Introduction to the Return
The day is fast approaching when Mike and I depart Boston to wing our way to Manchester England and thence to the village of Orton in Cumbria to resume our Coast-to-Coast Walk across England. If you followed our exploits last September you will recall I had fixated on the task of undertaking Arthur Wainwright’s path…
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Grasmere to Patterdale
Ummm…. WOW! After yesterday’s outing, Mike and I were tempted to claim today as a restorative day off to nurse sore shoulders (well – one sore shoulder that would be Dennis’) and overall fatigue. But this morning presented a different idea. We would walk today and take tomorrow as our rest day. After all, today’s…
Rosthwaite to Grasmere – Tolkien must have lived here
My description of today’s hike can be summed up thus: grueling; taxing; satisfying; awe-inspiring; aches; fatigue. But WORTH EVERY BIT OF THAT! But the thing that I’ve fixated on today is the names of the places and geographical features of this landscape. After breakfast today we left the sleepy village of Rosthwaite that is nestled…
A special post for the kids
Olivia, Damian and Riley – I MISS YOU. But here’s a picture that you will like – especially Olivia. I hope you’re getting up early and getting to school on time. This trip is great fun but I can’t wait to see you guys again! A real mushroom seen along the shores of Ennerdale Water…
Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite (warning – a lot of boring detail)
This was a day of epic adventures by any standard! It started in a routine way when we sat down next to Haimish and Amanda for a full Cumbrian breakfast at the B&B. We departed at 8 :45 for what was billed as a 15 mile walk – the longest in the Lake District –…
St. Bees to Ennerdale Bridge
Today was a day of challenges. Perhaps the biggest challenge on a day like this one that occurs at the beginning of any new adventure and that is the challenge of the unknown. Mike and I have both read the books and watched the videos. We’ve completed practice walks with backpacks and trekking poles. A…
And so it begins!
I am sitting in my room at the Stonehouse Inn B&B in St. Bees, Cumbria, UK. For the past 20 hours or so I have forbidden myself to remark how smoothly this trip has gone so far. Every flight – three of them – was on time and without turbulence. Every connection went smoothly with…
It’s 6:26AM…. no wait it’s 6:27 (Amsterdam)
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THE Day has arrived
So here it is – THE day. In a couple of hours Mike and I board the first flight which will take us on a paradoxically westerly direction – to Detroit. Then we board a KLM flight over the north friggin’ pole to Amsterdam. Finally, tomorrow morning, we’ll wing across the North Sea to Manchester…
Michael’s ready too! (not surprising for a retired Navy Captain)
Now we’re ready!
Less than a week to go
Mike and I have done everything I can think of to prepare for our departure on Sunday. What remains is to log on tonight to finalize our planned train ride from Manchester to St. Bees. And I suppose we may also book a hotel for the return trip – we need to stay in Manchester…
A Random Thought as we Prepare to Depart
Mike and I will depart on our 200-mile walking adventure in one week. An interesting thing happens to me when I am on the cusp of such an outsized challenge. The obituaries, which I read through every day, are suddenly printed in boldface type and the ages of the dead appear in a large font…