Day 4. Checking in at Ambleside and a bimble round Grasmere

Hello, I've had a belting day today. Done some walking and clambering or should I say staggering,  over rocks, been on a bus ride, and sat and watched the boats on Windermere.  I've met some lovely people as well. This is Windermere Hostel I left this morning. The assistant had rung on ahead to Ambleside to get me in there for two nights.  

There is a terrace out the back, and this is the beautiful view as you sit outside in the sunshine. It was warm enough for people to have their breakfast out there this morning.

I set off up the hill from the hostel, this is the view coming into Town End. Just a few big houses on the side of the hill.

Lots of blackberries about here, just ripe for picking. They are all gone back at home.

I took a track off to the left called Skelghyll Lane. Looking down on Lake Windermere below, there is a white speck on the water, that's the ferry boat. 

The track then goes into the woods as it heads downhill towards Ambleside. A couple caught up with me, they were walking their two small dogs. I thought it was a bit odd that the man was pushing a buggy over the rough ground, and it was empty. Then I caught on what was happening. One of the dogs was a bit elderly and couldn't walk the whole distance, so the buggy was for him when he got too tired to walk any further. Doesn't he look a sweetheart. He was a bit dirty and smelly because he had rolled in a cow pat. I meet such nice people when I am out walking.

And this my friends, is Ambleside Youth Hostel. Amazing isn't it. On the edge of the lake it has it's own private seating area. I booked in and was able to off load some of the weight out of my rucksack. Then I went for a bimble.

Quite a few holiday makers were out in the sunshine. The boats were doing a good trade.

I sat for a while and enjoyed people watching.

Then a bus came and I decided to hop on it and go to Grasmere. Now what are these people queuing for? Gingerbread of course. This is what I have come for. It's lipsmackin good. 

They were very busy, the ladies were serving non stop. 

 A little bimble round Grasmere.

This hotel sign made me smile. It is usual to put 'No Vacancies' up when all the rooms are full, not 'Choc a block', ha ha.

After treating myself to a chocolate and caramel magnum, my fave ice cream, I had a look at the map and decided to make a short walk up Easedale Road, to Easedale Tarn. Along the road, a young lady asked me the way. Claire and her father were also going up there, they weren't sure of the way so we all walked along together.

We are heading up there, the path is just to the left of the water. 

I am a bit ahead, there they are coming up behind me.

 We kept going and I turned and took another photo of the valley. Isn't it beautiful.

We are getting there. The water from the Tarn is overflowing down the rocks.

Not far now, we seemed to be going on forever, will we ever get to the top.

Fantastic view down below now.

 At last, we've found it. We met a few people going back down, but there's not many left up here.

It's so peaceful and quiet. Well worth the climb and all the sweating. My legs are still a bit sore.

Here are my new friends, looking at their photo's. It's a coincidence that they are staying at the same hostel as me. The young lady is going off to university in London soon, and her parents have come over to spend a holiday with her. It was lovely to have their company. I'm not sure they would have done the whole distance if I hadn't been encouraging them to continue. But when we all got to the top, they agreed that the challenge had been worth it. Father made me laugh, he asked if I had been in the army. 

I checked the times of the buses back, and realized that we would have to quicken our pace going  down. If we missed one bus it would be an hour to the next one. I ran ahead to catch the bus and ask the driver to wait a few minutes. The passengers were boarding, I was about to ask the driver, when my two friends appeared. That was lucky. YAY,  we just made the bus by a few seconds.

This is the view from my window tonight. I am on the third floor. Good eh! And all for £38 for two nights B & B.

I'll sign off now and say goodnight. I think I have the room to myself, that's if no one has turned up in the last couple of hours. Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip.