After spending 13 days in Scotland (3 in Glasgow, 7 in Edinburgh, 3 in Highlands and the Isle of Sky) we returned to the Lake District in England to continue our walk.

Unfortunately the rain here continues, and with wind, cold temperatures and the bogs all around, the prospect of walking looks daunting. We have decided to call it an incomplete adventure as the next sunshine is 6 days away.

We loved the scenery everywhere, but in the end, the continuous rain takes the joy out of the walk as there is no way to stay dry.

As we conclude this adventure, I leave you with pictures from Scotland.

Glasgow

Edinburgh had 5 festivals going on in the month of August. We were fortunate to enjoy the largest festival in the world. Along the way we saw many street performers, stand up comedy, dance shows, mimes etc. Here are few pictures of Edinburgh which is considered a Unisco world heritage city.

The gem of Scotland is the Highlands and the Isle of Sky.

We are heading home in a couple of days. So this is goodbye from this adventure.

Our hike from Rosthwaite to Grasmere turned out to be a nightmare.

We woke up to rain and clouds. The day promised to be a long climb and descent, but the forecast had promised a clear afternoon. WRONG!! The rain never let up. The trails were flooded and we were all soaked through and through. We were tired and hungry, but stopping without shelter was not an option, so we plodded through without lunch. Towards the top of the mountain it was steep and slippery and it took every ounce of our energy and every muscle in our bodies to climb. In fact, it was so steep and slippery at the top, we scrambled and crawled on our hands and knees, pulling ourselves upwards, grasping at any sturdy rock and grasses we could find to keep from falling. Of this, of course, we have no photos!

Downhill was no better as the water was gushing over the path and we had to cross many streams that were overflowing. Of course we encountered the English bogs which meant walking in grass and water at the same time!

A wrong day to hike and take pictures for sure. The waterproof cover on the camera resulted in hazy pictures on my camera. The clearer pictures are from Sakkar’s camera without a cover. Not much to show for a hell of hike or the unforgettable memories of how we survived this day!!!

Tomorrow we are all heading out to Glasgow, Scotland for few days of fun in the city and take a leave from our hiking adventure.

Incidentally, tomorrow is Pat’s and my 32nd wedding anniversary!

When I was in the 7th grade we read “Daffodils” in our English class. The poem’s beauty left a lasting impression on me. At that moment in my life I learned the concept of “minds eye” and how to capture magical moments in life as Wordsworth described.

Today we spent a day in Grasmere where Wordsworth is buried and composed many of his poems. We visited Dove Cottage where he lived for a few years.

Here is one of his memorable poem ” Daffodils ”

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

– William Wordsworth (1815)

We spent our last two nights in the sticks (or boonies, as we call them in the States). The night before last, our closest neighbors were 1/2 mile away and we had to walk back 1 1/2 mile to our cottage after dinner.

Yesterday we started our walk at the lake and gradually climbed 1400 feet over a mountain top. Along the way we walked by two youth hostels.

We encountered our first rain of the hike as we reached the top. Finally our rain jackets came in handy!

When we came down the mountain we came to our third hostel of the day where we spent last night ( no phone or WiFi).

We are now in an area known as the Lake District, a popular tourism area in England.

Today’s hike was through country roads, farmlands, and country side forests…an enchanting day at a leisurely pace in the true tradition of an English walk-about.

Last when we visited each other (last week) we were finishing Tour du Mont Blanc.

Today we began our next adventure in England, Wainwright’s Coast to Coast. It’s about a 200-mile journey beginning in St. Bees at the Irish Sea and ending in Robin Hood’s Bay.

You can see the contrast between the two Treks. While Mont Blanc was majestic and daunting, the Coast to Coast is a serene and gentle country scene. Both are beautiful in their own ways and are capable of challenging the senses and inspiring awe at their beauty.