Lake District HQ

 

The morning of day 5 has come, and the weather forecast is the contrary of yesterday: rain in the morning, all fine in the afternoon.

I plan to use the morning, of limited biking use, for a leisurely stroll around Lake Windermere and the visit of Wray Castle. The rain isn’t really disturbing, but the roads are wet enough to take away any sporty desire. I spend some forty minutes enjoying the stunning scenery this region offers literally everywhere. Don’t let anyone tell you that the rain spoils the British countryside. It merely gives a different, interesting angle to it. You can also enjoy the landscape better, because you ride slower. In moderate doses, “riding in the rain” is quite something. Unfortunately, after a while you end up wishing for a nice sunny day or the comforts of HQ.

After a while I make for Wray Castle and, not for the first time with the National Trust, the visit is a great disappointment.

Excursus: The National Kindergarten Trust 

Wray Castle is a big mansion in mock medieval style built by a family of rich merchants (from both sides) in the XIX Century. Beatrix  Potter wrote to acquaintances about both of them. This is a typical example of middle age-inspired extravagance of the Victorian Era. It would deserve to be redecorated in character with the original setup, allowing a complete immersion in the day and age of extravagant Victorian wealth. Instead, the entire building, or rather the part of it that is open, is given over – without even any pretence of period decoration – to a real “Kindergarten experience”, something which completely betrays the purpose of the National Trust. Things are so dumb that even the adult visitors – obviously treated like children, too – are asked what the National Trust should do with the building.

Duh? What did the Germans do with Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, or Linderhof? Did they put a “children explore the musical world” theme in them? Thought not…

Before you say it, I don’t accept the money argument. Firstly, there is not even the effort of redecoration or proper use. Secondly, there is no request for funds to start or finish it. Thirdly, if there is really need for money then the membership should be more expensive and the aim of the expense clearly stated (or perhaps, the available money better spent). This pandering to children in the middle of a historic building is akin to using the Uffizi to teach kindergarten children to get in touch with painting. Honestly, the lack of historical perspective and contempt for the beautiful and varied architectonical patrimony of the Country is staggering. Pearls and swine come to mind.

I leave very fast, not before leaving a choice word in the relevant, interactive survey (first question: how many children there are in your party?). And again, this is not the first time the National Trust disappoints in this way.

No membership next year, because I was in kindergarten already.

End of excursus.

After this (non) experience, I keep riding around in the light rain, and once again notice that this Country is never really less beautiful in the rain than in the sun. It is merely the riding that is limited by the rain. The experience of riding through leafy forests in the rain is not to be missed. It’s only after a while that one longs for the the sun or the warmth of a home.

Punctually, after a while I decide to go back to HQ for an early lunch, hoping to get more throttle pleasure in the afternoon.

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I get out again at 3PM, with a clear promise of dry, and at times sunny, weather. I decide to have a leisurely stroll around a couple of lakes and towns (no passes today!), hopefully with some throttle opening thrown in. From HQ I ride to Windermere and Ambleside, hence to Keswick, then back to Patterdale at the southern end of Ullswater, then u-turn and back along the lake on the 592 (love that road!) and up to Penrith, where I enjoy a beautiful beer on tap in the bar of the Hotel George (no windows, but still nice atmosphere and good WiFi). Before you ask, I had peeped in in another couple of pubs and they were both very dark, “sports bar” affairs. People seem to love their pubs dark these parts.

After the beer pause I am on my way again and ask the Satnav to lead me back to HQ with the fastest way; this includes a good deal of A6, a great fun in the sparse traffic and the now completely dry roads. In fact, when I am back at HQ at 6:30PM the weather is so beautiful that I spend another hour just discovering the local roads. The hills around the strangely named village of Crook are breathtaking, but really you can’t do anything wrong these parts. I ride again the Windermere-Ambleside-Windermere along the lake, and from there is straight to HQ.

Not much more than 150 miles today, and another sad example of how the vast, beautiful cultural and architectural patrimony of the Country is neglected. But in the afternoon I had the best weather since the start of the trip, and let us hope it keeps that way tomorrow.