Day 14 of C2Cx2 – Windermere rest day, Saturday 13 September 2014.
We were happy to have a late breakfast on our rest day. Mary had the continental breakfast – fruit, yoghurt, and a sweet roll with savoury cheese. Graham ordered bacon and eggs but got sausages and eggs. We headed off at 10 to the laundry we had seen the night before - they agreed to do our washing for us, thus avoiding the queue of people waiting to use the machines. We did some shopping for snacks for lunches, and restocked our medical supplies.
'View from the window of our B&B'
We took the bus to Bowness where we looked around the shops. After battling through the crowds of (other) tourists, we caught a launch across the lake to Ambleside – the boat was full and very noisy. Trees on an island in the lake looked as if they were covered in snow, but closer inspection showed that the 'snow' was the droppings of the many cormorants perched in the trees. At Ambleside we walked over to the Waterside Hotel, grabbed a shady table and ordered drinks and lunch. Graham's ham roll with salad and chips was alright, but Mary's artisan breads were all sweet and the taste clashed with the accompanying balsamic and oil.
The previous evening and lakeside experience brought to mind a description we had heard of Windermere – Blackpool-on-lake! We had seen enough to deter us from returning.
'Windermere lake at Bowness'
'Part of the tourist crowd feeding birds by the lake'
'Cormorant 'snow' covering trees'
'Messing about on boats'
'View from launch of Lakeland Fells'
'Waterside Hotel, Ambleside'
'Graham delivers drinks'
After our day out we returned to our B&B where Mary had a long sleep and Graham began sorting pictures and emailed friends and family at home. Graham went out to pick up the laundry and booked a French restaurant, Francine's, for dinner. After showering and putting on laundered clothes, we went to the restaurant. Graham had beef cheek and Mary had smoked haddock and scallops. For dessert Graham had pear belle helene helped down by a French muscat, and Mary had her favourite dessert, a sticky toffee pudding. The meals were great, and Graham thought his dessert was one of the best he had ever eaten.