Better Lake than Never

As I sit in my hotel room in Milngavie just outside of Glasgow, I long to be back in Keswick! Here’s what I did yesterday on my last day in the Lakes:

After breakfast in the B&B I walked to the main square and checked out the local farmers market - didn’t buy anything. It was raining a bit but I walked to the Derwentwater lake front just off the town. I was thinking of walking around more but the boat was leaving in just 10 minutes so I thought I’d take it!

The boat is an old wooden vessel that was used as a set for a movie (I’m blanking on which now) and it serves as a hop on hop off tour around different attractions off the lake that are arduous to get to on foot. Plus it’s a pretty view!

I decided to get off at Hawes End and walk the 20 minutes to the Lingholm Estate. It’s famous for Beatrix Potter and the garden that inspired her Peter Rabbit books. I went to their kitchen and got a tea and a cheese scone (very British!) They asked me if I minded sharing my table since it was busy and I said no, so a couple came and sat with me and we made conversation as we do. They were very intrigued by my travels and at the end they paid for my meal! The man said on one condition : that I stay safe and have fun on my trip.

Then I walked back to Keswick - about 2.3 miles. I’d been wanting to check out the Keswick Brewing company so I went over there and wrote my last blog entry.

After that, I needed to take a break so I went back to the Goodwin House. At around 7pm I got dinner at the Dog and Gun and it was packed! I snagged a seat finally and put my jacket down since I had to go to the bar to order, but when I got back a couple was sitting there at my table! I was a little annoyed but we all sat there together and ended up talking. There names are Nigel and Feluna. I wasn’t sure if they were very friendly, they were both from Oxford and a little harder to get to know at first. But after a bit we started having a fun conversation and it was actually pretty great. Once they left, my 80 year old friend Pete and his friend rolled up to the bar so I went and sat with them. I have friends!

We all chatted for a bit with a couple with two beagles, Graeme and Melanie, and then once they left, another younger couple came and sat down with a big black lab. Grace is from London and her boyfriend (blanking on the name) is a retired polo player who works with horses and apparently has a large social media following of 500k just for his videos on Tik Tok of re-attaching the metal onto the horse’s hooves (called Ferrier something). Grace got me a drink and we all chatted until the bar closed again at 11! People keep buying my food and drinks for me and I try to deny it but they just won’t take no for an answer. I guess because I’m traveling solo and they want to help me out? Either way, the people have been so lovely to me here.

That’s all for now!