What's Tony Thinking

Home Again, Home Again

It was a fantastic trip. Three days in NYC for the Mockingbird Conference, then to England’s fabled Lake District for a circuit hike with a lot of up and down. The second week, we followed the “Dales Way” trail in Yorkshire from Bowness to Ilkley. All told (adding in walking in NYC), 202 miles walked, some 21,000 feet elevation, carrying a (light) 20 lb. pack. A dry spell for that part of England meant wonderful weather for hiking. At right, climbing up “The Old Man of Coniston” in the Lake District.

They do National Parks differently in the U.K., grandfathering in ancient villages, inns, churches and farms. So you walk through farms and pastures all along the way, opening and closing many gates. And seeing many sheep! It was lambing season, which was fun.

Ours was a self-designed and self-guided trip, during which we hiked inn to inn. Many of the inns were very old and very traditional, though, thankfully, with updated bathrooms. Here’s one of the front room of the George Inn in Hubberholme, where the only heat is from the wood stove. The proprietor, Ed, is at right. Ted, the Inn Dog, front and center. Brits are very fond of their dogs and their beer, often together, as pubs and inns can be full of dogs patiently waiting for their people enjoying a pint. I liked this sign at one inn.

Below a pretty typical valley at Wasdale Head in the Lake District. We went up and over the mountains on the left. The patten was up a verdant valley, over a mountain pass, down a mountain pass and into another farm valley or along a lakeshore. Because of the National Park status there are almost no homes, hotels, modern developments along the lakeshores or rivers. The land and water are open to public access. So for a small island nation, there is a lot of beautiful open space.

I’ll close with a shot of Bolton Abbey (right), taken as we descend along the Dales Way trail to that 15th century structure. It was razed by Henry VIII, when the resident Augustinian Order fell afoul of the King.

I’ll leave it mostly photos for this post, more reflections later. Great trip and good to be home. Trains are clean, nice and on time! Rock walls, rock houses, stone churches mean that villages and structures seem part of the earth and landscape.