If You Go: Lake District

Anyone who has asked for travel advice from me, is familiar with my "recommendations" e-mails that I usually write after all of our big trips outlining exactly where we stayed, ate, and played on a vacation.  As part of my blog, I will write similar detailed notes so that I can share links and recommendations with future visitors.  This will have more administrivia and less fun context:

Hotel

• Pennington Hotel:  We stayed in the Junior Suite at the Pennington Hotel.  The hotel was lovely - the room was very nice, it was dog-friendly for Alfie, and the breakfast was made-to-order deliciousness. Here is the kicker: the hotel was on the coast about an hour away from the lakes.  It was a beautiful spot, but if we go back - we'll aim to stay at one of the lake towns like Windermere or Ambleside.  Pennington Hotel Price: ~$175 a night

Restaurants 

• Stiles - Ambleside: We had lunch at a lovely cafe in Ambleside called Stiles. It was VERY dog friendly, including towels to wipe your dogs paws, treats from the servers, and bowls of water.  The human food was delicious too  - we shared a platter with kebabs, pulled pork, and chicken tenders.  Best part: it was the fastest service we have ever had in England.  Win! Highly recommend 
• Ratty Arms Tavern - Ravenglass: If you decide to stay at the Pennington Hotel, there are only three restaurants in the town.  In good news - this tavern was great.  Standard, tasty pub food and cheap ciders to be had.  We were there the night of the Wales-England rugby match and it was a great environment with lots of people enjoying the game. 
• Picnic - Note: We took a picnic for our afternoon at Wray Castles.  Picnics are a "thing" in the Lake District and across England.  So stop at Marks & Spencer before you go up to the Lakes District as there are lots of spots to stop and have lunch by a lake or a landmark.  

Things to Do 

• Wray Castle: Wray Castle is right on Lake Windermere.  It is a "new" castle built in the late 1800's, so if you're a super British history buff, this is not for you.  It is beautiful and has a great view of the lake.  It also has a ferry dock to take you to other lake towns.  We missed the ferry by a few minutes, so we ended up not using it - but wish we had!  If you have kids, the castle's interior is very kid-oriented with a section on Peter Rabbit's adventure and a dress up area.  It's owned by National Trust, so if you're a member it's free to park and explore 
• Muncaster Castle: If you stay in Ravenglass, this castle is only about a 5 minute drive and highly recommended.  It has beautiful grounds overlooking green farmlands and the mountains.  Extensive gardens and walking paths loop around the property.  They have an owl and hawk center.  We saw the half hour owl show and really enjoyed it.  I had no idea that owls were so tame-able.  Admission is $15 per person, but it's worth it if you are out that way
• Windermere: This is a cute town right on the lake - this would be a good town to start your journey.  The ferry hub is right in the center of town and in the summer, you can also rent a paddleboat or canoe.  In addition, it has lots of boutique shops and ice cream stops.  It also has a large green park overlooking the lake.  We'll be looking to stay in Windermere on our next trip to the lake district 
• Ambleside: Similar to Windermere, this is a very cute town right on the lake.  We had lunch and stopped into a few of the shops.  I did some shopping damage at a cute boutique called Rush - it carried several of my favorite British designers (and introduced me to a few new ones!)
• Coniston: This is a very small town on the third largest lake in the Lake District.  It is the blue-est lake either of us had ever seen.  We spent a half hour taking photos and walking around the path.  There is also a boat rental for canoes, kayaks, etc.  We could not partake because of the cool weather + Alfie, but would like to go back at some point.  For us, it would be better to get into the water here because it seems smaller and less congested than Windermere which had more powerboats, ferries, and other large watercraft. 

Things We Wished We Had Done: We had some limitations in terms of time, weather and having Alfie with us.  If we had been there in summer - we would have done the following: (1) Taken a ferry trip around Lake Windermere; (2) Rented kayaks on Lake Coniston; (3) Visited Beatrice Potter's Home; and (4) Stayed in a Lakeside hotel.  In good news, this was an easy trip and I am confident we will return!

Lake District Re-Cap: Day Two

The second day of our trip to the Lake District included more castles, beautiful views, and winding roads through beautiful country land.  One of the best parts was waking up to a beautiful view of the coastal estuary.  So incredibly picturesque:

We then made our way to Muncaster Castle.  It was built in the 1100's and has been with the same family since the 1200's.  The family still lives there today, but makes its lovely grounds available to the public:

We then took a trip down to a second lake - it was such an incredibly blue lake!  Alfie enjoyed walking along the beach and checking out the views:

Suffice to say...we love the lakes!

Lake District Re-Cap: Day One

We went up to England's Lake District this weekend.  What an incredibly beautiful, diverse place.  Two castles, two lakes, two lakeside towns, and the coast of England - just stunning. The Lake District was the home of Beatrice Potter (think Peter Rabbit) and she willed much of the land to be national parkland on her death.  It's wonderful to see the landscape that inspired such famous children's stories.

We drove up on Saturday morning and made our way to Wray Castle.  We brought a lovely picnic and enjoyed it castle side.  Wray Castle is relatively new in the castle world (build in the late 1890's by a wealthy Englishman!). While it was never used for protection, it still has arrow slits and the
trappings of a much older place.  It was also a vacation home for Beatrice Potter when she was young.

After our visit to the castle, we visited Windermere a town named for the largest lake in England.  It was a darling town with adorable restaurants and shops.  It also had lovely views of the lake:

We then drove up what's considered one of the "most difficult roads" in England called Hardknott Pass.  It was a nearly empty - it included lots of steep inclines and hairpin turns - and included some stunning views of the Lake District highlands: 

It also included hundreds of sheep grazing quietly right next to the road...like this guy:

The drive led us to the north western coast of England - out onto the Atlantic where we stayed in a one-road town called Ravenglass.  A truly amazing experience. 

Quick Tips for Quick Ship

A bit more advice for those who will be coming to Harrogate in the future!  We packed our house on July 13...on September 17 our furniture arrived  Eight weeks is a pretty standard wait - and let me tell you - it was the most satisfying feeling!  You don't realize how nice your couch / bed / kitchen supplies are until you are without them.

As you prepare to move into your new house, you might be wondering about the temporary furniture from base.  Below is what they have available:

• Small Couch 
• Small Chair 
• Coffee Table
• Dining Room Table / Chairs 
• Bed 
• Side Table 
• Wardrobes (2) - you keep these through your tour 
• Microwave - you keep this through your tour 
• Happy Light - you keep this through your tour 
• Large Transformers (2) - you keep these through your tour

Essentially, it's everything you need to survive while you're waiting for your real things to arrive - we were very grateful for these items.  In moving into our temporary quarters - there were a few things we either packed or wish we had packed.  These supplement my original post about what we're happy we packed!

• Bed Linens including Mattress Pad: The base offers some very basic sheets and pillows.  Our house was cold and the bed was a bit uncomfortable so we went ahead and bought a heavy duvet and mattress pad to make our time bearable.  I would suggest packing these from home if you can - since ours are now duplicates
• Plates / Bowls / Silverware: We did not pack these, so had to buy a few cheap sets here so that we could make some basic dinners.  It would probably be just as simple to pack these 
• Deep Pan / Knives / Cutting Board / Prep Bowl: We packed a few basic cooking items that allowed us to make one pot meals (e.g., grilled chicken, heating frozen asian food, etc).  These items made dinner much easier while we waited for everything
• Spices: We packed an entire box containing all of our spices. This was recommended because spices can hold up your entire shipment in customs.  Ours sailed right through and it was nice to quickly have access to these 

One other tip - we were able to send our quick ship through USPS.  We mailed about a week before we left - so all of our things had arrived.  We packed about 8 medium sized boxes and only had about 100 pounds of stuff - our allowance was 400 pounds - so pack away!

Alfie's House Favorites

It has been funny to get Alfie settled into our new house. His favorite parts of the house are things that no realtor would ever point out, but he really loves some of the features!  Here are a few of his favorite things:

Built-in Window Seats: He has always loved sitting on the back of the couch to look out the window. Here, he can lay on the stair landings and see out the windows.   Good vantage point for a semi-busy street.

Enclosed Flagstone Patio: We have a walled flagstone patio with our grill, smoker, and chairs. Alfie is able to quickly get a sunbath without supervision...which he loves! 

New Furniture Arrangement: Alfie has found some new favorite pieces of furniture...we moved a chair to our master bedroom that had previously been in a guest room.  It's now Alfie's favorite relaxation spot. Note the pillow on the chair!!!

 

 

 

Everyday Adventure: Knaresborough

Alfie and I had this weekend to ourselves as P had to work (womp, womp!).  On Saturday, we got our house re-organized since our furniture arrived - more on that in another post.  On Sunday, we took an every day adventure to the next village over - Knaresborough.  We took a quick 9 minute train ride over and spent a few hours exploring the town, checking out their castle ruins, and having lunch.  This was Alfie's first train ride and he was an excellent traveler!

Knaresborough is very dramatic - on a cliff by the River Nidd.  Its town center is at the top of the cliff and there is also a lovely river-side area on the lower area by the river.  The town was filled with dogs enjoying a warm afternoon and taking walks along the river.  A few people had taken out row boats, but it was too cold (and Alfie forgot his life jacket!).  After checking out the river side, we walked up about 300 stairs to a beautiful garden and the castle ruins.  The castle is in pretty bad shape - it was built in 1200 but destroyed in about 1600.  The only things that remain today are the ruins of the castle tower which was used for a short-time as the town's prison and the court building which is used today as an administrative building.  

Here are a few photos from our adventures on Sunday - 

The picturesque town of Knaresborough (vantage from the castle ruins!) 

Many of the buildings are painted in this distinctive black and white square design 

We encountered this beautiful garden on the way up to the castle.  You'll see the leaves are starting to turn here! 

The castle ruins today - not much remaining - especially compared to Skipton! 

Alfie and I took in the view...but the photos of us are not as good without our official photographer

Everyday Adventure: Bolton Abbey

We finally got to take the adventure we intended to a few weeks ago when Alfie got sick...it was a spectacular day for it!  The sun was shining here, the temperature was in the 60's, and Alfie was feeling great.  A perfect adventure day.

We went to ruins at Bolton Abbey - just outside the town of Skipton.  Built between 1200 and 1500, it is a stunning structure in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales.  I find each of the abbeys we have visited to be hauntingly beautiful - how these magnificent, massive stone structures fell into such disrepair is incomprehensible.  What remains is a stunning look back to another time.  In addition to the abbey ruins, there are lovely trails across the River Wharfe that we enjoyed exploring for even more views.

Fun fact!  A foggy view of Bolton Abbey was on The Cure's Faith Album Cover

Bolton Abbey from afar

A view from across the river

I loved the reflection of the arch...and the clouds!

My 10-year-old self wished I wore my wellies to take a walk across the stepping stones! 

From the inside of Bolton Abbey

Alfie contemplates the ruins from the river 

Just amazing...my favorite gravestone read "Bolton Abbey, her heaven here on earth"

New Home

On September 1, we finally moved into our new place!  Since July 1, I think I had been in a hotel all but 10 days - so getting into our own home is a real treat! While it 50% larger than our house in DC, the closets are limited - otherwise - it's beautiful, in a great location, and is totally renovated - no complaints at all.   For now, we have temporary furniture on loan from the base.  We received notification on Friday that our furniture arrived into the port and was clearing customs.  We're hopeful to be fully moved in by mid-September complete with our own furniture / bed / stuff!  In the mean time, here is a preview of our unfurnished house!

Living Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

Downstairs Bathroom 

Back Deck (Note: theoretically a car port, but it takes ~8 parking maneuvers to get in and out!) We'll be putting our patio furniture / grill / smoker back here!

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Guest Bedroom (come visit!!!)

Third Bedroom / My Office

Alfie is already loving the tub off the third bedroom

And I am making the third floor my official office with my cool new Union Jack desk!

London Calling!

Despite many miles of travels for both P and I...neither of us had ever visited London!  We enjoyed a whirlwind 48 hour tour this Labor Day weekend and crammed in many sights.  The great part about London is that it's a short 2 hour train ride from home - and I have a feeling this will be the first of many visits for us.

This trip was focused on seeing Buckingham Palace - which is opened for a few weeks each summer while the Queen is traveling.  That was definitely a highlight of the trip!  It was amazing to see the State Rooms that so many dignitaries and famous icons had traversed (not to mention William and Kate!).  That visit reminded me of visiting the White House - in the sense that the rooms we visited are still very much in use for various State Dinners, banquets, and ceremonies.  Below are the highlights - not many photos of Buckingham Palace because you couldn't take photos inside!

The view of Buckingham Palace from the gardens!

We also had the chance to visit Kensington Palace - the current home to William and Kate (and George and Charlotte).  It has recently been restored and was a great tribute to Queen Victoria (the Current Queen's Great Grandmother):

P was too tall to be truly lost in the hedge garden!

We also enjoyed the sites along the South Bank - we visited the Tate Modern and later had dinner at an amazing Chop House (thanks, Janice!!!) with the most amazing views of the Tower Bridge.

Post-Dinner Photo

Another personal highlight for me was visiting Chipotle - my most very favorite restaurant in the United States.  There are 4 in London and we stopped at one for lunch...it was a wonderful taste of home!!!