Lake Windermere - Lake District National Park
"Are we there yet?" pleads my three-year-old son from the rear
of the car. I've returned to the Lake District for the first
time since my school trip to Patterdale, back in the early
eighties. I'm curious as to what I can recall of the place after
all these years, however, the sands of time and copious
quantities of alcohol play havoc with the old grey matter.
I've already decided our next appointment with the lakes will be
headquartered at Windermere, hub of the region. As a base it's
ideally positioned for excursions to all of Lake District
National Park, as well as a noble locale to explore itself.
We're stationed at the Flookburgh caravan park in the southern
region of the Lake District, and though pleasant, the daily
half-hour drive to Windermere grows slightly tedious.
We park almost a mile short of the main town to explore the
enchanting Bowness-on-Windermere. Boats for hire are aplenty,
and though tempting, my stomach is demanding lunch. Central to
life here, the local bar-restaurant protrudes beyond the
riverbank and affords magnificent views from the upper landing
while we consume lunch. The upper seating area is built directly
above lakeside and gives the sensation of being as one with the
water. The panorama retains you seated long after lunch is
finished as the lake extends through the mist and towards the
mountains spanning the horizon.
Meriting a visit is Ambleside, an attractive, petite village off
the north shore of Lake Windermere. Choice route is by boat, a
wonderfully scenic journey of about thirty minutes from the
shores of Bowness-on-Windermere. Snow-capped mountains span the
horizon and towering trees stand as sentinels, flanking either
side of the lake, forging an atmosphere far removed from nearby
town life.
Whilst birds swoop overhead, seeking food scraps from
passengers, fish twist and turn through relatively pollution
free currents. Small pockets of people scatter themselves along
the riverbanks, consuming lunch and absorbing the relaxed
ambience as the day idles by. Life is lived at a different pace
here, something I envy greatly, having grown up in a large city.
Even the wildlife seems more laid back, enjoying a more tranquil
alliance beside humanity, away from the hustle and bustle of
loud, frantic cities.