A week in The Lakes (1)

When we set out for Cautley, Sedbergh (Cumbria) on Friday morning, we just couldn't resist the urge to visit Kantara first. Regular readers will know that we usually do this when we're feeling insecure about leaving her unattended, especially in the winter months, but this time it was simply because there were things on the boat that we thought we ought to take to the Lake District - sunhats in case it was very sunny, cagoules in case it was very wet. (It turned out to be "very" neither of them.)

The traffic was mostly good, but when it was bad it was horrid. The weather was grim, and reached its grimmest in Cautley, with the surrounding hills heaving their tops into thick, rolling cloud. A dreadfully stony, (uneven, rough, irregular, bumpy  are words too lame to describe it for it, but I can't think of any other) single-width track led us up to the delightful barn conversion that was to be our home for a week. Open plan living-room, dining-room, kitchen and bedroom (only the wet-room has a door) with under-floor heating, and glass doors affording superb views, it was perfect for us.

Our first views, however, were not very clear!

Despite the rain, however, we hurried down to the local Spar to stock up with food. And drink! - a cheap Shiraz with an unusual trade name that turned out to be quite the best I've ever tasted. Seriously!

The rain continued through the night, driven by near-gale-force winds.