The Lake District and Scotland

I had to return to talking about Windermere in the Lake District because it was such a wonderful place. When we were there on Friday we walked from our inn down to the lake shore where we caught a boat that took us across the lake. From there we were able to take a train out to a small town where you can picnic or eat at their restaurant and then back. It was great fun for Evan to run around the train and Sean and I got some great views of the Lake District.

The Lake District is supposed to be well known for its' hiking. However, we had been so busy previous to our departure that we had no idea where to go and none of the trail heads are marked from where the public transport drops you. So, after asking around a while we made our way to a path and hiked for about an hour and a half through the woods. It was quite a hike since there was a bit of vertical. We were pretty tired after the effort but it worked out perfectly. Evan got to nap and we didn't have to feel guilty about the high tea we had in the garden of the Lakeside Hotel while Evan ran around chasing ducks. Overall, a perfect day...

Then, on to Edinborough (or Edinburgh?), Scotland. We got there a little late since there was an incident in the car on the way. The roads were windy. Sean drives fast and though Evan yelled, "STOP the CAR!" It was too late. We had to stop at the closest inn and someone was kind enough to give us a bucket of soapy water and a rag. Needless to say, the ride was a little slower and more stressful after this.

We made it to Edinborough okay and managed to wander around town and see the castle since Evan seemed to be feeling better. The castle was pretty amazing since it was the kind of Castle you'd see in a fairy tale with a drawbridge and great views of the city. I also loved that the street performers were 75% bagpipers and you could hear the beautiful sound as you wandered through the city. We got back to our hotel just before it started raining and ended up eating at the pub there. It worked out great since the Eurocup football finals were on and Evan enjoyed watching them. In fact, he woke up twice that night saying, "Football! TV!" and would immediately fall back to sleep. I think we may end up having a sports kid (HOW did that happen??).