSXZx3PQPTU-M5K1vd_GCM39ZeL5QTReR2YeaIrqCY2G2_nGoSIl_FvR_6ZjQdEGF0Im-b62hk6_RFe8CZtoYA7LNcWSla3xVCjc_ATPOIqqgLF1bokvA6PY/s608/IMG_20200810_150051575_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZYptwEruszLbrlm4vSiiSXZx3PQPTU-M5K1vd_GCM39ZeL5QTReR2YeaIrqCY2G2_nGoSIl_FvR_6ZjQdEGF0Im-b62hk6_RFe8CZtoYA7LNcWSla3xVCjc_ATPOIqqgLF1bokvA6PY/s0/IMG_20200810_150051575_HDR.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After a welcome shower, a short nap and a nice meal in Keswick, we walked down to Derwent Water in the evening when it was cooler.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_eYPy5V7ewUUjG06qFBf5SZh1G1sBAGtyZ64CAx_dqCeaRh7oAcDchylSiKSrbOX-zlpFFrYeyy_4uHK6cu8iUVGgU41E2yMLKoCGxB0DRAMAhdn70a79JHs4O0jybSSB7sFLvYl79k/s811/IMG_20200810_210839751.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_eYPy5V7ewUUjG06qFBf5SZh1G1sBAGtyZ64CAx_dqCeaRh7oAcDchylSiKSrbOX-zlpFFrYeyy_4uHK6cu8iUVGgU41E2yMLKoCGxB0DRAMAhdn70a79JHs4O0jybSSB7sFLvYl79k/s640/IMG_20200810_210839751.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Three days of walking in the heat had taken its toll on me. I was really tired and decided to take the next day off while my companions went walking. I spent the morning wandering around Keswick. There's a lovely indie bookshop called Bookends and it was so nice to have a proper browse. I came away with a few interesting titles.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21EkR-f05lviTz49mnpTbLy9MHXwoG7AGYmkCRZXSw7NX3uGjHOBSJkI81yKz229dibhyphenhyphenxrQwmgrmIyO3nSPcZIXyUzQiFyCNt-PhtcLbTAmfmydlbIGtzV4yCEWjw2zpSaF1_3Y1Tuc/s608/IMG_20200811_111823065.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21EkR-f05lviTz49mnpTbLy9MHXwoG7AGYmkCRZXSw7NX3uGjHOBSJkI81yKz229dibhyphenhyphenxrQwmgrmIyO3nSPcZIXyUzQiFyCNt-PhtcLbTAmfmydlbIGtzV4yCEWjw2zpSaF1_3Y1Tuc/s0/IMG_20200811_111823065.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div><div>And then spent the rest of the day reading and knitting with my feet up. My holiday book was <i>Autumn</i> by <b>Ali Smith.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JHE9iGM9Off6jQyYZ9GYDD2p6EFKQKxJtl69t_D39b2yM-wdYKjaFGVYOmFQlMsbFe7al4fk4mziiKzjjwNdaiG1UulPTv0Hr5TQucNoB5giS9oGTIjx9OgaP9_nBFVlbQSp1agaMk8/s657/IMG_20200809_084206820.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="493" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JHE9iGM9Off6jQyYZ9GYDD2p6EFKQKxJtl69t_D39b2yM-wdYKjaFGVYOmFQlMsbFe7al4fk4mziiKzjjwNdaiG1UulPTv0Hr5TQucNoB5giS9oGTIjx9OgaP9_nBFVlbQSp1agaMk8/s640/IMG_20200809_084206820.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I've enjoyed all of the books in her seasonal quartet and am amazed at how quickly she has been able to write these. She captures very well the zeitgeist of the last four years and the whole gamut of emotions surrounding first Brexit and now Covid. And yet each novel, while indulging in a few angry rants at the state of politics in the UK (and why the hell not?) is also a self-contained story with interesting characters, questing plots and all the playfulness and profundity of language that Smith is so good at conveying. She not only makes you look at this depressing news-driven world in a new way but has you also marvelling at the fascinating versatility of simple words. In this strange year of isolation, <i>Summer</i> has made me feel more connected to this global experience than any real-life event. Highly recommended.</div>Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-14257092976449116742020-08-21T16:25:00.004+01:002020-08-21T16:32:52.240+01:00Lake District Holiday Part One: A Bampton Circular and An Old Favourite. . . <p>Last week we finally got away for a walking holiday up in the Lake District. We booked a self-catering flat in Keswick and basically just spent each day walking in the hills.</p><p>We were very lucky in that the expected thunder showers and lightning that were forecast didn't appear but it was very, very hot.</p><p>I get tired very quickly in the heat and combined with feeling fairly out of shape during lockdown, we ended up doing shorter and lower walks than we normally would have. But it was a great opportunity to try out some new locations and bag a few lesser known Wainwrights. And to be honest, there are very few places - high or low - in the Lake District that aren't beautiful to walk through. We did six walks in all and I'll blog about them over several posts.</p><p><b><u>Day One:</u></b></p><p>Since we couldn't check in to our accommodation until 5pm, we stopped on the drive up at a little village called Bampton Grange, a few miles north of Shap and hiked a 12 mile circular, mostly through undulating moorland up to Bampton Common.</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8t2fPEv7mRZv-NSN8HpZeADgmj1QcB6_X-G8BDx1Z-soqk7gEH2_ZtDjfR17u9gKln9vAqdbi1YAU2Msy2a7tM3eFSQ30B9RP8AioijsRafi0zneLywF7Gxna-d8x_PrE4PmSCxoRZ5M/s657/IMG_20200808_121007575_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="493" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8t2fPEv7mRZv-NSN8HpZeADgmj1QcB6_X-G8BDx1Z-soqk7gEH2_ZtDjfR17u9gKln9vAqdbi1YAU2Msy2a7tM3eFSQ30B9RP8AioijsRafi0zneLywF7Gxna-d8x_PrE4PmSCxoRZ5M/s640/IMG_20200808_121007575_HDR.jpg" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivq8L9k8wqfk74-X0FbTlsXj23cNqX2_bwpc2vM3G5cq3I5-Rokr_JeXKtvuyeNgZJCrcp59kXSBF5BBAylBePahyphenhyphenWZe8x9v7kdBKWRQDT9y1ubge6zWmouwzG308fS5zcHCbbLPpT6Fk/s811/IMG_20200808_122038107.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivq8L9k8wqfk74-X0FbTlsXj23cNqX2_bwpc2vM3G5cq3I5-Rokr_JeXKtvuyeNgZJCrcp59kXSBF5BBAylBePahyphenhyphenWZe8x9v7kdBKWRQDT9y1ubge6zWmouwzG308fS5zcHCbbLPpT6Fk/s640/IMG_20200808_122038107.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p>Along the way you get great views of Haweswater Reservoir and this was the perfect lunch spot. When it was built, two villages were flooded and you can still see the remains of some of the buildings when the water is low. We had to traverse the length of it when we did the Coast to Coast path many years ago and I've not been back in this area since.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6MAXOcHWc8l0YurzPtu7DhOARXpnNCZpD5y6hBAugiw2l-Mhnj5q9xR8uENTMnmDNixwKXdN46m5GermzQhyphenhyphenODbf4pBhd2gJ4iSkruOP4qnLJV1DrC1-eSv8KGxp4OwZL6T02sQHWqM/s811/IMG_20200808_125125917.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6MAXOcHWc8l0YurzPtu7DhOARXpnNCZpD5y6hBAugiw2l-Mhnj5q9xR8uENTMnmDNixwKXdN46m5GermzQhyphenhyphenODbf4pBhd2gJ4iSkruOP4qnLJV1DrC1-eSv8KGxp4OwZL6T02sQHWqM/s640/IMG_20200808_125125917.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p>Up on the Common you join High Street with views looking towards the fells around Glenridding and Patterdale.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6KFoPzwuXk8jRRK-ELcs_ctrAWdRqu3ZfJp2yo4wfMA3DK2UaPopp58mUNVOROqWLHkdHbLnylTg5rl7GVT0-RCz4MOpFar2jf_zVPLu-U5kIQlf-c9_qvKtwEnvPNNtFs8XMrl7WqM/s811/IMG_20200808_141714520.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6KFoPzwuXk8jRRK-ELcs_ctrAWdRqu3ZfJp2yo4wfMA3DK2UaPopp58mUNVOROqWLHkdHbLnylTg5rl7GVT0-RCz4MOpFar2jf_zVPLu-U5kIQlf-c9_qvKtwEnvPNNtFs8XMrl7WqM/s640/IMG_20200808_141714520.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p>And you can just get a glimpse of Ullswater from the ridge between two Wainwrights - Wetherhill and Loadpot Hill.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiext9hiZyF1aOkw08d3EDdYcY2nGR-HrNdhI8rpFxVD6oz7jqr7LMZ2gkgz7-ne6dWN2b2KuTRPm1H-U7s_dShc5pZqyFSCnPh48cThv0-rued5Glo7pGFcuap7UXfzUxMMJzIwMsGs/s811/IMG_20200808_143013968.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiext9hiZyF1aOkw08d3EDdYcY2nGR-HrNdhI8rpFxVD6oz7jqr7LMZ2gkgz7-ne6dWN2b2KuTRPm1H-U7s_dShc5pZqyFSCnPh48cThv0-rued5Glo7pGFcuap7UXfzUxMMJzIwMsGs/s640/IMG_20200808_143013968.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQZ4ZFW_9dfewaS8ST8Qd5UwziVk6h6BTPIV9CD6-pvbUcsxMzaBCy3FJ9yyQbefCkMYGijDzDhHwJxzZyJvqNKzaBl-xxKEM_SateBuH8HKVztVe_qnAwMDxy-UeI2HbNz5CJwed7iA/s811/IMG_20200808_144804800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQZ4ZFW_9dfewaS8ST8Qd5UwziVk6h6BTPIV9CD6-pvbUcsxMzaBCy3FJ9yyQbefCkMYGijDzDhHwJxzZyJvqNKzaBl-xxKEM_SateBuH8HKVztVe_qnAwMDxy-UeI2HbNz5CJwed7iA/s640/IMG_20200808_144804800.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzwjKL91R940DZCh6NoTW89N_m2F5MVYWSyJ0NKuhSoNBzTX1PB3SDZL3xEoaVqgw1A9KugqgWOqkFruUPxESLWRgB98s0TJV6_7uhg20u7D9f5zkgUSOydPUcgebAMB_q97v6YtZVTM/s811/IMG_20200808_150529797.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzwjKL91R940DZCh6NoTW89N_m2F5MVYWSyJ0NKuhSoNBzTX1PB3SDZL3xEoaVqgw1A9KugqgWOqkFruUPxESLWRgB98s0TJV6_7uhg20u7D9f5zkgUSOydPUcgebAMB_q97v6YtZVTM/s640/IMG_20200808_150529797.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p>We had an easy, gradual descent and then took the road back to Bampton Grange. By that time we had a break from the sun and a nice breeze. It was a good walk to start the week and get the legs going again.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRxduRLmo0tLBilVIZF4h-YpP4gNoWp7_H5W7xIhqJAjloSxY3VNTgchfJUr5RtClbiD8QeiBNcNDVsu6xWqMyxDxfyg2fxlt_SMw6CL8X75YS-OMGGTh7cRiqBVy3AudrZEVbDp6OlQ/s811/IMG_20200808_163921913_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRxduRLmo0tLBilVIZF4h-YpP4gNoWp7_H5W7xIhqJAjloSxY3VNTgchfJUr5RtClbiD8QeiBNcNDVsu6xWqMyxDxfyg2fxlt_SMw6CL8X75YS-OMGGTh7cRiqBVy3AudrZEVbDp6OlQ/s640/IMG_20200808_163921913_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmb8GVJvauz4i42s4ZqkYhpvc9-nP9HUtj7oyjg5u5AUNxxXgGawvC5TTX67twW3ttxTV1UFgdYSyANGmJdvs5izY-yAV6xO1goAlIIKW5jl5sOvzAqAfaRy0IuLuPeNX2niRgOAH-Ehk/s608/IMG_20200808_164211171_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmb8GVJvauz4i42s4ZqkYhpvc9-nP9HUtj7oyjg5u5AUNxxXgGawvC5TTX67twW3ttxTV1UFgdYSyANGmJdvs5izY-yAV6xO1goAlIIKW5jl5sOvzAqAfaRy0IuLuPeNX2niRgOAH-Ehk/s0/IMG_20200808_164211171_HDR.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><b><u>Day Two: </u></b><p></p><p>Still hot but we decided we needed a bit more "up" today so revisited a favourite walk that we hadn't done for six years - a circular from Glenridding (you can do this from Patterdale but there's limited parking), that takes in Place Fell via Boredale Hause and returns along the Ullswater Way. More details about the walk are <b><a href="http://juliahedges.blogspot.com/2014/04/patterdale-and-place-fell.html">here</a></b> but when we first did it, the weather wasn't nearly as nice so let's just enjoy the sunshine and the views.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BEwUjYAKhVL7uyZhzSUdSslwpLvk4bzfkc9KoYuJZhrOuvY2xdO1Pvix7Eue2U8219ca9u2pOpa8k8JIhRqQYYX5U4BByw3SSsTJIoJO16IDoohk5wzk6iYFLwHqNHzIV4k2hCjekYM/s608/IMG_20200809_104823352_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BEwUjYAKhVL7uyZhzSUdSslwpLvk4bzfkc9KoYuJZhrOuvY2xdO1Pvix7Eue2U8219ca9u2pOpa8k8JIhRqQYYX5U4BByw3SSsTJIoJO16IDoohk5wzk6iYFLwHqNHzIV4k2hCjekYM/s0/IMG_20200809_104823352_HDR.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmcK5r3HRf-pDqSGqOoUm-YseZcUW7UYMgaY-HZ1zgttiedNX9xVfRqhpzwTnJeWg6vzeQ65nEjBgNgjXagQ4BmMp0pIPRo75k_HSE_fUC96gHMCD1IHYDfMf3c5CrHQx_OXiVqWX2GQ/s811/IMG_20200809_110143116_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmcK5r3HRf-pDqSGqOoUm-YseZcUW7UYMgaY-HZ1zgttiedNX9xVfRqhpzwTnJeWg6vzeQ65nEjBgNgjXagQ4BmMp0pIPRo75k_HSE_fUC96gHMCD1IHYDfMf3c5CrHQx_OXiVqWX2GQ/s640/IMG_20200809_110143116_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkk6rlSc85ukrDOp-Q2B-MIsScd4m7UE7qgjnxKNAAJr0yI5P6CY9Ewbk5_42xKWlGfiG9rrPaaa1wU9oNWpstspGOdMaNuNKDs0ApVCGP5B0P_6JCn-J_wlCsFTJQnk6fDf50RptUs0A/s608/IMG_20200809_112051597.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkk6rlSc85ukrDOp-Q2B-MIsScd4m7UE7qgjnxKNAAJr0yI5P6CY9Ewbk5_42xKWlGfiG9rrPaaa1wU9oNWpstspGOdMaNuNKDs0ApVCGP5B0P_6JCn-J_wlCsFTJQnk6fDf50RptUs0A/s0/IMG_20200809_112051597.jpg" /></a><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5jvEQQ2HiurQ6RpWrSm-41_J9qAkYuu5KTh3RIyxkE5WGia65mwl5deEu5Na4_VCIdiQ7LjqLVhcT2XVFJQ410G8Xx9MBE8mQsZwN6xPWlHRUIy9V8dErCOtELbkD3OS391kBkwKs84/s811/IMG_20200809_112302787.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5jvEQQ2HiurQ6RpWrSm-41_J9qAkYuu5KTh3RIyxkE5WGia65mwl5deEu5Na4_VCIdiQ7LjqLVhcT2XVFJQ410G8Xx9MBE8mQsZwN6xPWlHRUIy9V8dErCOtELbkD3OS391kBkwKs84/s640/IMG_20200809_112302787.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4WeeaE3-F_YpubRojYOUBxszQlgnkqTzbNdgZup5P7puewhC36vFRMRDkGdj3d8spw6pTCveCHohSGh_PZdkEvGFhL58D7g4ZgXh7BFjkwKqMugXcVhzfMCl84jhhfAjtJPm3MrXY4k/s608/IMG_20200809_121747990.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4WeeaE3-F_YpubRojYOUBxszQlgnkqTzbNdgZup5P7puewhC36vFRMRDkGdj3d8spw6pTCveCHohSGh_PZdkEvGFhL58D7g4ZgXh7BFjkwKqMugXcVhzfMCl84jhhfAjtJPm3MrXY4k/s0/IMG_20200809_121747990.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaiG9f32PEQI4qQ0G2EAsl7Be0ClZWCMWpRRzUqidLPVBTEp4J91coKqDNqpol88PzvAFZWvkYPT9d0nGRzRXXCqH6XChS_8KxWA6bIcdJl8cTFaHkJmevoduS7jvpBcr5BVAEQzKVqE/s811/IMG_20200809_122331798.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaiG9f32PEQI4qQ0G2EAsl7Be0ClZWCMWpRRzUqidLPVBTEp4J91coKqDNqpol88PzvAFZWvkYPT9d0nGRzRXXCqH6XChS_8KxWA6bIcdJl8cTFaHkJmevoduS7jvpBcr5BVAEQzKVqE/s640/IMG_20200809_122331798.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iwgWprckr5MLJliNB84sxEFFUTfY5uyAdYdovL_TW51NGzCHIQosnyhSCPkbm6kvormCjiSjykHmyKJv6WRqempnGIaXHKNh92IQw7n7eNepihNVOKkPBGt1MxTnJlUKX-6xpcIBB4w/s608/IMG_20200809_131651297.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iwgWprckr5MLJliNB84sxEFFUTfY5uyAdYdovL_TW51NGzCHIQosnyhSCPkbm6kvormCjiSjykHmyKJv6WRqempnGIaXHKNh92IQw7n7eNepihNVOKkPBGt1MxTnJlUKX-6xpcIBB4w/s0/IMG_20200809_131651297.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rest of the week included all new walks (at least for me - the Liverpud had done some of them before) including one that's gone into my top ten. Stay tuned.</div>Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-57180879177449829752020-08-05T15:23:00.004+01:002020-08-05T15:26:20.379+01:00Knitting Up My Fabric Stash. . . I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been going through their stuff in lockdown and either having a good tidy or trying to decide what to do with all the stuff!<div><br /></div><div>I have a fabric stash going back thirty years when I thought hand quilting would be my main hobby. While meditative, it takes an awfully long time but that didn't stop me from amassing several boxes full of various fat quarters and yards of sale oddments.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the time a lot of quilt shops were filled with floral country prints in pastel colours. When I laid out all my fabric on the back lawn, I was really surprised at how much pink I had acquired; it's not a colour that I really like to wear or use for accents around the house. Which just goes to show how your taste changes over the years.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78r2z-gOb_IbxkduWHItdvfwsCswGxQogTnM7AqnhQ2Zm1SsEYniQDdTVtXtz7jqGMoYJ37WFb9eno6-0bGv0OK9_1lEPQSmq1q58SOWror6BB3PR2_fMhda86IF6IL2k2L5JU0ZBTHM/s657/IMG_20200527_123559_160.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="657" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78r2z-gOb_IbxkduWHItdvfwsCswGxQogTnM7AqnhQ2Zm1SsEYniQDdTVtXtz7jqGMoYJ37WFb9eno6-0bGv0OK9_1lEPQSmq1q58SOWror6BB3PR2_fMhda86IF6IL2k2L5JU0ZBTHM/w640-h640/IMG_20200527_123559_160.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It was while watching a quilting tutorial on how to make binding that I came up with an idea of how to finally make good use of all my fabric which has been doing nothing but sitting in boxes under the spare bed.</div><div><br /></div><div>I started cutting them up into roughly 2 inch strips.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZ9rL9qc2e7EEq_ZUo3BRxI2ISWCkaZqOwuN4PmR8hyphenhyphengWFshLZbBe4TyL3Iy3AeDva1tbJxA6bb98ksCcYs5bHITQ1AQD4bNzMqZ3dcU4-fJoGFmY9jKyJNZjEHuV4r54qfBx2rnc9q8/s589/IMG_20200727_205914648.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="589" height="589" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZ9rL9qc2e7EEq_ZUo3BRxI2ISWCkaZqOwuN4PmR8hyphenhyphengWFshLZbBe4TyL3Iy3AeDva1tbJxA6bb98ksCcYs5bHITQ1AQD4bNzMqZ3dcU4-fJoGFmY9jKyJNZjEHuV4r54qfBx2rnc9q8/w589-h589/IMG_20200727_205914648.jpg" width="589" /></a></div>Then I sewed all the strips together, end to end.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgUb_N_DAx8CN99C1EOJY7jI4d-MELSNP3qxAJ-FBfBuf39tZFa6Q-sj0eXBT9KQkATD05Y-PqOlg7UhWi1bZn4DeNPpHuZWtFM03nch9onumNxt0Mgwjw8s4rRGkiIdrOmKPdUGbWTw/s588/IMG_20200726_143310240.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgUb_N_DAx8CN99C1EOJY7jI4d-MELSNP3qxAJ-FBfBuf39tZFa6Q-sj0eXBT9KQkATD05Y-PqOlg7UhWi1bZn4DeNPpHuZWtFM03nch9onumNxt0Mgwjw8s4rRGkiIdrOmKPdUGbWTw/s0/IMG_20200726_143310240.jpg" /></a></div>I folded them over with the right sides outwards and pressed them very lightly. (By the way, I recently invested in a tiny quilter's iron and a square wool mat for pressing - best purchase ever!)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvlgARjI5zR8iwTY9StuoEV6f9lcWck8uefYoppJSmmxO7zlwCjotuHMhECPSvKMdPUng5oe9HaxcnRPsbLLam19q0YsaNH-Tj3hIyy4aX2gGXxE4mhHuchpkBn9nqP8PN_-QxUwNo9w/s650/IMG_20200726_142448760.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvlgARjI5zR8iwTY9StuoEV6f9lcWck8uefYoppJSmmxO7zlwCjotuHMhECPSvKMdPUng5oe9HaxcnRPsbLLam19q0YsaNH-Tj3hIyy4aX2gGXxE4mhHuchpkBn9nqP8PN_-QxUwNo9w/s640/IMG_20200726_142448760.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Then I wound the strips into a huge fabric ball of yarn.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5kiY3_yHbBZ08DSwQco6V7nDZkU_G47GEEYJhcoUzVopFVi4Qu0pgg2_p8LZeEOu1rFu0NBft_emPovOqfJgcIYDw82pxylQeHSf-p2pKAgBXlpEj8SvIlWnbfscstRYCk6WZCyad0Y/s626/IMG_20200726_152157474.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5kiY3_yHbBZ08DSwQco6V7nDZkU_G47GEEYJhcoUzVopFVi4Qu0pgg2_p8LZeEOu1rFu0NBft_emPovOqfJgcIYDw82pxylQeHSf-p2pKAgBXlpEj8SvIlWnbfscstRYCk6WZCyad0Y/s0/IMG_20200726_152157474.jpg" /></a></div>And started knitting! I am using 15mm needles and I cast on 125 stitches. This shows it all bunched up on the circular needle and it's already the width of my landing, so when it's all spread out, it should be a really good size for a floor rug. I'm using moss/seed stitch for added texture as this will be lovely to walk on in bare feet.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rzCmwFIH1Bt7fq0rGkNq_bTRKGpnfoWnMOLJbfdMoAzm-pZT2SQMRRchDHetQTzBuwGxsKoJun4zl9EPE_NxS7_jjcRw2HihO1PsgbzUo6x4Ngq3v1aJnguSrfrjlbX87_1PXVCxH1M/s1046/IMG_20200729_125054032.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1046" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rzCmwFIH1Bt7fq0rGkNq_bTRKGpnfoWnMOLJbfdMoAzm-pZT2SQMRRchDHetQTzBuwGxsKoJun4zl9EPE_NxS7_jjcRw2HihO1PsgbzUo6x4Ngq3v1aJnguSrfrjlbX87_1PXVCxH1M/s640/IMG_20200729_125054032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It's by no means a quick process as I estimate that with the cutting, sewing, pressing and knitting, it probably takes about 2 hours to do a few rows. But those fabric piles are shrinking and I am actually loving how all these fabrics look together.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Q4JhLpoGz0n_llSs2xQ9W-lb5PExePT4qYHyH4llVqZw8gcWbWHIJDHzD1ksQ-a-pbcfGOtBc1AfKktOMwBGb2q__QjFXex-egspuYcSzV3MJlB4iZhNqBNMMOYjjt28tLNCPnnjJgA/s589/IMG_20200729_123638854.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="442" height="736" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Q4JhLpoGz0n_llSs2xQ9W-lb5PExePT4qYHyH4llVqZw8gcWbWHIJDHzD1ksQ-a-pbcfGOtBc1AfKktOMwBGb2q__QjFXex-egspuYcSzV3MJlB4iZhNqBNMMOYjjt28tLNCPnnjJgA/w553-h736/IMG_20200729_123638854.jpg" width="553" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And soon I will have some extra storage boxes. . . ahem. . .for yarn stash no doubt.</div>Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-4499830754986309622020-07-24T17:33:00.002+01:002020-07-24T17:33:40.143+01:00Baby Steps. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's been ages since I've been able to blog about a walk. Apart from daily exercise in our neighbourhood, we haven't been out hiking since February. As much as we wanted to, and even though we know lots of routes well off the tourist path, it just felt wrong to go out in the countryside until it was clear that the people living and working there, including Mountain Rescue volunteers, would welcome walkers again.</div>
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Wales has been closed through most of lockdown but they opened their borders two weeks ago. Last Sunday we decided to venture to one of our favourite walks in the Clwydian Hills - the ridge from Moel Famau to Moel Arthur. We went early, avoided all the busy car parks and ascended Moel Famau up one of the back and less popular tracks. There were lots of runners and walkers out, including lots of families which was nice to see, but it was very easy to social distance.</div>
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It just felt so good to be out in the fresh air again and to get the legs moving. We are both definitely out of shape and the muscles were feeling it. But it was the nicest ache possible.<br />
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The heather was also starting to bloom - feels early to me, but there were bright clumps scattered over the hills.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBV-buE-RvVo1u_05XNH_PlE839hgm69SPJS8QxTvvrWaoa-4HxqW_ik8qdtT_l4FZWQKw2ZjjEVWTQtwR1CqJiW0HmhA02hyd9TGCaiW4vjlC6na4twgD2kp8BA4dlHvVjndfrjTeVU/s1600/IMG_20200719_112319756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBV-buE-RvVo1u_05XNH_PlE839hgm69SPJS8QxTvvrWaoa-4HxqW_ik8qdtT_l4FZWQKw2ZjjEVWTQtwR1CqJiW0HmhA02hyd9TGCaiW4vjlC6na4twgD2kp8BA4dlHvVjndfrjTeVU/s640/IMG_20200719_112319756.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And so nice to see sheep again too. It was a perfect summer's day with no hint at all of rain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCo7MLUa3gCXpYzMWrQHD_irF_FbTwBInJ3NFjGWs98g3jpGkUzGJMVSYtA0HQVCaN9U12Nc4nq8yXa8Ac2-8N7QZNCrZ9r-H0fh0uYKc2-C2tvrMbLfsMpS7s4G6LCvHpraYXKoHDUc/s1600/IMG_20200719_113802327_BURST000_COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCo7MLUa3gCXpYzMWrQHD_irF_FbTwBInJ3NFjGWs98g3jpGkUzGJMVSYtA0HQVCaN9U12Nc4nq8yXa8Ac2-8N7QZNCrZ9r-H0fh0uYKc2-C2tvrMbLfsMpS7s4G6LCvHpraYXKoHDUc/s640/IMG_20200719_113802327_BURST000_COVER.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I will never take something as simple as going for a long walk for granted again. And unlike some horrendous pictures I've seen on the news of piles of litter in some of the National Parks, I'm pleased to report that I didn't come across a single piece of rubbish during the whole walk.<br />
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So good to have a teeny bit of normality again after all these weeks of lockdown.Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-40355066353200344652020-05-24T11:36:00.003+01:002020-05-24T11:36:39.212+01:00I Am Now a Sock Knitter. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One thing I didn't expect out of lockdown was that it would turn me into a sock knitter.</div>
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While I've always enjoyed wearing handknit socks, particularly a lovely pair that a friend knit for me, I've always dismissed them as items that will be irritatingly prone to constant darning.</div>
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But then I won some sock yarn in an instagram contest.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZktB3ijqsZe-2LduxGm3H7ast9JZ7mUYEx2aOWIFo1WEKk9AcFDvJIM8zTw6OK4okbFgWaNueKnzYjMy8XDeWOJNl5lug6MaaBHb-AuT_xq8Mo3tyA4c6s5_dEGSxahpGYMIfO66Ccs/s1600/IMG_20200428_144909_403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZktB3ijqsZe-2LduxGm3H7ast9JZ7mUYEx2aOWIFo1WEKk9AcFDvJIM8zTw6OK4okbFgWaNueKnzYjMy8XDeWOJNl5lug6MaaBHb-AuT_xq8Mo3tyA4c6s5_dEGSxahpGYMIfO66Ccs/s400/IMG_20200428_144909_403.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Aren't these skeins gorgeous? <a href="https://icelandicknitter.com/product/katla-sokkaband/"><b>Katla</b></a> is a new sock yarn created by <b>Hélène Magnússon </b>out of 99% Icelandic lambswool and 1% silk. It feels really strong and sturdy. I also won her new <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mosi-socks">Mosi sock </a></b>pattern and so while I was waiting for the yarn to arrive, I thought I would get my sock knitting skills up to scratch.</div>
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I had always admired the <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kanoko-socks">Konoko</a></b> socks by <b>Mary Jane Mucklestone</b> and doing a bit of simple colourwork on the leg would help me gauge the stitch count and needle size that would work best for a good fit. I have to say, this pattern is wonderfully simple and well written, and I absolutely love the fit and feel of these socks. I used some Madeline Tosh fingering for the blue, with some remnant leftover ball for the white. In previous pairs I've knitted, I've always done an afterthought heel, but the heel flap and gusset in this construction, I find to be much more comfortable.</div>
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It gave me the confidence and also the drive to dig out two four year old sock wips - just simple vanilla socks using self-striping yarn (Cascade Heritage Print for the first and Regia Sock Yarn for the second) - and using the same stitch counts and needles from my Konoko socks, I finished them up.</div>
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I finally <i>get </i>why knitters love vanilla socks. I have the recipe now ingrained in my head and I don't need a pattern any more. It's the perfect portable project for commuting (at least in the past) and for queuing (of which I anticipate a lot of in the future). And they do feel lovely on the feet. And I suppose if I knit enough of them (no shortage of sock yarn in the stash), they can be in constant rotation without, hopefully, too many holes, too quickly although I definitely am going to experiment with different types of yarn to gauge their durability.<br />
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As for the Mosi socks, I've started them, but they are feeling a bit tight, so I may have to go up a needle size. These should be great for hiking though. Whenever that happens again.<br />
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<br />Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-76283026107833548842020-05-13T14:58:00.001+01:002020-05-13T14:58:05.434+01:00Sew Soothing. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Knitting has always been my stress reducing, mindful activity but I'm at the point where a lot of my wips are either requiring a lot of my time or some all-consuming concentration, so I've recently found that doing some simple running stitch is quite meditative when I have a few minutes here and there, or am watching telly. </div>
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I've had this cushion cover stuck in a bag for a few years. It's made up of two charm packs - one of Liberty fabrics and the other of rather bright and cheerful solids. I had hand sewn them into simple nine-patch squares, sewn those together and then basted it to some wadding, preparatory to hand quilting it. And then for some reason, I had just put it away. But it only took an hour or two for a few days to get all the quilting done. </div>
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It was then just the matter of setting aside a morning to sew up an inner cushion, stuff it to its plumpiest potential with some batts of alpaca roving (from the days when I thought I'd really get into spinning, but didn't), add a backing of cheery denim and a zipper and I now have a really firm, pretty cushion for my side of the sofa.</div>
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I was inspired to get out the sewing machine again through a lovely sew-a-long in one of my ravelry groups, led by a friend who is a wonderful quilter. Over two Sunday online workshops, about twenty knitters from various parts of the globe, all got together to sew the "Brenda Project Bag" (because you can never have too many project bags!). The construction was really ingenious and I'm thrilled with how mine turned out. I used the same denim from my cushion and added this fun Charlie Harper print,<br />
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It's a great size and roomy enough for a sweater project. There are six skeins in there (destined for a <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/portolan-pullover">Portolan</a></b> Jumper).<br />
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Having visited a number of quilting and textile shows over the years, I seem to have amassed quite a bit of fabric, mostly fat quarters and charm packs. Our online sewing group will be attempting zippered pouches next but a few of us have also signed up to this <b><a href="https://www.aquiltinglife.com/2020/05/summer-sampler-2020-easy-piecing-summer.html/">Summer Sampler </a></b>quilt-a-long, starting June 1st. We get emailed a block a week for sixteen weeks. I am looking forward to trying some new techniques such as foundation paper piercing and how to sew curves.<br />
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In the meantime, I can see myself sewing a few more bags. And then casting on new projects to put in them!Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-86252834474565709812020-05-05T12:28:00.000+01:002020-05-05T12:28:59.018+01:00Knitting in Lockdown. . . We've now been in lockdown for nearly two months. How is everyone doing?<br />
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When it was first anticipated and especially when I started working at home, the staying-in bit didn't bother me at all. I knew I'd miss my long hikes, but on the plus side, I thought I'd have oodles of time to crack down and finish all my knitting wips and even get out the sewing machine. I had visions of tackling a really big, time-consuming project, maybe finishing a fair isle cardigan or my intarsia jumper, or even making huge headway with my <b><a href="https://www.sewandquilt.co.uk/products/la-tarantella-english-paper-pieces-complete-kit">Tarantella millefiore </a></b>quilt (nope, that's never going to be completed - I admit defeat now).<br />
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In the end, most of my sweater wips have remained in their lonesome project bags and I've been drawn to easier and smaller projects. And despite a goal to really crack down on all my wips from the last decade (my challenge is to finish 20 by the end of the year), all I've felt like doing is casting on the new. And so I have.<br />
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I started with hats:<br />
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The top two - <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/foglie-nascoste---tam">Foglie Nascoste</a></b> and the <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gradient-mesh---beanie">Gradient Mesh</a></b> - are from the new book of accessories, <b><a href="https://www.klakladesigns.com/shop/668lbkyf94h08k1kr62m8z93l1ku0z">Colour Moves</a></b> by <b>Claudia Fiochetti</b>. It's the first book in Kate Davies' new venture Make/Mark in which she is helping to mentor and publish new designers and writers. In look and execution, it is very much in line with the quality of Kate's own books, but the designs are very much Claudia's and it's a lovely collection of mittens, hats and cowls, many with a strong graphic sensibility. I will be knitting more from this book in the future - my Gradient Mesh hat, which uses a Crazy Zauberball for the colour changes, is one of the best fitting hats I've ever knitted.<br />
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I also knit Kate's <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/brilliant-corners">Brilliant Corners</a></b> hat because it was fun to play with the colours and textures.<br />
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And I needed a hat to go with the very first pair of gloves I knitted back in February. These were a really fun project and the fingers much easier than I thought they would be. After fiddling around with dpns that were too long and magic loop which was difficult with such small circumferences, I tried some<b><a href="https://www.addineedles.co.uk/addicrasytrio-2805-p.asp"> Addi Crasy Trios</a></b> and they worked a charm. The pattern is <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blue-interference">Blue Interference </a></b>by the aforementioned talented <b>Claudia Fiochetti</b> but from the new book <a href="https://www.shopkdd.com/warm-hands"><b>Warm Hands</b></a>, edited by <b>Kate Davies </b>and <b>Jeanette Sloan</b>.<br />
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The book has some really beautiful colourwork mittens and some fun patterns with new-to-me techniques, such as the calliper cables in<b> Jeanette Sloan's</b> <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/toasty-cosy">Toasty Cosy mitts</a></b> that I knit to match a previous cowl.<br />
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And because I enjoyed the gloves so much, I knit a pair for a birthday gift - the pattern is <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nancys-gloves">Nancy's Gloves</a></b> by <b>Donna Smith</b>. I really like the simple but elegant lace pattern. I think I might need to cast on a pair for myself.<br />
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Heads and hands out of my system, I drifted towards shawls. Now I DO NOT need another shawl, but I just can't seem to stop knitting them. They are probably my favourite type of project because they grow quickly (mostly), are the perfect stashbuster, especially for single skeins, the gauge is usually not an issue, and they are a great canvas for trying out some new techniques.<br />
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I used the rest of my Crazy Zauberball to knit a <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/moonraker-2"><b>Moonraker</b></a> shawl by <b>Melanie Berg</b>. This was lots of soothing garter stitch followed by some rows of colourful clusters.<br />
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And then I cast on <b>Gudrun Johnston'</b>s beautiful <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/loren-2">Loren </a></b>shawl. I had always wanted to try the Shetland Bird's Eye lace pattern (which involves knitting lace on both sides, but is quite intuitive once you get into the rhythm of it), and I'm really happy with the result. The yarn is merino laceweight dyed by Canadian <b><a href="https://katsriversidestudio.com/">Riverside Knits</a></b>, from very old stash. I do like a light lace shawl for summer.<br />
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And my final shawl (I do seem to be knitting things in threes these days), is still in progress. It's a <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knit-lab-mystery-kal-7">Mystery Knit-A-Long</a></b> shawl designed by <b>Kieran Foley </b>who is a master of colour, although his patterns use a lot of intarsia. I had a pile of mini balls of Shetland yarn in stash from <b><a href="http://www.wee-county-yarns.co.uk/epages/es120838.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es120838_shop/Products/JCR_Mini">Wee County Yarns</a></b> (very convenient as ready-made bobbins), and some gorgeous, rustic Donegal yarn that I picked up from <b><a href="https://retrosaria.rosapomar.com/products/soft-donegal">Rosa Pomar's Retrosaria</a></b> last year in Lisbon so thought I would give this a go.<br />
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The pattern is inspired by Moroccan embroideries and while my colours don't have as much contrast as I would normally like, I think they give an over-all effect of a faded carpet or sun-bleached blanket which I find quite pleasing. I still have two more clues to complete but have worked out a system of knitting this on my bed, with all the bobbins spread out so that they are easily untangled after every row. It's very slow and steady knitting but I'm pleased after admiring his patterns for so long to be actually tackling one. And I think his<b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bloomsbury-swirl"> Bloomsbury Swirl </a> is</b> definitely destined for my future queue.<br />
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Ahem. . . and lockdown has apparently turned me into a sock knitter! Who knew? But maybe that's a post for later.<br />
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I hope you are all finding comfort in your knitting or other crafty projects. The Liverpud, not known for spending time in creative endeavours, has already finished putting together a model airplane and is talking about taking a sketchbook out to the garden.Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-14855578120478298152020-04-30T12:47:00.002+01:002020-04-30T12:47:13.009+01:00Flashback Walk September 2019: The Kentmere Horseshoe. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If there's one good reason to be happy blogging again, it's to be able to post about this fabulous walk. </div>
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I often use the search engine of the blog to bring up a walk we've previously done, especially if the Liverpud is contemplating leading a walk in the same area, or if we want to remind ourselves of a certain route or terrain. And hopefully I can encourage you to try some of these hikes if you are ever in the area, or give you some vicarious pleasure if you just want to follow along online. Especially now, when we're all stuck indoors. </div>
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Last September (seems so long ago now), we had a long weekend up in the Lake District and we each chose a walk we wanted to do. The Liverpud chose the Kentmere Horseshoe which is a tough one, but if you have the glorious weather that we had, it's absolutely magnificent. You need to start early because it's around fourteen miles with lots of elevation as it takes in nine Wainwrights! There is also very limited parking near the Kentmere church where it begins and although this is a little off the beaten track of most popular Lakeland routes, that car park fills up very quickly.</div>
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It starts easily enough on a rough track, gradually going up. </div>
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You then turn onto glorious moorland and already the views are incredible, looking west and south towards the majority of the Lake District.<br />
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You then start heading for the first Wainwright called Yoke. Love the name, and yes, I was wearing a knitted yoke sweater at the time.<br />
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Looking back, that's Lake Windermere in the distance.<br />
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Below was taken, I think, from the top of Yoke. Ahead you can start to see the shape of the Horseshoe which roughly bends around the Kentmere Reservoir.<br />
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You can see the ups and downs ahead of us. You climb Ill Bell, Froswick and Thornthwaite Crag which is roughly the half-way point. You can also continue up to High Street which we did for a little way before retracing our steps to complete the other side of the Horseshoe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcRRyW3_S4vBZ-hZ2AK5hKuhDk1WtWq7avH6iErR5uMxHBlYJu1OV_MDQ3DDtIHrDwbaDbyvoNQxbsSgn21T6DrCJhQJ76wkucM-7miKk3UiVS7emu4h39fO5rSHpfyOcWjSsxJcn7eo/s1600/k9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="875" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcRRyW3_S4vBZ-hZ2AK5hKuhDk1WtWq7avH6iErR5uMxHBlYJu1OV_MDQ3DDtIHrDwbaDbyvoNQxbsSgn21T6DrCJhQJ76wkucM-7miKk3UiVS7emu4h39fO5rSHpfyOcWjSsxJcn7eo/s640/k9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Looking back at where we've come.<br />
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And now we're looking ahead to the turning point or head of the Horseshoe. Ahead of us we will be climbing Mardale Ill Bell, Harter Fell, Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts.<br />
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Looking back from the top of the fell in the previous photo.<br />
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And now we're on the other side, it's late afternoon, and we've got tired feet but it feels so great to look at those peaks that we've been traversing.<br />
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Once down, there's quite a long walk back to the car park, mostly along a road, but you do get this beautiful shot of most of the Horseshoe curve.<br />
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We were so lucky with the weather. The paths are quite good, especially on the first half, but it would be a completely different kind of walk if wind and rain were a factor. On a good day, though, it's one of the best that the Lakes offers - definitely in my top ten - and I can't wait to do it again. Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-70288869485800954462020-04-24T16:34:00.002+01:002020-04-24T16:34:23.625+01:00Flashback to September 2019: A Walk up Blencathra. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Happy Friday!</div>
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If the world were different, today I'd have been heading up to the Lake District, first to pop into a textile exhibit in Penrith and then I was going to be spending the weekend on a map reading and navigating course in preparation for leading some future walks in my ramblers' group. Alas, that has all had to be postponed, but understandably so.</div>
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The second day of the course was going to be spent practising our skills in the moorlands behind Blencathra, so in lieu of that, let me offer up a walk the Liverpudlian and I did last September when we climbed to the top of this iconic mountain, also known as Saddleback.</div>
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Blencathra looms over the road leading to Keswick and while back in 2014 I hiked behind it, as blogged <b><a href="http://juliahedges.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-walk-without-lake-almost.html">here</a></b>, I'd never actually climbed the mountain. We were spending a long weekend in Grasmere and each of us got to choose a walk we wanted to do - this was my pick.</div>
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I'd totally recommend Blencathra if you want to climb one of the higher fells but don't want anything too technical. Just don't go via Sharp Edge which IS technical (I still haven't attempted it and would only do so in perfect weather conditions). If you start on the western side, which is what we did, though it's a bit steep at first, once you get to the top, it's a lovely long ridge walk with wide, grassy paths and you don't need to go near the edge if you don't want to. </div>
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This is early on in the ascent, looking back towards the direction of Keswick.</div>
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And now we're nearly at the top. You can just see how the path will follow up to that next peak and then turn left to follow the next ridge, but all the hard climbing is done. </div>
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It was a murky day which didn't make for the best photos. You can just see Derwent Water peeking out in this one.<br />
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Further along the path, looking back at where we've been. . .<br />
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. . . and looking forward to the descent which is also quite gradual and easier on the knees than many of the fells I've been on.<br />
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On the way down, you'll pass other routes up. Across from the tarn, you can see Sharp Edge.<br />
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I love the sky in this one. </div>
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Once you are down, you can return to your starting point following a path that runs along the front. And you can look up and see the ridge that you've just walked. It was about an eight mile circular.<br />
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A good walk always demands a good meal - I would totally recommend <b><a href="http://www.thejumbleroom.co.uk/">The Jumble Room</a></b> in Grasmere for the ambience and of course the food! You definitely need to book ahead though.<br />
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I really miss the hiking during this lockdown but am taking comfort in the fact that the weather will at least be nice this weekend and the hills aren't going anywhere. They'll still be there when all this is over.<br />
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My next post will be the Liverpud's choice of walk from this September weekend - and it's a brilliant one!Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-55976929064904763082020-04-21T21:54:00.000+01:002020-04-21T21:54:15.468+01:00On Losing . . . and Finding Julia Hedges . . . Hello. It's been awhile.<br />
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It's the strangest of times to be picking up a blog again; does any of this minutiae really matter among all the global suffering and anxiety taking place amidst Covid-19? I am feeling very lucky. My friends and family are all safe. My partner and I can both work from home so we still have our salaries. I have a lovely back garden where I can sit on the grass, inhale the fresh air, look at the emerging growth and feel the sun on my face. We have food in the fridge.<br />
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I know this isn't the case for thousands, and worries about how this world is going to look and act when this is all over are prevalent. But if this lockdown has taught us anything, it's to slow down, treasure the small things, and never to take anything or anyone for granted. It's given us the time to reflect, perhaps on what we've been, who we are and who we want to be in the future. And in some ways, this blog is a record of that for me.<br />
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I started writing this twelve years ago and back then I had a busy career in publishing, getting caught up in all the latest literary trends, discovering new authors and having early access to manuscripts from some of my favourites. But I was also a bit sad that I'd had to give up on a PhD (impossible to combine with a full time job), and I wanted to keep my academic mind alert and indulge in my ongoing fascination with the literature written during Virginia Woolf's lifetime - particularly books written by women about the suffrage movement, their participation in the First World War and life during the inter-war years - at a much more leisurely pace. And that was the impetus for Julia Hedge's Laces - a reference to a character in Woolf's novel <i>Jacob's Room, </i>who is frustrated that all the names on the dome of the British Library Reading room are male. I liked the fact that her laces were sloppily undone. I wanted to tie them up into a neat bow, as we all want to do with our lives, while acknowledging that we will inevitably trip up at times.<br />
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Fast forward to 2010 and I moved to the UK and this blog became a way to write about my new obsession with knitting and textiles, and to record the amazing walks I've been able to do all around the country. And gradually the reading slowed down. And almost stopped. Whether it was to do with my new activities or whether it was because my partner doesn't read at all, or whether I was secretly mourning the eighty percent of my book collection I had to give up in order to move, I still don't know. I went from someone who easily read over a hundred books a year to one who was struggling to finish ten. I had even stopped reading blogs - and I used to read dozens a day - although over the last few years, I've noticed that lots of these have stopped too in favour of quicker forms of social media. And then my laptop mouse stopped working and I procrastinated on getting a new one and weeks went by and then months. . .<br />
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So what has spurred me on to this post? Two things really. I received a lovely comment on an old post from a complete stranger that really made my day (merci Catherine). And then something unexpected popped up in a book I was reading that just seemed like a sign that I should log on again.<br />
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One positive about spending much more time at home has been the return of my reading mojo. I have been reading a lot over the past few weeks and thoroughly enjoying it again. So it seems apt that my first post after this break should be a round-up of some recent reads, all of which I'd recommend and, perhaps surprisingly, (perhaps not), rather reflect the reader I used to be ten years ago. Something old, something new, something translated, something re-read, something about women's lives in the inter-war years, yes, that feels familiar.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571330652-square-haunting.html">Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars</a></b> by <b>Francesca Wade</b><br />
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The premise of this book really intrigued me, covering the lives of five women writers and thinkers - H.D, Dorothy L. Sayers, Jane Harrison, Eileen Power and Virginia Woolf - but choosing to focus on the years in which they lived at various numbers in Bloomsbury's Mecklenburgh Square (not all at the same time). It's an ingenious way to write about a pivotal period in someone's life and also to consider how a similar, distinctly urban setting might influence or reflect a certain life stage. Some of these women knew each other; some only knew about each other. H.D. and Dorothy Sayers actually lived in the same room (years apart) which I found very pleasing (if those walls could only talk!) They also had a relationship with the same jealous, overbearing and bitter man, (years apart) which was rather less agreeable. I certainly need to reread H.D's autobiographical novel of this time - <b>Bid Me to Live</b>.<br />
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And then, in the fascinating chapter on the classical academic Jane Ellen Harrison, I came across this timely passage:<br />
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". . . In her novel <i>Jacob's Room</i>, Woolf describes a female student staring at the ceiling of the British Museum Reading Room while she waits for her books, noticing not a single woman among the names engraved on the dome: the library's very architecture implies that only men have been and will ever be scholars. Aged nearly fifty, with honorary degrees from Aberdeen and Durham to her name yet no university appointment, Jane Harrison must have felt the same sinking conviction that the world was skewed against her. . . "<br />
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Was the character of Julia Hedge a nod to Jane Harrison? <br />
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I like to think so. I was inspired by Harrison's life and work, and her attitude and principles of living and embracing a global world. I was also cheering on Eileen Power, another prominent academic who had to fight sexism and discrimination throughout her career, but whose love of travel led to a lifelong commitment to pacifism and internationalism. These brave, intelligent and ground-breaking women had boundless energy and resourcefulness and it was fascinating to get a glimpse into their lives.<br />
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Needless to say, I loved this book.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1114875/mac-and-his-problem/9781787300453.html">Mac & His Problem</a></b> by <b>Enrique Vila-Matas</b>, translated by <b>Margaret Jull Costa</b> and <b>Sophie Hughes</b></div>
I've read Vila-Matas before and while I'm sure his writing may frustrate some readers, I find him rather funny. The Mac in question, who may or may not be the head of a construction company that has gone bust, decides to put his spare time to good use by studying the idea of repetition, in particular embarking on a project to rewrite the early novel of his celebrated neighbour in which each chapter is a pastiche of a famous short story writer. In the course of re-examining and commenting on each chapter, Mac also finds some eerie similarities to his own life. This is comic literary angst at its best. And possibly its worst. Read and repeat.<br />
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<b>Rebecca</b> by <b>Daphne Du Maurier</b>. </div>
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My workplace was having an online book club and this was the first selection. I hadn't read it since I was a teenager. I also watched the 1940 film version again (apparently a new one is in the works with Kristen Scott Thomas playing Mrs. Danvers which looks intriguing). I had forgotten that there was one crucial difference between the book and the movie; as a result, after this return to Manderley, I felt much less empathy for the narrator and less sorry for her fate after events unfolded.</div>
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There's nothing like a Persephone for comfort reading, and scanning my shelves, <b><a href="http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/house-bound.html">House-Bound</a></b> by <b>Winifred Peck</b> seemed a perfectly appropriate title for our times. The novel is set in Edinburgh during the Second World War and focuses on Rose Fairlaw, a middle class woman used to having a comfortable life with plenty of servant help, but with the current shortage, she makes a decision to attempt the majority of the house work herself with mixed results. There are many comic scenes within the story amidst the sorrows of wartime and I liked the recurring metaphor of the house enclosing - and in some cases imprisoning - change, progress and growth, personally and in families. There was a subplot about Rose's fraught relationship with her daughter that was a bit unconvincing, but the story rips along and Rose was a very engaging and likeable character with a self-deprecating humour and a wry way of looking at the world that was endearing. Winifred Peck was Penelope Fitzgerald's aunt and I think they share a sense of being able to closely observe an ordinary, everyday occurrence and mine it for its comic potential. A very enjoyable, comfort read indeed.</div>
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<b><u>Currently reading:</u></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/maggie-ofarrell/hamnet/9781472223791/">Hamnet</a></b> by <b>Maggie O'Farrell</b></div>
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I'm about half way through this look at Shakespeare's home life in the events leading up to his young son's death from the plague. The story mostly unfolds through an interesting imagining of Agnes/Anne Hathaway's early life and her relationship to her husband and his family. So far, Shakespeare has barely made an appearance. </div>
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<b><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1116881/the-wandering/9781787301177.html">The Wandering</a></b> by <b>Intan Paramaditha, </b>translated by<b> Stephen J. Epstein </b></div>
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I read an interesting review of this book, a "Choose Your Own Adventure" novel for adults, and ordered a copy on a whim. A young woman makes a Faustian-type bargain with the devil for a pair of ruby slippers and the chance to go travelling. So far, I've had to make the choice to either stay in a tiny New York apartment or jump on a plane to Berlin (I chose the former). It will be hard to tell when I've actually finished this novel, but we'll see how to go about reading the rest of it when I've got to the end of my current adventure.<br />
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That felt good. Going to hit publish now. . .Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-80891851113277419342019-09-13T09:01:00.002+01:002019-09-13T09:01:42.244+01:00My Icelandic Saga Part Two: Water and Wind. . . Some more pics from walks we did on the first and third days of hiking in Southern Iceland:<br />
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Iceland has a LOT of stunning waterfalls. This is the <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Skógafoss</span> </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> which is 60 metres high. You can climb up to the top of it via some stairs and then follow the river's course as it meanders through the moorland. The parallel trail passes many more waterfalls but the eye also stretches away to some amazing landscape. </span></span><br />
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Initially, we'd intended to keep hiking up to a mountain pass where we'd stay for the night but high winds made it too dangerous, so we retraced our steps and our guide made other accommodation arrangements. It did allow for a stop at one of the country's most famous waterfalls - Seljalandsfoss.<br />
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It's famous because you can walk behind it. All the water originates from the <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Eyjafjallajökul </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">glacier.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Can I also recommend the refreshments truck located at this tourist site - it has really tasty doughnuts Actually Iceland gets top marks for its doughnuts;they are tasty without being too sickly sweet. They understand that it's all about the dough - not the icing. I sampled quite a few in Reykjavik and they have their own version called a kleiner which is twisted with no icing at all. Delicious. </span></span><br />
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Our last hike took in some amazing rock formations all sculpted by the wind and rain. I felt we were walking in nature's art gallery.<br />
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We found a great sunny, mossy place to sit and knit too. With a glacier in the background. We also foraged for blueberries and wild mushrooms, both of which became part of our supper that night.<br />
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Next up: the wool!Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-26836775697602313262019-09-04T16:23:00.000+01:002019-09-09T15:02:14.583+01:00My Icelandic Saga Part One: A Walk to Remember. . . This year I had one of those milestone birthdays and to celebrate, I combined my two passions and went on a hiking and knitting holiday to Iceland. It had been eleven years since I last hiked in the country and I'd been eager to get back ever since, especially since at the time, I'd not taken up knitting again and somehow missed all the wool (don't ask me how - it's everywhere!). But more on the knitting in a future post. This one is all about an epic hike that has catapulted into my top three favourite days of hiking ever. Possibly, just one of my all-time favourite days.<br />
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We had intended to do a point to point walk from one mountain hut to another, but high winds on the first day closed the mountain pass and so our first walk only included part of that trail before we turned back (that walk was all about waterfalls - I'll post photos in another post). So this second day's hike was a little longer and instead of being linear, involved retracing our steps after the finishing point. But what a finishing point and what a landscape to retrace in!<br />
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You may have remembered the Eyjafjallajokull volcano that erupted in 2010 sending ash all over Europe and suspending flights for several weeks. Two new mountains were created by that eruption and climbing one of them - Magni - was our ultimate goal. To get there from the Basar mountain huts, we walked through the most stunningly beautiful scenery and we were extremely lucky in that one of the women in our group was a geology professor who had also worked with NASA. It was incredible to be able to ask her questions about everything we were seeing. </div>
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We left shortly after 9am for our nearly 14 mile hike, and this is near the start of the walk on level ground (this river is low - three days after we left, the water had swelled so high that no vehicles were able to ford them - we would have been stuck at the huts!)</div>
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This is a landscape moulded and shaped by nature - wind and water in particular. </div>
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This is the start of the ridge known as the "Cat Spine". No photos on it - I was too busy concentrating on not falling down the precipice on either side. It's not as long as Striding Edge on Helvellyn, but just as scary.<br />
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This is maybe a third of the way up. We stopped to have a coffee and get our knitting out. We were so lucky with the weather - the winds had completely died down and it was dry the entire day.<br />
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Behind me is the Eyjafjallajokull glacier.<br />
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And up we went. . .<br />
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At this point, I turned to the geologist and asked her if this field of rocks was similar to the moon. "It IS the moon", she replied. Same rocks, similar surface; astronauts did some of their training in Iceland.<br />
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Round about this point was another scary precipice, hence no photos. I have to admit, my heart was pounding. The ledge was narrow, quite sandy and slippery with a long drop beneath and while there was a chain to hold on to, one of the posts it was attached to had come loose, so it wasn't entirely reliable. Depending on the age of the rocks and thus the rock face, the surfaces can be very crumbly and come apart in your hand - also not confidence boosting. Suffice it to say there were a lot of deep breathes and hugs when we all got safely past this point although in the back of our minds was the knowledge we'd have to do it again when we returned. I just mention it here, in case anyone is thinking of doing this hike and suffers from vertigo.<br />
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A bit more uphill and then it wasn't too long before we were getting really close to the lava fields.<br />
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And our first glimpse of Magni.<br />
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From afar, the lava looks black.<br />
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But up close, it contains the most amazing variety of colours.<br />
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And after crossing some snow and turning a corner to start the climb up Magni, we were met with the most amazing colour palette of all. These photos don't do justice to all the shades of red and rust in the ground. Couple them with the greys and blacks and white surrounding it all and wow, just wow. </div>
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From the top of Magni.<br />
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It was a long day - we didn't get back until after 7pm and we had to conquer our fears and get through the two scary bits again, but everyone was patient and supportive and we all did it! I felt euphoric and emotional and very, very humbled amidst the majesty of this world. And quite frankly, guilty. I was standing on the top of Magni and looking at two glaciers, on either side of me, wondering if they would still exist in my lifetime, and by being here, was I contributing to the problem? Inevitably I must have, although the country also relies on tourism for a good chunk of its economy and to provide money for environmental projects to help maintain its natural areas. I don't have the answers but it didn't sit easily with me.<br />
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This is not a walk I will ever do again, but the memory of it will last a very long time. And I have been knitting a sweater in which I will try and evoke the unique colours of that lava landscape, using Icelandic Lett Lopi wool of course. I am about to start the yoke - stay tuned.<br />
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<br />Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-46858173863631368982019-08-30T17:16:00.003+01:002019-08-30T17:16:26.346+01:00Smashing the Stash Or What I've been Knitting the Last Few Months . . Stash. It's an ongoing problem. I love it all - it's a collection of wonderful yarns that I have picked up at memorable festivals and on my travels, and I still get inspired by all of its colours, textures and smells. But equally, I've been trying to think of ways to use it up because I am fast running out of room to store it all. I wish I could say that the photo below was the extent of it, but . . . ahem. . . there might be just a little bit more where that came from.<br />
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My excuse for not having blogged much over the summer is that I've been madly knitting in an attempt to at least try and make a dent. In case you find yourself in a similar situation, here are some of my best tips for stashbusting.<br />
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1. You can hold two strands together. This is a modified <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/doocot">Doocot</a></b> by <b>Kate Davies</b>. I had two skeins of a purple variegated sock yarn that I wasn't really fond of, part of a mystery yarn club I subscribed to several years ago. However, when I held it double with a cone of beige Shetland that had a slightly pinkish tinge to it (another colour I wasn't too keen on), they seemed to compliment each other perfectly. Try pairing something you have no idea what to do with, with something else in your stash. Who knows what magical combination you might come up with.<br />
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2. You can finish up some old WIPs (incompleted projects are still stash in my books, just in a slightly different form). As usual, I just had the sleeves to finish on this <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/miette">Miette</a></b> and I can't think why it was sitting in a bag for so long, as this cropped cardi has proven to be a really great wardrobe staple and I've been wearing it lots this summer.<br />
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3. You can volunteer to test knit a dress. The pattern, designed by <b>Susanne Sommer </b>(aka sosuknits) hasn't yet been released, but this is almost 500g of stash! Plus, I had a great time learning to knit pleats and the dress has pockets! I absolutely love it.<br />
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4. Worsted weight sweaters use up a lot of yarn! Whether you hold two strands of 4ply together or knit from a worsted/aran weight ball, these are relatively quick knits and perfect for the winter months. I love this <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/upstream-7">Upstream</a></b> jumper by <b>Kate Davies</b> and it's so comfy to wear. The yoke was unusual but very easy to knit.<br />
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5. Laceweight can be surprisingly versatile. My next two projects were great stashbusters and knit specifically for a very special trip that I will blog about next week. The first is <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hryggir">Hryggir</a></b> by <b>Helene Magnusson</b> and all the marling is achieved by holding two strands of laceweight together. I had no idea I had so much lace in stash until I went rummaging for this project, but it's been interesting to combine them all together.<br />
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This <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hapisk">Hapisk,</a></b> also by Helene, is also knit in laceweight and illustrates another great stashbusting tip - find projects that have stripes! A great way for using up random balls and odds and ends. I made this slightly smaller than the original by going down a needle size and it has turned out just as I'd hoped; the perfect shrug to sit comfortably on your shoulders while allowing plenty of movement i.e. knitting.<br />
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I brought both these projects on my recent trip to Iceland - more on that in my next post. And I still have plenty of new cast-ons with old stash on my needles. But there is nothing more satisfying than coming across a pattern you want to knit and realizing that you already have the yarn for it and can cast on right away. Or rising to the challenge of finding a way to combine disparate or odd skeins of yarn to create something really interesting and original. That's my justification for a large stash and I'm sticking to it.Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-59381225554818534652019-06-25T17:54:00.001+01:002019-06-25T17:54:15.347+01:00A Trip to Rosa's Retrosaria. . . I don't set out deliberately planning my holidays around wool acquisition, but such is the global scope of wool and knitting (and that's one of the reasons I love it!), it's inevitable that most of my trips will include a stop at a local yarn shop. The Liverpudlian has come to accept this.<br />
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Even on the train to Porto, I never saw an actual Portuguese sheep. The closest I came was spying this section of tiled mural in the National Tile Museum.<br />
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But the minute I knew we were going to Lisbon, I was looking up the address of Rosa Pomar's Retrosaria (the Portuguese word for haberdashery). I had previously read about her store and the beautiful wool that she creates from Portuguese sheep <b><a href="https://fringeassociation.com/2018/07/05/portugal-part-1-lisbon-and-portuguese-knitting/">here</a></b> and in an interview <b><a href="https://fancytigercrafts.com/blogs/travel/portuguese-yarn-traditions-with-rosa-pomar">here</a> </b>but a stop to her store is a must, if only to fondle and squish the actual wool itself. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eiQSRiPA20K6YNKf0xFy6qEdKdSXzRjlUg8fAaP1CG6QZkktSa-XeTqzsSWTNjg3siUQQKv9ILve8K53w4eVusA8pwane6ao5IR2MFunxkpNjmmEAj_-y7UWDNrvwVVx48d3pfkf3yU/s1600/IMG_20190601_163239706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="568" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eiQSRiPA20K6YNKf0xFy6qEdKdSXzRjlUg8fAaP1CG6QZkktSa-XeTqzsSWTNjg3siUQQKv9ILve8K53w4eVusA8pwane6ao5IR2MFunxkpNjmmEAj_-y7UWDNrvwVVx48d3pfkf3yU/s640/IMG_20190601_163239706.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The store is on the second floor, but I couldn't resist snapping a shot of the colourful mailboxes in the foyer of the building.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnlxJ6lGVN3CpNsW7IgKKS06Qc_yqsxfVhTlQday80SIH3OSK2udf-JdR75M5v-qsEM5_E2pj6KQhh5LYODRr8jXi755P2r4RXO4m6wHCXXX7l11EcoAnBoQgR-rAGX7LsWG8ozvarCI/s1600/IMG_20190601_163229331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnlxJ6lGVN3CpNsW7IgKKS06Qc_yqsxfVhTlQday80SIH3OSK2udf-JdR75M5v-qsEM5_E2pj6KQhh5LYODRr8jXi755P2r4RXO4m6wHCXXX7l11EcoAnBoQgR-rAGX7LsWG8ozvarCI/s640/IMG_20190601_163229331.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The stairway is a little dark, but when you emerge into the shop, it's a beautiful light-filled room, full of woolly goodness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdihyg38SWf8OWikOY8q7tyxmeg9DmahANc-82RqKggaSXwBqqINCYnrTtY8b5o5IfQfngOqGoyuCVFwfvTMpxTGaEgU-woT-L_IyWhiDVohlGw_HoyVbOa0HQDIXO5Nv_Vsrxg9MpIvE/s1600/IMG_20190601_163010731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdihyg38SWf8OWikOY8q7tyxmeg9DmahANc-82RqKggaSXwBqqINCYnrTtY8b5o5IfQfngOqGoyuCVFwfvTMpxTGaEgU-woT-L_IyWhiDVohlGw_HoyVbOa0HQDIXO5Nv_Vsrxg9MpIvE/s640/IMG_20190601_163010731.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKa6LisG2BqVljFHyL282MPnflmkXjpNyP3f11FPZaxLGwDlOGX2ZecQYi2JdxzTgWxW4LUztELsHquSwkJ9oVXiyDtWCtufRTOSz4cwkVJXoXTDsy5OnddpDN6udKOodnbB0FoXpjXE/s1600/IMG_20190601_163015231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1009" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKa6LisG2BqVljFHyL282MPnflmkXjpNyP3f11FPZaxLGwDlOGX2ZecQYi2JdxzTgWxW4LUztELsHquSwkJ9oVXiyDtWCtufRTOSz4cwkVJXoXTDsy5OnddpDN6udKOodnbB0FoXpjXE/s640/IMG_20190601_163015231.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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All of her own yarn is non-superwash and comes from free-range sheep. When we visited, it was nearly 30 degrees and the staff were quite amused at the three customers all exclaiming over the wool. Turns out we were all from northern England - Manchester and Newcastle too! And we all nodded knowingly as we discussed how one can pretty much wear wool every month in the UK.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwutPF2mhp7IMwp4zW07z3oPqPhaX83lpPYm2PWkcSyphPOCAkRfCkzVtfkF8CShjVxX18B0klY-WjGmDEY0FAbe4naOW-m3o0K_bqJPerZjpj00htzQnxgQbxkRJym2NrdIvHCHOOvk/s1600/IMG_20190601_163018429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwutPF2mhp7IMwp4zW07z3oPqPhaX83lpPYm2PWkcSyphPOCAkRfCkzVtfkF8CShjVxX18B0klY-WjGmDEY0FAbe4naOW-m3o0K_bqJPerZjpj00htzQnxgQbxkRJym2NrdIvHCHOOvk/s640/IMG_20190601_163018429.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's also a selection of many other yarn brands but to be honest, I was there for Rosa's wool and only gave the rest a brief glance. But it's a really lovely, well-stocked store that also sells Portuguese fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFP25pm7MXuUrpRHUsFfQx_HdZDWiQXBJWmOVJoMI4Aum33J5njW4qYs110oT_ZiMBVtODGulb8JT2s-Ptrwx2maajtt6-dGuQyDEqhKqcq-3l050k6JzXGHtHen0kHFXABLeciV5auhY/s1600/IMG_20190601_163030014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFP25pm7MXuUrpRHUsFfQx_HdZDWiQXBJWmOVJoMI4Aum33J5njW4qYs110oT_ZiMBVtODGulb8JT2s-Ptrwx2maajtt6-dGuQyDEqhKqcq-3l050k6JzXGHtHen0kHFXABLeciV5auhY/s640/IMG_20190601_163030014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, I had to bring back some souvenirs. I bought a sweater quantity of her lovely Brusca worsted weight - that shade of coppery brown just glows. The light blue is some tweedy laceweight with bits of orange and darker blue running through it, and above it is some 4ply, again with lovely nubbs of colour. Finally, I fell in love with the purple wool/cotton blend on the far right - I am thinking it'll make a beautiful summer shawl. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHvEOquesK5axZeqZKvcT7SYONxlXV3N8GZDqsu82CvE1qyCGDOUpM2BcSAEItPrqDuNtBqJWwy1suf2wUbOUauaU3usiTUgCJ8cC2DJXHkA0eTf6n-xrx5uXURUGcS_I6ExyWI00S2E/s1600/IMG_20190606_102924_397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="566" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHvEOquesK5axZeqZKvcT7SYONxlXV3N8GZDqsu82CvE1qyCGDOUpM2BcSAEItPrqDuNtBqJWwy1suf2wUbOUauaU3usiTUgCJ8cC2DJXHkA0eTf6n-xrx5uXURUGcS_I6ExyWI00S2E/s640/IMG_20190606_102924_397.jpg" width="510" /></a></div>
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The wool is lying on some cork sheets that I also bought in Lisbon; I am planning on sewing them into some project bags. And the grey bag at the top? Well, another must-visit store in Lisbon is the <b><a href="https://www.burelfactory.com/en/">Burel Mountain Original</a></b>s store - there's one just a few streets away from the Retrosaria. Again, using Portuguese wool, this company makes the most beautiful bags, fabric and soft furnishings. Fringe Association also blogged about a visit to their factory <b><a href="https://fringeassociation.com/2018/07/11/portugal-part-3-mountains-wool-and-the-sheep-blessing/">here</a></b>. And just look at their front window homage to Tram 28 in cushion form!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCTgYHQghPu7_7uyJGXBXIXsJM9V_ftXc2iXRhZWPa93r_t4AGqGK4qBD2dJemoYW5XgdFkvFGaAyK4aqPC1zPkIPzC08w6dtx95kkPij97fk5VAdDeLEHM0y3EQezd5xwtFarLewwtg/s1600/IMG_20190604_183625223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="707" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCTgYHQghPu7_7uyJGXBXIXsJM9V_ftXc2iXRhZWPa93r_t4AGqGK4qBD2dJemoYW5XgdFkvFGaAyK4aqPC1zPkIPzC08w6dtx95kkPij97fk5VAdDeLEHM0y3EQezd5xwtFarLewwtg/s640/IMG_20190604_183625223.jpg" width="638" /></a></div>
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I had a hard time choosing which bag to buy and actually had to go away for several hours to think about it, but am really pleased with my decision and have been using it ever since we returned - it's nice and roomy, has two front pockets for coffee mugs and water bottles, a strong shoulder strap, and an expandable feature for the body, which was probably its main selling point. It is so beautifully and impeccably made; I am sure it will last me for years. As for the gorgeous yarn - I am just waiting for the right patterns to come along and then I'll be casting on. I definitely want a sweater in that Brusca in time for autumn.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0c3bKcDbDpxB2t1gDimbo6fIQJWh7_cXy3ENQgy16U8iKR38QYAvSojQnDNRAM6AQXbX_Unq46cbYiY1NBy_b15aDcqfzDUBFsTC-CutXMFJOEIguq5J_dd0QtZXRdpmfdejZFpPC4I8/s1600/IMG_20190606_081526142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="708" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0c3bKcDbDpxB2t1gDimbo6fIQJWh7_cXy3ENQgy16U8iKR38QYAvSojQnDNRAM6AQXbX_Unq46cbYiY1NBy_b15aDcqfzDUBFsTC-CutXMFJOEIguq5J_dd0QtZXRdpmfdejZFpPC4I8/s640/IMG_20190606_081526142.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-69342066329789150232019-06-21T16:49:00.006+01:002019-06-21T16:49:46.238+01:00A Sidetrip to Porto. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
During our vacation, we allocated a day to make the trip to Porto. The train takes about three hours each way but if you go early, that still allows a good number of hours for exploring. However, the first thing to say about the city is that you definitely need more than one day to do it justice!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYFTlmcfaxoxMHbZrQT-d3wjzaiBnhn_P4VGxXWueIRiwTiITvkRy1yAKc0nkyepcgNkW_6ypdqUhTxfAcx5kOk0IW2Z5YXkkl4BO24QgyJTfDsF88okpz47Pcmrk6HmiidUn48CuBNA/s1600/IMG_20190603_191003_296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="620" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYFTlmcfaxoxMHbZrQT-d3wjzaiBnhn_P4VGxXWueIRiwTiITvkRy1yAKc0nkyepcgNkW_6ypdqUhTxfAcx5kOk0IW2Z5YXkkl4BO24QgyJTfDsF88okpz47Pcmrk6HmiidUn48CuBNA/s640/IMG_20190603_191003_296.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We started as usual, by climbing the highest point we could find - in this case the bell tower attached to the Cl<span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #666666; font-family: montserrat, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>é</b></span></span>rigos Church, built in the 18th century. While there are 200 steps, the path meanders through the building, taking you to several good spots to view the beautiful church as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWEOySo9ged7eodvZwousAgfvjnzO7BkRWgIkHQgO4Vn2ADEeJT0y5TnpkyHT4crJkvZJfNL2W8txGbzqZGa_rDK1UhcUw8VPiINwVE927EGPwXSMDpGPPd4-XUl6Rx8RhyabSrRhyiI/s1600/IMG_20190603_133855560_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWEOySo9ged7eodvZwousAgfvjnzO7BkRWgIkHQgO4Vn2ADEeJT0y5TnpkyHT4crJkvZJfNL2W8txGbzqZGa_rDK1UhcUw8VPiINwVE927EGPwXSMDpGPPd4-XUl6Rx8RhyabSrRhyiI/s640/IMG_20190603_133855560_HDR.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaVlQ1tzUJVI3B2261dBu19wezbvwxoZEahX6Ccz37qv93tba90NpLCeeld-lQdgBEmYHfGpjsN7PbwhW5dcZWIJvuEy8YMjVUtiQFWI1BbUsvkhfKhLzU5JSigb92HSfqCSJbHEDivQ/s1600/IMG_20190603_131406584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaVlQ1tzUJVI3B2261dBu19wezbvwxoZEahX6Ccz37qv93tba90NpLCeeld-lQdgBEmYHfGpjsN7PbwhW5dcZWIJvuEy8YMjVUtiQFWI1BbUsvkhfKhLzU5JSigb92HSfqCSJbHEDivQ/s640/IMG_20190603_131406584.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here is the view from the top of the tower.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtgxTE9LvwqKu_arPErQhMi_BStsVTuesEQEsN6k-aDH6FNR3Vi3sWKyrKSFsnoae_oz2hG1ZHy3fGcqbE5zx7EZL0-C_bSVozLLe06LrW2T1LnTCd06Pw5Aj3Xs4enD6-SPADR4zac0E/s1600/IMG_20190603_133015569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1184" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtgxTE9LvwqKu_arPErQhMi_BStsVTuesEQEsN6k-aDH6FNR3Vi3sWKyrKSFsnoae_oz2hG1ZHy3fGcqbE5zx7EZL0-C_bSVozLLe06LrW2T1LnTCd06Pw5Aj3Xs4enD6-SPADR4zac0E/s640/IMG_20190603_133015569.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Porto has a tile culture all its own. I don't know when these were installed, but there definitely seemed to be a 1970s vibe on many of the buildings lining the main road leading from the train station into the more historic districts. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUjaHtNp42vkWjqfIIEEIK3hKiCkqNu_WGGSM8wklqIwKgGNUXKZ9th7RxxMAODJSBWHw85DNb95M1B722Cq2sGAAkfJnqxlbz-InzVUmNfm9XWdXbH-BBpwop0SpZM9i41FH2g1MtAw/s1600/IMG_20190603_184047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="937" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUjaHtNp42vkWjqfIIEEIK3hKiCkqNu_WGGSM8wklqIwKgGNUXKZ9th7RxxMAODJSBWHw85DNb95M1B722Cq2sGAAkfJnqxlbz-InzVUmNfm9XWdXbH-BBpwop0SpZM9i41FH2g1MtAw/s640/IMG_20190603_184047.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once in the city center, there are some magnificently tiled buildings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzp2UO7A9lmfjhJ9KB03Hiv_S3rrAOv93-vkE451spOVEOm2kEpyndb-z-w62gWxf5GURhain1xy1Ps65-WFXW5ZnTIiybdX-0VGBEjSMI6iGe0sGMCNRL9W2ZW8rrZnLFZLx5J4Sx6k/s1600/IMG_20190603_185714_068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzp2UO7A9lmfjhJ9KB03Hiv_S3rrAOv93-vkE451spOVEOm2kEpyndb-z-w62gWxf5GURhain1xy1Ps65-WFXW5ZnTIiybdX-0VGBEjSMI6iGe0sGMCNRL9W2ZW8rrZnLFZLx5J4Sx6k/s640/IMG_20190603_185714_068.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A major must-see spot in town is the S<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ã</span>o Bento train station (not the one that you come into from Lisbon). The tiles here are just fantastic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr65FZEiFt3SoCAKHWOOllXZD_dzIg-G5U_0bBi5dOzFeoGwQTAq7QjmRT4CSHFjybMdCNnW4Bvif0L_2L1Y7u2U3xQaisucnAk4Cgn4451wX3heb6Ozh_jhq6OP_c5DX0jfu0tXwXIDg/s1600/IMG_20190603_184423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr65FZEiFt3SoCAKHWOOllXZD_dzIg-G5U_0bBi5dOzFeoGwQTAq7QjmRT4CSHFjybMdCNnW4Bvif0L_2L1Y7u2U3xQaisucnAk4Cgn4451wX3heb6Ozh_jhq6OP_c5DX0jfu0tXwXIDg/s640/IMG_20190603_184423.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like Lisbon, Porto is also a town of trams and pedestrian shopping streets.<br />
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With a lot of churches and a cathedral.<br />
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The sun came out in the late afternoon as we explored the Ribeira district, one of the oldest parts of the city, and walked along the river Douro which is spanned by six bridges. If we'd had an extra day, no doubt we would have followed the river right out to the Atlantic coast.<br />
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My only disappointment of the day was not being able to visit <b><a href="https://www.livrarialello.pt/en-us/history">this famous bookshop</a></b>:</div>
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Unfortunately, due to its associations with Harry Potter, there was a huge queue to buy tickets (they have had to charge 5 euros, refundable with a book purchase) and then another one to actually enter the building (they can only let so many people in at one time). With only a few hours before our train and so much still to see, I couldn't really justify spending that much time just waiting in line.<br />
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It just means that I'll have to go back some day. Ironically, after we had booked our trip - many months ago - I discovered that Porto was holding its first knitting festival, just three days after we left! If they hold another, that will definitely be motivation to return.Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-25106482787641098172019-06-17T16:56:00.002+01:002019-06-17T16:56:47.662+01:00Postcards from Portugal. . . June has decidedly NOT been summery at all in the UK so it seems a fitting time to reminisce on our recent holiday to Portugal where it was very hot and sunny.<br />
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We went for a few days at the beginning of the month, spending most of our time in Lisbon, and as is our habit in a new city, we walked everywhere and climbed up to every viewpoint we could. We explored narrow side streets filled with small cafes and tiny shops, popped into every church we passed, marvelling at the ornate craftsmanship, and ate a lot of Portuguese custard tarts and ice cream.<br />
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This photo is taken from the gardens outside the Lisbon castle walls. It's impossible to sum up such a vibrant and historical city from a few photos and some touristy meandering, but here are some of the main visual impressions that stuck and inspired, starting with the terracotta tiled roofs that cover almost every building.<br />
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Tiles are ubiquitous of course in this city, adorning everything from the pavements to the facades of buildings and underpasses too. So much colour and pattern inspiration.<br />
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There are big public squares.<br />
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And vibrant jacaranda trees everywhere.<br />
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One day we walked to Bel<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">é</span>m, to visit the Padr<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">ã</span>o dos Descobrimentos, the monument to Portuguese explorers/colonizers. You can take an elevator up to the top.<br />
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It offers a good view of the Hieronymites Monastery which was our next stop. We had to queue for quite some time to get into the cloisters but it was worth it - stunning stonework.<br />
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The area is a mixture of the old as in this early 16th century tower:<br />
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And the new. We also popped into <b><a href="https://www.maat.pt/pt">MAAT: Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology</a></b> which was hosting a fascinating exhibit of how digital photography has played with and manipulated images of architecture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcq-c4FrUFOBuci_YklIx45YV5HO5aQpam1S70NG2JSPKJ7dEW3ufCL5NyE_awfas7i6fl28M8qXCo9_ywBECN3fE4qKlKGTCDVoCdf_-2lo6o4Gi4al2e0615ugkiXz_2i0a4RNrqi0/s1600/IMG_20190602_103717262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcq-c4FrUFOBuci_YklIx45YV5HO5aQpam1S70NG2JSPKJ7dEW3ufCL5NyE_awfas7i6fl28M8qXCo9_ywBECN3fE4qKlKGTCDVoCdf_-2lo6o4Gi4al2e0615ugkiXz_2i0a4RNrqi0/s400/IMG_20190602_103717262.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBa4BHbdR8LxK06iLdmrZayl_83it5F0hWurjmhJ5H9tSUKbF2uNxGuwWMTnjhpSVmqt7PR5YnthCjR2bYBbtbl8lcoy8cTofME8h0vZUdtRhghs6Frn1CbS0-XVjT5ImnrpqvF6xyG5Q/s1600/IMG_20190602_103854387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBa4BHbdR8LxK06iLdmrZayl_83it5F0hWurjmhJ5H9tSUKbF2uNxGuwWMTnjhpSVmqt7PR5YnthCjR2bYBbtbl8lcoy8cTofME8h0vZUdtRhghs6Frn1CbS0-XVjT5ImnrpqvF6xyG5Q/s400/IMG_20190602_103854387.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Another highlight, at the other end of town, was the <b><a href="https://www.visitlisboa.com/see-do/sightseeing-activities/museums-monuments/national-tile-museum">Museu Nacional do Azulejo</a></b> housed in a former convent; the building is as unique as the historical and modern tiles displayed within. It also has a lovely cafe in the courtyard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmuvjt4aKf6aJDy5KvPqLx23pr5xH5-XlIJURuMXhnRhPSsGAApzGFho1zuUXrPh5l9kFO5GL_-kA-hvJ0DhP5t_xCsEVaV8DtATFOt1NluyizEDdqcWJPZKNQ0A2BSkuHPGqnO8SQ8c/s1600/IMG_20190604_121607579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="708" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmuvjt4aKf6aJDy5KvPqLx23pr5xH5-XlIJURuMXhnRhPSsGAApzGFho1zuUXrPh5l9kFO5GL_-kA-hvJ0DhP5t_xCsEVaV8DtATFOt1NluyizEDdqcWJPZKNQ0A2BSkuHPGqnO8SQ8c/s640/IMG_20190604_121607579.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the church attached to the convent and tiled all along the bottom walls. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlOst2nt7kGED5LzCI9sh6N7cDZmZLAhCiA2JC7TtYDAe1M5VOYWtx4VZBhLT-6Hpw9AOkwwd2QjSZy8gv88t5aA9TjLGxMOm3MRluhKV1LOBgevu75B_8wu6HROQE6BCS7AGlw8lo-M/s1600/IMG_20190604_115215978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlOst2nt7kGED5LzCI9sh6N7cDZmZLAhCiA2JC7TtYDAe1M5VOYWtx4VZBhLT-6Hpw9AOkwwd2QjSZy8gv88t5aA9TjLGxMOm3MRluhKV1LOBgevu75B_8wu6HROQE6BCS7AGlw8lo-M/s640/IMG_20190604_115215978.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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While there were many murals, it was the repetitive tiled patterns that I was drawn to, both historical. . .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Kq5GJJnXGF1qwIkCW8Jo57tkaceaA8LuC6tfUVLonOoq9edPIOGsYMqdiGmny99g5MNBQ05fGfn91EdgBcZhtV-2YLPM0Yd4YAv_OzRaWWlaE_ZaMKFPX3A4AJlbQ7N3DlBtT0HsPmc/s1600/IMG_20190604_213111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="708" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Kq5GJJnXGF1qwIkCW8Jo57tkaceaA8LuC6tfUVLonOoq9edPIOGsYMqdiGmny99g5MNBQ05fGfn91EdgBcZhtV-2YLPM0Yd4YAv_OzRaWWlaE_ZaMKFPX3A4AJlbQ7N3DlBtT0HsPmc/s640/IMG_20190604_213111.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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. . . and modern.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40xKTa26IEaAujS6t33koluFQubjMd08eSRg7qlyyTG93ntvnnRg0UDz_7yYL0NLeInmNoZN4OB4bkx1a_1RbewBkpgpb7qQ5Wu6mqCDtrhQ_1bthX6k8KV9oRl0vByvI-rAUgBjXUOw/s1600/IMG_20190604_212826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="708" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40xKTa26IEaAujS6t33koluFQubjMd08eSRg7qlyyTG93ntvnnRg0UDz_7yYL0NLeInmNoZN4OB4bkx1a_1RbewBkpgpb7qQ5Wu6mqCDtrhQ_1bthX6k8KV9oRl0vByvI-rAUgBjXUOw/s640/IMG_20190604_212826.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We walked through parks.<br />
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And along aqueducts.<br />
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And only on the last day did we buy an all-day pass for public transport, riding the famous Tram 28 route in its entirety all through the city.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUVmCGluejP-XOEjM6AiRlFxfybKbPnKJBbiT6sSHucHUSqhwnWMeacTS35NCX1493zxh3YcjiUVZj_5-fOGBUxJs3RHkDaAtglwTvW9MxndYn8Q1C5KZlZm9ZH0EBVAunYA2Hwk1QOM/s1600/IMG_20190604_213541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1078" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUVmCGluejP-XOEjM6AiRlFxfybKbPnKJBbiT6sSHucHUSqhwnWMeacTS35NCX1493zxh3YcjiUVZj_5-fOGBUxJs3RHkDaAtglwTvW9MxndYn8Q1C5KZlZm9ZH0EBVAunYA2Hwk1QOM/s640/IMG_20190604_213541.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We also used the underground metro, which is very efficient (it's definitely the best way to get to the airport), and also beautifully tiled. I loved these giant rabbits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccObc-o-vHjRM6q2D6lOy4Z3yZNmWNAvqTwDizyYczDp1Hfw-9iCT1TmW0vkfY6HB7J7kAUOJEAEN5W3Ms34sF07uA5NEPKk8A3uWTBMc_ayuF1u0IFY589tUkKqjK-6cu7sIn-VNCuY/s1600/IMG_20190604_133420402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccObc-o-vHjRM6q2D6lOy4Z3yZNmWNAvqTwDizyYczDp1Hfw-9iCT1TmW0vkfY6HB7J7kAUOJEAEN5W3Ms34sF07uA5NEPKk8A3uWTBMc_ayuF1u0IFY589tUkKqjK-6cu7sIn-VNCuY/s400/IMG_20190604_133420402.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We ate very well too - Portuguese pastries are pretty amazing, not just their traditional tarts but their cakes and other baked goods too, particularly if you like almonds (I do!). A great place to sample a lot of different types of food is the Time Out Market, which was packed every time we visited.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OE4fqrlxW36GWQA4YeiEcaH-zZHrZJjIHUG71mTCF-MqQUF4paa1kerqzer3xCwh5CyA0peSTGUnXoR_5IGibKwfVnm2zUNbKwsbdGZTcnhKFmeM0YULQyzywv26jZ2gpoY1wVzPd4o/s1600/IMG_20190601_172224593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="531" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OE4fqrlxW36GWQA4YeiEcaH-zZHrZJjIHUG71mTCF-MqQUF4paa1kerqzer3xCwh5CyA0peSTGUnXoR_5IGibKwfVnm2zUNbKwsbdGZTcnhKFmeM0YULQyzywv26jZ2gpoY1wVzPd4o/s400/IMG_20190601_172224593.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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But we did get to try the national dish of Bacalhau which was absolutely delicious and something I'm definitely going to try to replicate at home. It looks like pasta, but it's codfish with fried matchstick potatoes (which gives it a lovely texture and crunch) onions and garlic, all held together with beaten egg which has to be stirred in quickly to avoid scrambling, and then topped with parsley and olive dust. We loved it so much we had it twice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2ESXSDblusl2dKzD0WNqjyeSFbXXPUR2HYKYjMEK2mPjobaxnaRdlo0xONIGt1jNqmUs-CoVUdn34NrrZEBysIFJQr-Yv8jil8V86BvPc3cskTuiPH6UJeokxWKAEi84pqs21QtXlrQ/s1600/IMG_20190602_211313_921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="757" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2ESXSDblusl2dKzD0WNqjyeSFbXXPUR2HYKYjMEK2mPjobaxnaRdlo0xONIGt1jNqmUs-CoVUdn34NrrZEBysIFJQr-Yv8jil8V86BvPc3cskTuiPH6UJeokxWKAEi84pqs21QtXlrQ/s400/IMG_20190602_211313_921.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We made a day trip to Porto as well, but I'll save that for a post of its own. A woolly pilgrimage is also coming up.Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-31128815415482086482019-05-24T16:10:00.000+01:002019-05-24T16:13:14.420+01:00The Other Side of Ullswater . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Last Sunday was a new walk for me, exploring the length of Ullswater, but from the opposite side to <b><a href="http://juliahedges.blogspot.com/2014/04/patterdale-and-place-fell.html">this Place Fell hike</a></b> we did back in 2014. </div>
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We started at the town of Pooley Bridge at the head of this rather long, skinny lake. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuMyHCnhENNmrdooE5sIj1xpdDrmuErbxNPx77pf9raiSOz55EcDkB7-Q-meFOsewEgUMYODJB7UxQCVIj915x5tBgfODsgWMfaVyv9EoSLM-t4Z3Tcgk0CPvI4jhz6Esa4JVOgnnI-M/s1600/IMG_20190519_112019181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuMyHCnhENNmrdooE5sIj1xpdDrmuErbxNPx77pf9raiSOz55EcDkB7-Q-meFOsewEgUMYODJB7UxQCVIj915x5tBgfODsgWMfaVyv9EoSLM-t4Z3Tcgk0CPvI4jhz6Esa4JVOgnnI-M/s640/IMG_20190519_112019181.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We then ambled over some fields heading towards Little Mell Fell - that curved hill in the distance. It looks small - and compared to many of the Lakeland fells it is - but it's still classified as one of the 214 Wainwrights and I'd not climbed it before, so I was quite excited to tick it off the list.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnxMb_JPJ4Kt51v9pcR-ZOOlWT2aBfdPehJPLSnyiNW2v5Jl2YZqfdAE9OauvQaXohoRWSZJ6vBIthUh1LE16pG2S61Y40KU0fSvDEOB1BH3eijxqnCBKU_rMZNB4SW-XpzZexE-Y_Xg/s1600/IMG_20190519_115155957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1184" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnxMb_JPJ4Kt51v9pcR-ZOOlWT2aBfdPehJPLSnyiNW2v5Jl2YZqfdAE9OauvQaXohoRWSZJ6vBIthUh1LE16pG2S61Y40KU0fSvDEOB1BH3eijxqnCBKU_rMZNB4SW-XpzZexE-Y_Xg/s640/IMG_20190519_115155957.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And after a shortish steep climb, here is the Trig Point at the top.<br />
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Where you can look back at Ullswater and where we started.<br />
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You can also see most of the length of the lake - still a way to go.<br />
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I liked the pattern of the path down. It reminded me of cables, or a fishnet stocking.<br />
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Our next climb was also a Wainwright - Gowbarrow Fell. From the top you really do have a great view of the imposing fells to the south.<br />
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And still the lake snakes its way - here you can see how much further we have to go, although the rest of the route was flat.<br />
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With a brief stop at Aira Force.<br />
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And here we are at the other end - the tourist steamer just heading back to its dock.<br />
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We finished the walk at Glenridding. It was about eleven miles and quite pleasant, although given the choice, I think the path on the east side of Ullswater is more interesting and picturesque.<br />
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However, it was good to climb two new Wainwrights. I have just started reading this lovely book that I found recently in a used bookshop in Buxton. It's a collection of essays celebrating Alfred Wainwright and it's such a well designed and pretty book to read. Small and compact with nice paper. I am glad to have discovered <b><a href="http://www.millracebooks.co.uk/books.html">Millrace Books</a></b> which publishes not only walking books, but walking book history. Through their website, I've also found <b><a href="https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/">Vertebrate Publishing</a></b> which now publishes <b><a href="https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/categories/millrace-outdoor.html">some of their titles</a></b>, along with many walking books of their own. I feel a new collection making its way to my shelves. . .<br />
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<br />Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-13482320400534984642019-04-29T17:28:00.000+01:002019-04-29T17:28:08.004+01:00Take the Long Way Round: Tackling Grisedale Pike for the Second Time. . . It's been almost six years since I've gone up Grisedale Pike - which is in the Lake District, not far from Keswick - and for a very good reason. While a good two hundred metres less than the highest fells in the area, the main path up is an <i>extremely</i> steep slog, one of the worst I can remember. You can see the gradient from the photo <a href="http://juliahedges.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-horseshoe-holiday-part-three-coledale.html" style="font-weight: bold;">in my blog post </a>back then. So it was with a bit of trepidation when I heard that was the planned ascent for yesterday's walk with our rambling group.<br />
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Fortunately, one of our members had sussed a different route up and suggested it to our leader and this is the walk that we did. It took much longer to ascend, but made the walk SO much nicer.<br />
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We started as before in Braithwaite, but instead of heading straight up Grisedale, we ambled around it, heading north towards Thornthwaite and then through the Whinlatter Forest Park. The first mile or so was relatively flat and we passed pretty patches of bluebells.<br />
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Then we had some gradual ascents through woodland on lovely needle-strewn paths. It was very easy going and we quickly got above the treeline, where the views opened out. There were so many enticing looking paths, such as in the photo below. They just begged to be followed. I had to keep at the front of the group in order to take such unpopulated photos, but my legs were feeling great on the day.<br />
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As you can see we are approaching Grisedale from the side (the top is just to the right of this tree).<br />
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Looking back at where we've come (we're about two-thirds up at this stage), and you can see Skiddaw and Blencathra in the distance.<br />
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Still going up, but how pretty are these greens?<br />
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Nearly at the top!<br />
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And here we are at the summit looking at the rest of the Coledale Horseshoe. It was only the last twenty minutes that was very steep. The rest was gradual, with lots of fairly flat bits to catch your breath on.<br />
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And here are the views in every direction. You can see Keswick, quite tiny below, and Derwent Water, and looking to the northwest, you can actually see Scotland, although it was too hazy to capture with my camera.<br />
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We stopped for a late lunch and soaked up the views. I even got some knitting in, because what a spot to knit in!<br />
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Then it was time for the descent. Again, we avoided the most direct and steepest path and continued on, down and around the mountain on the other side. I had forgotten my poles but I didn't need them; the paths were good and dry and the descent quite gradual and steady.<br />
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You can see the path we took heading back to Braithwaite in the valley, just in the bottom left hand corner of the photo below.<br />
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And our last mile was completely flat too on a straight road but with a wall of intensely yellow gorge lining both sides.<br />
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In all, our circular route was approximately ten miles. The weather was great with just enough sun to warm us up on the top but with cool and welcome breezes too. I was completely exhilarated by the whole walk. And no longer will Grisedale ever seem so grim!Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-76990944380048282732019-04-23T13:16:00.000+01:002019-04-23T13:16:03.145+01:00A Brief Detour to Carnforth . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend. Here in the UK, we had glorious, sunny weather. I travelled up to Lancaster for two days to meet up with some knitting friends. I really like Lancaster - it's a small, completely walkable city with a lot of history, beautiful architecture and lots of independent shops and cafes, including two yarn shops! Both <b><a href="https://www.northernyarn.co.uk/">Northern Yarn,</a></b> which has a wonderful selection of British yarns as well as wool from local Lancashire farms, and <b><a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/pg/ethelandemshop/posts/">Ethel & Em</a></b>, which stocks a lot of Rowan yarns as well as some fun chunky cotton yarns perfect for crocheting baskets, are delightful places to visit and just kitty corner from each other.</div>
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The next time I visit the city, I really need to take some photos and do a proper post, but being with friends and doing a lot of chatting and knitting, I didn't take out my phone as often as I usually do. However, on the Saturday, as three of the knitters headed off to London, I travelled one stop with them on the train and got off at this iconic station.</div>
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Yes, Brief Encounter is probably my favourite movie of all time and parts of it were shot at this station. There's a little museum with a tiny cinema where the film is constantly running.<br />
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You can also see various memorabilia, such as a copy of the script.<br />
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There's was also a room with a tribute to David Lean films and plenty of history about the station and historical steam trains.<br />
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And of course the famous refreshment room where so much of the film is shot. In reality, it was a film set, but possibly based on the real one in Carnforth.<br />
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The Banbury buns have been replaced by lemon drizzle cake and there was no sugar in the spoon that accompanied my latte. No Rachmaninoff playing in the background either. But I think it was still worth the pilgrimage.<br />
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I've always loved travelling by train and I think there's something especially poignant and even sexy about films set either on trains or in stations. They are such public, noisy spaces and yet can be strangely intimate at the same time; one can run the gamut of every emotion available depending on why you are there, who you are with, where you are going and why. A number of years ago on another blog, I wrote a post listing my top ten train films. I've just revisited it, and I think the list still stands. Here it is if you are up for some celluloid train spotting:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdYNhho7HhEaWp5Nt5zmtWLyeD3BYfg_bRASxPgLRiGF63uHeCdcY8CJSbO8hTOEnLpdoGtZobvGtMYPijok6yjbK7A0L7ZLKc5Ig39RV7rikKVcNo1jz_I3gKsfTDYK0TpL8Lb1V0zw/s1600/brief+encounter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #888888; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdYNhho7HhEaWp5Nt5zmtWLyeD3BYfg_bRASxPgLRiGF63uHeCdcY8CJSbO8hTOEnLpdoGtZobvGtMYPijok6yjbK7A0L7ZLKc5Ig39RV7rikKVcNo1jz_I3gKsfTDYK0TpL8Lb1V0zw/s320/brief+encounter.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>1. Brief Encounter (1945). </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> My favourite movie of all time. Has any train station ever tried piping Rachmaninoff over its speakers? Or would that only work if they could also clone </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Trevor Howard</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">? That firm, farewell touch on the shoulder gets me every time. My favourite scene is the one where </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Celia Johnson</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> is travelling back to her mundane home, looking out of carriage window into the dark night and fantasising about how different her life could be with Howard.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>2. Before Sunrise (1995).</b> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> Because that's the ultimate fantasy isn't it? You meet your French soul mate on a train and spontaneously decide to spend the next twelve hours traipsing around Vienna getting to know each other. If I was doing a list of my top ten walking movies, the sequel - </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Before Sunset - </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">would definitely be on it. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>3. Caught on a Train (1980)</b>. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> This TV movie was originally made by the BBC and it stars one of my favourite actors - </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Michael Kitchen</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">. He plays an impatient man on his way across Europe to attend a book fair in Linz, and finds to his horror that he's seated for the duration of the trip in the same carriage as the indomitable </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Peggy Ashcroft</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">. One of the pitfalls of travelling is not being able to choose your companions, but it's also sometimes one of the best things about travelling too. The acting in this is superb. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>4. Tokyo Story (1953). </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> The great Japanese director </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Yasujiro Ozu</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> used trains in many of his films to express the emotional as well as physical distances between his characters. In </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Tokyo Story</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> there's a very poignant scene where a woman is travelling home after her mother-in-law's funeral and she takes out a pocket watch that was given to her. It says everything about time's own sad journey. In an interview I watched with one of Ozu's camera assistants, he said the director always shot his train scenes in an actual train - no studio could ever re-create the actual bumps and jostles of the real thing. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO2f9S6yO-Zw9D7ZVjW81gghV0QxsnLc8cDxS1fHp3ghecrPGxWZoSPeyY8VNbskHH9AKbCuQTOMjIvtKSELpIfsvf5xHlJVF32Dpy5ViF3W9sPr79SL_SWDXs11hGudREOwr6VQhbLE/s1600/murder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO2f9S6yO-Zw9D7ZVjW81gghV0QxsnLc8cDxS1fHp3ghecrPGxWZoSPeyY8VNbskHH9AKbCuQTOMjIvtKSELpIfsvf5xHlJVF32Dpy5ViF3W9sPr79SL_SWDXs11hGudREOwr6VQhbLE/s200/murder.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="138" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>5. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)</b>. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Was there ever a finer set of actors stuck together on a train going nowhere and with Hercule Poirot to deal with?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>6. Strangers on a Train (1951) </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> Hitchcock was another director who liked to set scenes on trains. This is a terrific thriller. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>7. Closely Watched Trains (1966).</b> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Based on the novel by </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Bohumil Hrabal</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">, this film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Set during WWII in occupied Czechoslovakia, it's about a young teenager who is more concerned with losing his virginity than resisting the Germans. You'll never look at stamps the same way again (the ones you ink, not the ones you lick).</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHExMbrhBhMHjgX6FdQp6KLNJ_nnmNbkxLIeF7qB2VGvmXz35StD14hTRWXwfVnq8j-uQvTKqSM117wuZlnVWhPPA7UwKvfTjliNedUqZyKhbSX0pJWuSmsrAf_8BJqIHqlSeJ5NXmE8/s1600/indiscretion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #888888; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHExMbrhBhMHjgX6FdQp6KLNJ_nnmNbkxLIeF7qB2VGvmXz35StD14hTRWXwfVnq8j-uQvTKqSM117wuZlnVWhPPA7UwKvfTjliNedUqZyKhbSX0pJWuSmsrAf_8BJqIHqlSeJ5NXmE8/s200/indiscretion.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="141" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>8. Terminal Station (1953)</b>. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">This movie is also sometimes known as </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Indiscretion of an American Wife</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> but if you get a hold of the Criterion edition, you'll find both movies on it. Watch </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Terminal Station</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">, directed by </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Vittorio De Sica</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> first, and then for a laugh, see what happened to the movie when </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">David O. Selznick</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> got his hands on it. The plots remain the same, but the execution, style and focus are very, very different. In both cases, </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Jennifer Jones</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> (married to Selznick at the time) and </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Montgomery Clift</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> spend the entire movie trying to say goodbye to each other in Rome's train station after a summer affair. Watch it for De Sica's beautiful shots of the station's architecture, the numerous human stories swirling around the lovers, and for a reminder of how difficult it is to find a private place to have sex in a crowded train station. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cMGOv7vgPjYIyGMlJgp58vyDPfodb7zKYG7v1aNqwAZvK9jdzW-emi-ksciYMosAS2Thq-zE6xVr_GYOI4tEETkEVGxUxXX6ZjNzs24NzmJk7_4B_1eiD5mFaV07dgMem_Y7w-eW15M/s1600/wong.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cMGOv7vgPjYIyGMlJgp58vyDPfodb7zKYG7v1aNqwAZvK9jdzW-emi-ksciYMosAS2Thq-zE6xVr_GYOI4tEETkEVGxUxXX6ZjNzs24NzmJk7_4B_1eiD5mFaV07dgMem_Y7w-eW15M/s200/wong.bmp" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="134" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>9. 2046 (2004)</b> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Our main character is a writer living in Hong Kong in the late 1960s. He has written a science fiction story set far in the future, where people live in train compartments, served by androids. These trains criss cross the world, and if you dare, you can visit 2046, a place where lost memories might be found. But can you ever return? This is the sequel to </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Wong Kar Wai's</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">In the Mood For Love</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> but it works completely well as a stand-alone. Gorgeously filmed and with an awesome soundtrack. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><b>10. Love on the Run (1979)</b>. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">This is the final film in </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">François Truffault's</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Antoine Doinel</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> series that began with </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">The 400 Blows</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">. Antoine is trying to sort out his love life, both past and present. At a train station he sees a woman he was in love with as a young man, and impulsively boards her train. She happens to be reading a copy of his novel which thinly disguises his former relationship with her. It's funny. It's farcical. It's French. And I laugh every time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Do you have any favourites?</span></span>Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-90653772599416615222019-04-12T22:21:00.002+01:002019-04-12T22:34:17.538+01:00L(earning) My Stripes. . . This is shaping up to be the Year of Stripes.<br />
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It's not been intentional, but when you are:<br />
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a) trying to make a significant dent in your stash and you have many, many rogue, single skeins to use up and<br />
b) you are part of a <b><a href="https://kddandco.com/2019/02/11/5-weeks-of-knitting-season/">Knitting Season Club </a></b>that is actively encouraging the use of stripe creativity and<br />
c) you fall in love with a striped jumper from the above said club. . .<br />
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. . . well, it's inevitable that stripes are going to become part of your daily knitting life.<br />
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My first finished project of the year was this Japanese inspired <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/judoka">Judoka </a></b>bag from an issue of Pom Pom magazine. It's essentially a whole lot of garter stitch stripes sewn up in an interesting way to form this shape. I probably should have knitted it at a looser gauge to give it more drape, but it's become a useful project bag.<br />
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Next up was a mystery shawl KAL. The pattern is <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ice-cloud">Ice Cloud</a></b> by Carol Feller, a lovely striped shawl that incorporated some lace along with the garter stripes and also used mohair. I started with that vivid yellow that you can see in the photo below, but it was too bright for me, so I did a stash dive and came up with some muted mauve to balance it out. </div>
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It's difficult to photograph as it's quite long and narrow, but I really like this shawl/scarf shape - it's extremely easy and cozy to wear. Unexpectedly, with this project I learned more about colour value than striping, but the latter definitely made it fun to knit and kept my interest piqued.</div>
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At the end of last year, I was extremely honoured to be chosen to test knit this next jumper - the <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dathan-pulloverhttps://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dathan-pullover">Dathan Pullover</a></b> by <b>Kate Davies</b>, part of her Knitting Season club. We were set the challenge of using all fifteen colours of her Milarrochy Tweed in a stripe sequence where each stripe could be no wider than three rows, unless it was the hem or neck ribbing. I started out trying to colour block with a single row of a contrast colour in between and it just looked awful, so I frogged it and started over. What I ended up doing was a three stripe sequence using most of the colours, until I got to the increases for the arms (the jumper is knit bottom up). I then kept the same colour sequence but switched to two rows of each. When I picked up for the long sleeve cuffs which are knit in the round, I switched to single rows separating each darker colour with the two lightest ones. </div>
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I'm not sure it entirely works and for my own personal tastes, if I were to knit it again, I'd add far fewer colours and separate them with more of the lighter shades, to achieve a similar look found on the sleeves. But it was a really interesting exercise and it's been fascinating to see all the different versions, given the same restrictions. In knitting this, I have found myself admiring certain colour combinations that I never thought would go together well - which is very useful for future projects as I absolutely love this yarn! Kate even suggested you could number all the shades and pick them out of a hat randomly, along with a 1, 2, or 3 to indicate the row width. </div>
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I was far more random with my choice when it came to knitting her accompanying <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dathan-hap">Dathan Hap.</a></b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9_AGmhdgZFZcrbUtullAo9OJQy-CdV8DlHxVN1IF2K8-Owk7r9N-age1g3R4UuC6fBfleakk827nA7WXkQEZPT5opmqaJEzO24re8aPFOKIK4QSPijY1LfaLsX4aXFDjz4nIPEpoebo/s1600/IMG_20190320_075527611_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9_AGmhdgZFZcrbUtullAo9OJQy-CdV8DlHxVN1IF2K8-Owk7r9N-age1g3R4UuC6fBfleakk827nA7WXkQEZPT5opmqaJEzO24re8aPFOKIK4QSPijY1LfaLsX4aXFDjz4nIPEpoebo/s1600/IMG_20190320_075527611_medium2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Mine was more of a half-hap - I added more increases on the sides to create less of a deep triangle. And my only stipulation was to use up left-over balls from previous projects, including the jumper. In this stripe sequence, I love that the reds are more dominant. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiZdYX9UCGC06zZmvkQ1HfVxSjL2-5oGTPrsnbyG0lZo9v0LIYCFbi_1RNWK5AG3JBccoqXvS5wpK52SHgiMcM3OQrWrE1LjknrM4MZ7XP9vYTQMnEHYvFtvuAdM2FYk_D3zA5Lc62NE/s1600/IMG_20190320_075401124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="911" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiZdYX9UCGC06zZmvkQ1HfVxSjL2-5oGTPrsnbyG0lZo9v0LIYCFbi_1RNWK5AG3JBccoqXvS5wpK52SHgiMcM3OQrWrE1LjknrM4MZ7XP9vYTQMnEHYvFtvuAdM2FYk_D3zA5Lc62NE/s640/IMG_20190320_075401124.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I then fell in love with Kate's next pattern from the club - her gorgeous <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/strodie">Strodie </a></b>jumper. Here the stripes are created by welts. I used a cone of Jamieson and Smith's Shetland 2ply jumperweight for the background, and some gorgeous Lichen and Lace Rustic sport yarn which I picked up in Toronto. Grellow love! I really enjoyed knitting this.</div>
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And it is SO comfortable to wear - the perfect hiking sweater, but also wonderful to throw on with a pair of jeans.<br />
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I'm having fun styling my stripy knits too. Can one wear too many stripes at once? I don't think so.<br />
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I'm not done with stripes just yet. Still on my needles is a <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hapisk">Hapisk </a></b>by <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hélène Magnússon. . . </span></span><br />
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And I am test knitting a dress which starts out with stripes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGz8X6cPG7OsagsOVM_w5J5h7Q1-tU3wuRCd_Qg3ec3I33cTGSuPKYW54blbcP-BM1ntiGz7C5WHXOrD7S_SJu8iSySAe56OOdgb9UBGWmo6KBfVIXZdveFY-GZl-EsacV1lbBLYNIslw/s1600/IMG_20190228_153024332_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGz8X6cPG7OsagsOVM_w5J5h7Q1-tU3wuRCd_Qg3ec3I33cTGSuPKYW54blbcP-BM1ntiGz7C5WHXOrD7S_SJu8iSySAe56OOdgb9UBGWmo6KBfVIXZdveFY-GZl-EsacV1lbBLYNIslw/s640/IMG_20190228_153024332_medium2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I never really have a plan for my year's knitting; I cast on whatever appeals at the time. So whether I will continue my stripe obsession remains to be seen. What I can say about knitting stripes is that spit-splicing is definitely your friend if you don't want to be weaving in hundreds of ends. And thus, the stickier the wool, the better. Also welts are just wonderful for hiding said ends. Duplicate stitch can also work wonders if your stripe jogs are a bit untidy when you are knitting them in the round.<br />
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I wonder if it's time to be knitting some vertical stripes. . .Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-37467845816536203542019-04-05T17:34:00.001+01:002019-04-05T17:34:10.648+01:00Back at Broughton in Furness. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I can't believe it's been almost four years since <b><a href="http://juliahedges.blogspot.com/2015/04/just-us-and-sheep-broughton-in-furness.html">we were last walking in Broughton in Furness</a></b> - a really beautiful, almost hidden gem of a place, in the south-western part of the Lake District. Fortunately, the amazing bakery is still there so we could stock up on lunch and of course, emergency rations. Their pasties are amazing and I also highly recommend their hazelnut and cranberry flapjacks. Just what you need to energize the body before a long hike. </div>
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This post combines two walks in the area that I did over the last two weekends. The Liverpud was leading a medium or 'B' walk for our rambling group so I came along on the recce.<br />
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This was an extremely pretty walk, a little over ten miles, taking in lots of different terrains with good paths and no steep climbs or descents, although the walk was certainly undulating in places. It was a circular, up to the Knott, and back. The start was very flat, incorporating a mile and a half along a former railway line.<br />
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We then plunged into some woodland - can you imagine how pretty and shady this tree tunnel will be in summer?<br />
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We crossed lots of fields with sheep. As you do.<br />
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And even saw some curious ponies.<br />
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Not too far away is the sea.<br />
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And the set of hills that marked the half-way point of the walk. We didn't climb to the top, but meandered back to Broughton along a path that ran parallel but only went up about a quarter of the height.<br />
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But first we crossed a delightful moss-covered bridge overlooking this waterfall. I love the hundreds of shades of green that you find on a country walk in early spring.<br />
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On the following Sunday - the actual day of the walk - the weather was so lovely with no rain forecast. The Liverpud didn't need my help any longer, so I decided to go on the harder 'A' walk. This took a slightly different route through the countryside. . .<br />
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. . . ending up much quicker at the foot of the hills because of course this time we were going to climb them. The nobbly one on the left is Great Stickle and after that, you follow a ridge towards Stickle Pike. They look small in this photo, but that first climb in particular is quite steep, especially when you haven't been climbing for a few months.<br />
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But there is a great view at the top.<br />
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We're now heading for Stickle Pike, that triangular hill in front. And then our last climb of the day was Caw which I think is the one on the right, in shadow. This particular part of the walk was my favourite - photos can't do justice to the beauty and majesty of the landscape. And not a soul to be seen anywhere. The grass is soft under the feet and it was very dry - just the perfect terrain for me.<br />
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Here's the top of Stickle Pike, looking down on Stickle Tarn where we had lunch.<br />
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And this was the final push up to Caw - another steep hill that I was glad to get to the top of. We're already about 80% of the way up in this photo.<br />
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And from the top of Caw, you can see for miles. Somewhere in that direction is Scafell and Scafell Pike. I was glad this was the end of the climbing, but I knew we were still miles away from Broughton. I was very, very tired when I finally got home and into a hot bath. But what a glorious day of walking!<br />
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It was also an opportunity to wear my latest knit for the first time - <b><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/strodie">Strodie</a></b>, designed by <b>Kate Davies</b>. But I'll have more to say about it in my next post.<br />
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<br />Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-49520499084185553302019-03-20T20:58:00.004+00:002019-05-09T17:36:49.473+01:00How Does Our Garden Grow?. . . Happy Spring. I am so glad that winter is over with its damp, short days, icky colds and general apathy and lack of energy. We can now look forward to a bit of sun and watching our garden come to life.<br />
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Both the Liverpud and I are very much amateur gardeners of the "let's plant it and see what happens" variety. Half the time, we pop something into the ground and forget it's there. Until the green shoots start coming up.<br />
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So last month, we had a scattering of snowdrops (we also had a lot of wind, hence the branches that were everywhere in our back yard. We have cleared them up now.)<br />
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And our ever-reliant camellia bushes bloomed.<br />
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We found a lovely unexpected bunch of crocuses.<br />
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And now we have a bucket of happy narcissi blooming.<br />
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We have a lovely neighbour who last year kindly gave us some pots of plants for the front yard. Two of them had daffodils in them and when they started to wilt, as if on cue, these purple grape hyacinths appeared!<br />
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I had completely given up on my tarragon. I never know if one should leave herbs to their own devices during the winter, but I did and both my sage and tarragon were definitely looking the worse for wear in January. But now the latter is springing up all nice and green. I am delighted. Unless it's a weed I don't know about.<br />
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And we have tulips to look forward to.<br />
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It's the little things. Bring on the garden center!Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345409957048753840.post-9110067576796464052019-01-25T16:06:00.002+00:002019-01-25T16:06:30.947+00:00Winter Hues at Arnside. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have yet to climb Arnside Knott and get a perfectly clear view (in which you'd see a number of the Lakeland Fells and Morecombe Bay), but given the hazy light last weekend, this was the best on offer. Still, it stayed dry the entire time of our 14 mile hike, there wasn't as much mud as I'd feared, and really, one can't ask for more on a winter walk. Usually when we embark on a hike in this area, Arnside Knott is the last hurrah, so it was quite novel to tackle the climb at the beginning and get it out of the way.</div>
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The rest of the walk was through fields and a lot of woodland, taking in Arnside Tower. . .<br />
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. . . the Pepperpot (a monument celebrating Queen Victoria's jubilee) . . .<br />
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. . . an old quarry ( apparently the stone for the promenade in Blackpool came from here) but it's now the Trowbarrow Nature Reserve. . .<br />
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. . . views of a small lake. . .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUJC_h4Gj7omOz2WygUQolGH4kmEiOOq7vsAFc3avy4Gkg9BSySi77KBG9ddMvnpFhuCXzkXCHa6DIj1oRqDHWUV7-2x6ejrllkFb0H_i1OlOI9_ZbwGxqZy9cXvjeYQuCd3Al6L0jZ4/s1600/IMG_20190120_135351990_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="945" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUJC_h4Gj7omOz2WygUQolGH4kmEiOOq7vsAFc3avy4Gkg9BSySi77KBG9ddMvnpFhuCXzkXCHa6DIj1oRqDHWUV7-2x6ejrllkFb0H_i1OlOI9_ZbwGxqZy9cXvjeYQuCd3Al6L0jZ4/s640/IMG_20190120_135351990_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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. . . and the Fairy Steps.<br />
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Below is the view from the top of the Fairy Steps - you can see Arnside Knott in the distance, showing you how far we've come.<br />
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And we ended up walking back to Arnside via the shore of the Kent Estuary - you can see the Knott again in the distance.<br />
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These sheep graze on the salt marshes which are supposed to add to their flavour.<br />
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A decidedly subdued and soft palette but an enjoyable walk nonetheless.Blithe Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212500567025366169noreply@blogger.com0