A grim-looking forecast didn't put me off and I headed once more over the A66, this time to Lamplugh, just south of Cockermouth. I'd never been to the Western Lakes are before, and wasn't expecting great things - we'd had snow and hail a few days before and the forecast was unremitting rain.
Dockray Meadows CC site wasn't full, and remained deathly quiet for the whole weekend, (apart from the compulsory yapping bloody DOGS!) and the main plus for this site is there are walks and cycleways on the doorstep.
On Saturday, blue sky and cloud, quite cold. I did about 4 miles walking to Congra Moss (a small reservoir with lots of fishermen) and round to Lamplugh Church, to break in my new (very pink!) boots.
The boots were fine but 1 mile from home, disaster struck!
I slipped in a stream, and got good and wet. Worse, shooting pains in my right arm were agony, and I feared I may have broken my wrist. As I knelt in the water, I thought "Don't faint! You'll drown and your body will never be found! Drama queen to the end.
Thankfully I had painkillers with me and I had a rest outside the church and ate my emergency rations (pistachio nuts, mmm) and got back safely. After about 24 hours, the pain subsided and nothing had turned blue or dropped off so I presume it was just a bad sprain. But it made life difficult all weekend, as I could barely dress or put the beds up and down. I must find out if I can insure myself against being unable to drive the van home.
The evening was spent eating soup and listening to the rain drumming on the roof.
As predicted, Sunday was rainy and cold, so it was provisioning and museum day. First stop Maryport, which was pretty grim. There was a huge beach and promenade, with about 6 people in evidence, I felt quite sorry for the place. I visited Senhouse museum, housed in an old Naval battery building on the cliff top, right next to a Roman fort. We are of course near the Western end of Hadrian's Wall. Pity the Spanish troops stationed here! The museum was full of Roman altars, and quite a few willy sculptures, carved by an optimist.
I moved on to Cockermouth, which looked like it would be a great place - if it was open. I was hoping for a nice goat's cheese panino or something with houmous and olives. Nah. So I went to the Co-op and got a sandwich. The town hasn't recovered from the massive floods, and I hope it pulls itself together in time for the summer season, it felt like it needed a bit more of the spirit Hebden Bridge has. I didn't even feel up to visiting the museum, somehow the town's indifference was catching.
Next stop was St Bees! And the fog came down. "On a clear day you can see the Isle of Man from here" it said - I had trouble seeing St Bees. But it did have a cafe on the front - goat's cheese panino??? Nope. But I could have had slab pie with gravy, or a sandwich called 'cheese savoury', which was a bit of a misnomer. So I had several tiny cups of tea and delicious home-made fruit cake with lots of spice.
St Bees is a great place to see many types of birds, and has a path to the lighthouse. Lighthouse? I think it must have been having a day off.
Back to the van for another home cooked effort, and while frying my steak I found out that the smoke alarm does work - I had been wondering if it did, but need to wonder no more. I probably upset the neighbours cooking with the door open to the tunes of Bon Jovi (all together now) "Hey! Man! I'm alive, takin' each day a night at a time..."
It was a TERRIBLE night, still awake at 4am, rain lashing down and being shaken to bits by the wind, but not a drop of water got in, it really is a smashing little van.
Monday, much better than forecast so I set off to see the ospreys on Bassenthwaite (three chicks have recently hatched). I followed the AA signs, which dumped me at a T-junction in the middle of nowhere, and gave no further hints. Grrrr....
So I trundled home, and got the washing on.
