One Day in the Lake District

Casa Grande, AZ

Anita, our program director, had told us about the Lake District while we had other discussions about the United Kingdom during our tour.  She lives in the Lake District.



Our journey went through Yorkshire Dales and we stopped for a break in the town of Skipton where we had time to visit the market.  








Our next discovery experience was a stop at a local farm.  Roger, our host, was there to greet the bus.  We had to wear surgical style booties before we could step off the bus.


Roger demonstrated how his dog herded the sheep.  We'd seen a sheep dog work sheep in New Zealand before, but this dog knew what she was suppose to do when she saw the bus pull in.  Roger didn't really have to do much, his different whistles told the dog what he expected her to do.

Roger also showed us where and how they milked the cows.  Once again nothing like what is required of the Shamrock Dairy near Casa Grande.

Another experience was a traditional ploughman's lunch in the hay barn.  I can't remember everything in the boxed lunch but there was a salad and a meat pie.


We had to clean our booty covered shoes by stepping on a disinfectant type mat by the bus step. Anita pulled off our shoe coverings as we  entered the bus.

Everyone was back on the bus and Anita said she had another surprise for us.  We rode over to the town  where Anita lives.  When the bus stopped, she told us to cross the street and enter the tea shop.  


Anita said we couldn't come to Great Britain without having a real cream tea.  Each table was set with a wonderful sconce and cream.  It took us a while before we figured out that this was Anita's daughter, Sara, that was our host.  Mother and daughter do look alike.

We arrived at our next hotel, The Swan at Grasmere, which was our favorite.  Anita told us she'd do a walking tour of the area in a half hour.  Everyone on tour joined in.  This is one area, I wish we would have had more time to explore.  

Anita showed us the burial place for William Wadsworth and the St. Oswald Church built in the 9th century.

Robert was our guest speaker before our included lamb dinner.  He gave a very interesting talk on dry stone wall fences. The fences were made of stone from clearing the pasture lands.  No wonder they last a thousand years.  

That's what one typical day on this tour was like. Hopefully, I can finish up our time in Scotland blog in the next couple of days.  

We had such a great time, that we've booked another trip in a little over a month.  The price was ridiculously cheap for a river cruise and I've been watching the sales on the Romance of the Rhine and Mosel and knew it was time to book it.   Bill thinks I just wanted some more of that French wine we had on the Paris to Normandy river cruise. I must say with the included wine and beer the waiters never let your glass get past half full. This trip will take us from Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France, Luxembourg and ends in Switzerland.  

Turtle Safely.......