Cumbria

Our new cottage does have Wi-Fi but generally isn’t quite as nice as our first one. We also find out when we arrive that it isn’t very dog friendly because the dogs are not allowed upstairs. Obviously had we known this in advance we’d have booked elsewhere. It also says in the instructions that dogs are not to be left unattended, so presumably that means we’re not allowed to sleep upstairs either?

There are four pubs in St Bees but only two of them look worth trying. After one meal in the Queens Hotel, we settle on the Manor as being the better of the two and eat there three times.

On Monday we go for a ride on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, which is something I’ve been contemplating doing for about twenty years. This takes you by steam power from Ravenglass to the heart of the Eskdale and Boot, where we have stayed a few times in the past. The Lad loves the steam train, MD would rather be anywhere than on a moving steam train.

We also visit Wasdale and Ennerdale for walks while we’re in the area but we struggled to find any decent beaches along the Cumbrian coast. To be fair St Bees’ own beach is probably the best there is and it is of course where the Coast to Coast walk starts from. We also visit Maryport, Millom and Whitehaven.

On Saturday we head home, via breakfast in Barrow. The not terribly with it waitress overcharges me and then gives me a part refund in cash. I find out later that my initial payment had been rejected by my Revolut card as I’d hit my contactless limit. So we were actually in credit for the meal. Whoops.

We complete Troubled Blood but a fault with the audiobook means it has skipped several chunks and we both have to relisten to several chapters when get home.

(Saturday 10^th October)