Edinburgh Castle looks over the city from pretty much everywhere. It sits at the top of the Royal Mile, the street that extends all the way to Holyrood Palace, where the Queen and family stay when they are in Edinburgh. It’s an amazing street to wander along; it’s lined with shops, ancient churches, narrow alleyways called ‘closes”, and many interesting people and buskers.

This bag pipe player was out near the Castle and could be heard from way down the street. People would stand by him and take photos of their families with him before (hopefully) leaving him a pound or two.

I was lucky enough to be able to get up to Scotland by train for my days off 2 weeks in a row. On the first visit I went to the Castle and joined a free tour by a lovely Scottish woman who shared many fascinating details about its history. She pointed out that not only is there a beautiful city view from the up there, but also a good view of the Regiment’s dog cemetery below.I took bus out to the Ocean Terminal to tour the Queen’s yacht, the Royal Britannia. I figured it’s my only chance to ever be aboard a yacht, and I was pretty curious to see it after watching the Crown and other things about the Royal family. Even though it was decommissioned 20+ years ago, it’s still a pretty impressive vessel.

This is the main deck that the family sitting room looks out and where the family would play games while out on long trips.

The sitting room seemed pretty small in comparison, but there are plenty of other rooms they would hang out in. The yacht has its own sick bay complete with surgery/operating room should the need arise, a mail room, and a good size laundry to deal with laundry of the a large crew and passengers- just to name a few of the many rooms on it. The Queen and Prince Phillip had bedrooms opposite each other with single beds in them; the only double bed on the yacht is in a family guest room that Charles and Diana used for their honeymoon and subsequent family visits.

This is the barge that would take the Queen and Prince to shore when they visited other countries. It has an air conditioned cabin for when they were in tropical places. It’s the nicest barge I’ve seen.

Edinburgh has so much to see, with many ancient and old buildings and plenty of green spaces too: parks, gardens and golf, croquet and bowling clubs. The city has a really nice feel to it. It’s the home of Harry Potter, evidence of which can be seen everywhere.

The city is also home to many festivals, 7 of which happen in the summer months. I was able to be there for the early days of Edinburgh Fringe Festival; it features music, theater, comedy, spoken word, exhibitions, etc all over the city and with very inexpensive entrance tickets. There were fireworks up over the Castle each night after the Royal Military Tattoo bands finished playing. I got to see a great Irish comedian, Ed Byrne, who was sold out his first night showing and was hysterically funny. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen a comedian live before. I aslo saw a one woman play called My Darling Clemmie about the life of Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine. The actress was the only person on stage for an hour and took the audience from her teen years through her marriage to the death of Winston. Amazing. Another one woman show I saw was The Ballad of Mulan, about a Chinese woman who disguised herself as a boy to serve in the Emperor’s army. The two musical acts I got to were What Girls are Made of, the story of Cora Bissett’s life as an Indie singer/musician, and Mugenkyo Drummers, a UK based women’s group that performs on the Taiko drums (traditional Japanese drums). The quality of pefomances was spectacular. There were so many different things I could have gone to see, but my brain couldn’t take any more.

Many No-Brexit signs in Edinburgh, some quite loud, others much quieter.

I can’t wait to go back to Edinburgh one day.

The Lake District has attracted walkers, writers, poets and artists for a very long time. I’ve been staying in Rydal, a village home to Rydal Water (smallest lake in the Lake District), and situated between the villages of Ambleside and Grasmere. Rydal was also home to William Wordsworth, the poet, and his home Rydal Mount is just a mile down the road. There is a large field there he planted with daffodils after his daughter Dora’s death, aptly called Dora’s Field. Wordsworth’s original home where he lived with his sister, Dove Cottage, is in the other direction in Grasmere. He and many of his family members as well as Samuel Coleridge’s son are buried in the graveyard of St. Oswald’s in Grasmere, the church where I went to do rushmaking the first week I was here. Wordsworth was one of several Romantic poets who came to the Lake District.

Just down the hill from Wordsworth’s home is Rydal Hall, which has an amazing sculpture garden. I wandered through it one morning after a big rain. Some pieces are made from steel/metal and wool felting; the figures are made from steel chain.

The forest is sculptural in its mossy formations and the sculptures compliment or highlight the natural art.

Another day I took a bus farther away to the village of Hawkshead where Beatrix Potter’s 17th century farmhouse is, as well as a tiny gallery of her work. I visited the gallery to see the original sketches and watercolors she did based on her animals and the surrounding hills she loved. I also re-read Tales of Peter Rabbit while I was there since I really couldn’t remember some of the many animal characters she had created. She was a talented and prolific author and illustrator.

Last week was the beginning of the Lake District Music Festival. It is a lovely 2 1/2 mile walk to the village of Ambleside, and I got myself a ticket to hear the Carducci Quartet at the beautiful old church there. They were quite the foursome to listen to as I looked around at the very old stone walls. A group of us from Nab Cottage also got to hear a larger amateur orchestra practicing at Rydal Hall one night; it was very hard to believe they were amateurs. Any and all of these walks aren’t far from our favorite local pub, less than a mile from the cottage.

I’ve been here at Nab for nearly 3 weeks, and have settled into the routine pretty well. Some days I work breakfast thru lunch into the afternoon, other days the afternoon and dinner time. Above is the room I share with my lovely Czech co-worker; tight quarters but with our own bathroom and we manage to move pretty quietly if the other one is sleeping. Lunch is the larger meal here, and I have gotten accustomed to eating some pretty fantastic vegetarian dishes like Nut Loaf with side salad, Creamy Cauliflower, parsnip and carrot soup with homemade rolls, and veggie Thai curry the other night.

This is the salad that the cook left the cilantro out of for those of us who don’t like it. It was really good with the fresh mango and a sweet sour dressing. Every dish and pot that doesn’t go into the dishwasher is hand washed and dried. One of the evening tasks after dinner is to lay the tables for breakfast, cut the butter for small dishes, and make sure there is fresh fruit to go with yogurt, cereals, etc.

I’ve learned the way to place the cutlery and dishes….For breakfast itself, one of us makes 2 pots of coffee (plunge pots), and a pot of tea. After lunch and dinner, it’s whatever people want: black or peppermint tea, coffee or espresso.

Last week there were several students who asked if they could learn to make scones since most had eaten them in a tearoom or restaurants. Liz, one of the school’s owners, asked if I would do the workshop with the students. I had a rapid- fire lesson from the cook, then measured out the flour, sugar, cheese (for savory scones), cherries, etc, for 4 bowls. This allowed for 6 students to work together in pairs on a bowl, and for me to have a bowl to demo. We had a recipe to follow, and the center kitchen work table is big enough for all of us to stand around it. We mixed and rolled out about 4 dozen scones. Fortunately Liz helped with the baking part since the Aga doesn’t have gauges to tell you what the temp is. It has 3 ovens: a warming oven, a lower temp oven and a hot oven… The scones were planned as part of a high tea we were having as a surprise party for another student’s birthday. The scones were successful and we laughed as we learned a lot together. They also tasted really good along with the smoked salmon and cream cheese, and cheese and cucumber, sandwiches we had- all outside in the beautiful sun that heated the day to 80 degrees.It’s not all gorgeous sunshine here, but the sun does manage to show up just as I’m feeling desperate to see it again. I much prefer to hang the laundry outside than hang it in the drying room– it smells alot better for one.

And even though I am working hard when I’m working, it’s also a good thing I’m walking a lot with all the good food we have here. I had the afternoon off yesterday so I got to join the group that Tim (other owner of school) led up the hill to a swimming pond. It was a pretty steep climb on a warm day. The reward was jumping into the cool clear water. Sahara the dog was in her element racing around to make sure everyone got in, and out.

Last night I walked back from a concert by the lake when the sun was going down about 9:45. It was very clear, with the sunset reflecting in the lake.

I was lucky to spend my 2 1/2 days off last week with my friend Diane, a fellow lover of the Lake District. She was over to see an old friend of hers, and to catch up with me. We did a lot of walking, saw SO many dogs, and ate some great food. The photo above is us starting the ascent up Cat Bells, the fell I walked the week before. What I didn’t realize until Diane and I climbed it is that I hadn’t gone to the real top the first time. It was warm to start, but it got windier and cooler as we got to the top. There were so many friendly people to talk with as we walked or stopped to rest and look at the views. We made it all the way before any rain came in, but Diane’s new rain jacket came in handy against the wind.

We caught a bus after our hike to Honister Slate Mine, which is at the top of the winding Honister pass that goes between some very tall fells. As we got out of the bus at the mine, the rain and wind came in hard; we were happy to have tea and scones in the mine’s cafe while we dried off. The slate piles and creations are amazing. You can fill your ‘boot” (trunk) with slate as well as buy things made of slate in the shop.

The pass was pretty much invisible in the fog and rain.

I went back the next day to pick something up at the mine while Diane was off visiting her friend. I was on a bus that went up through the pass in sunshine. The road will only fit one vehicle at a time , so the bus would pull over from time to time. At one point, he pulled over to allow two cyclists to come flying down the pass. When I got off at the mine, the rain and wind came in to soak me again. While I dried off with another tea and scone, the sky cleared and the sun returned.

Diane and I saw a play that night at the Theater by the Lake, famous in the Lake District for having London quality theater. Dame Judy Dench and her husband are commemorated in the lobby for their part in the theater’s opening in 1999.

At the interval, we went outside to see that it was raining with bright sunshine. The sheep in the field across from the theater had all come to huddle under the trees.

Another animal that we got to see up close in Keswick was a white face owl. The birds of prey rescue organization had people out in the market square showing owls and allowing people to hold them on a glove for a small donation. I had to hold this tiny creature.

It was a great few days to share a favorite place with a good friend, and to see so much beauty together.

Here is the massive Aga stove in the kitchen, with the menu for the day’s lunch and dinner on the board beside it. These stoves stay warm all the time, so the kitchen can be pretty hot when we are working in there doing the dishes and prep for meals. The lowest right hand oven is a warming oven for plates and bowls, the top right is the hottest, and bottom left is yet another different temperature. You can see the giant kettle there sitting between the two hobs; when it needs to be boiled, the cover on the left is lifted for the kettle to sit on there. It heats in a short time. Someone is always wanting a cup of tea, so the kettle is kept filled.

Yesterday, I was working for the afternoon until 8 in the evening. I did the clean up from lunch, made marmalade from canned Seville oranges (a first for me), baked some frozen bread, hung laundry, fixed trays for dinner to be served outside (photo above) and laid the breakfast tables with cutlery and dishes for the morning- and more things I can’t think of. There is a lot to running this big house with many comings and goings around the classes. It was a busy day of learning the ways of a well organized place. And I loved it! The students, who are all ages from 18 up to probably 75, are on a rota to help serve the meals, clear plates, and take orders for tea and coffee after meals. The Workaway helpers are also on a schedule for working, and we try to make the next person’s shift easier by prepping well (like breakfast table setting). The whole thing feels like a combination of working in a hotel/bed and breakfast, and a restaurant.

It was a gorgeous evening to eat outside.

Ellie, a student from Germany, decided to eat the nasturtium I used to decorate the cheese plate.

Another task I was asked to on the weekend was to cut and arrange flowers for the dining tables and some other places in the house. The gardens aren’t large, but offer a good variety of flowers to choose from. There is a newlywed couple here from Spain, so I made an extra special bouquet for their room.

After working hard all day Saturday with my Workaway colleagues doing the change over of rooms, laundry to hang out, etc, I went out to eat with 2 women students, 1 from Catalonia and 1 from Italy. We went to Ambleside where we shared a bottle of Prosecco with our meal and talked about all sorts of things.

Last night after work, I walked to the pub with my fellow worker Alle, who is from Italy, and two Dutch women who are here to improve their English. They’re sisters who wanted a holiday together while learning. We had the most interesting conversation about WWII, the books we have read about that time, and what we know of it from our parents’ or grandparents’ experiences. Alle and I sat outside when we got back, with cups of tea and biscuits, to watch the moon rise.

Excuse the flash on the photo- I forgot to turn it off.

I love the work and the people here. I’m part of a hard working team and having fun too. Everyone takes advantage of the natural beauty around us by walking or exploring historic sites, and people help each other figure out routes or ways to get somewhere. Today I knew I was settled in when I asked Sahara, the dog, to walk with me. We walked 3 mi around Rydal lake, with her stopping to check with me about which trail I wanted to take. The fog was just burning off of the hills nearby.

And a night heron kept watch for fish.

Yesterday I wandered around Keswick for a few hours before I got the bus down to my home base for the next 4 weeks,Nab Cottage, in Rydal. I wasn’t sure which bus stop to get off , so I used my Google maps to keep an eye out for the stop closest to Nab Cottage. I got off and walked a mile dragging my wheeled suitcase behind me, not very grumbly since the view walking beside Rydal Lake is amazing.

The “cottage” is home to an English language school in the summer, run by Tim and Liz, with an amazing young Polish guy who turns out meals (mostly vegetarian) that would rival any restaurant I can think of. This week there are 3 Workaway helpers, and 1 Workaway teacher; there are two student groups here currently: English teachers coming for teacher training, and students from many different countries who’ve come to learn English. Everyone who comes to learn commits to speaking only English while here. I felt welcomed from the moment I arrived and can feel already what a special place this is. And there is a wonderful resident dog, Sahara, who is happy to sit with anyone who wants a canine companion.

My first full day here today was pretty remarkable. I had a leisurely breakfast , then walked the trails across the road up to see the caves on the side of the fell. The weather was so weird, very English- warm, misty, then sunny, then grey. The cave was easy to walk into and not at all scary as I thought it might be.

I followed the public footpath for another 3 miles to the village of Ambleside to poke around and get a couple things. Very sweet place and an easy ride back on the bus in time for lunch- a gorgeous homemade walnut crust tart with roasted veggies. I ate outside with a few of the teachers. My task for the afternoon was to pick fruit from plentiful fruit bushes. Again the sun went in and out, so I never got too hot, and had the beautiful view across the road to see when I straightened up. The gooseberry bushes were loaded, so they were the first to fill a large bowl- I think they look a little like grapes with thorns on their branches. In all, I picked 6+ kilo of fruit- green and red gooseberries, and raspberries. The skies cleared for the late afternoon, so I sat in the sun and cleaned all the fruit of the stems so they could be frozen for later use in a crumble or other dessert.

After dinner outside, I joined a group of women going into Grasmere to help at a church who were making rushes for the annual Rush Bearing Parade on Saturday. Tim and Liz’s daughters had all been part of the parade when they were younger, and they have offered for their students to go to help prepare the rushes and learn a bit about the tradition. I won’t try to explain too much since you can learn from the link above, but it goes back to the days when churches had earth floors and covered their floors with rushes. It was really fun to sit with a group of women, 2 from Germany, 2 from Spain, one from Japan, one from the US, as we learned from an English woman how to wrap/bind crosses or other things that will be carried in the parade on Saturday. It was also really challenging, and we laughed a lot as we talked about what other things we have made in our lives. None of us had ever done anything with rushes before.

A drink in the pub after, and we were all ready to head to bed. What a varied and amazing day.

This is my new travel blog. I’ll be posting from England (and other places) this summer as I do a Workaway in the Lake District in England.

I arrived last night in Keswick (silent w) in the northern part of the Lake District for a day or so of exploring before I head to Rydal for my Workaway job. Keswick has so much to see and do as it sits on the shore of Derwentwater, a lake surrounded by fells and crossed by beautiful old wooden cruisers that drop off, and pick up, passengers from piers dotted around the lake.

I gazed out at The Catbells from the shore of Derwentwater lake this morning as I waited to board the launch that would take me to the foot of the trail to climb it. It wasn’t too steep, but I was glad to have my walking stick with me.

This is a panorama I took about half way up the trail, looking back at the lake and the path I was climbing with many other walkers- some of whom had very good dogs with them. I walked the whole trip with a man from Northumberland named Steve, and his sturdy Cocker spaniel Henry. Henry would hop up onto rocky outcroppings or benches to politely beg for treats from Steve’s pocket. His treats were baby carrots. I shared my apple with him at the end of our hike.

After I parted company with Steve and Henry, I decided to push on to climb another fell, Walla Crag, before the expected rain arrived. More gorgeous views of the lake and surrounding fells interspersed with farm animals hanging out on steep inclines. And I managed to get lost 3 times walking open fields looking for a trail the map swore was easy to find to get me to a bus back into town. I eventually re-traced my steps down towards town.

The rain never came, except for a few drops here and there. I managed to find my way to Castlerigg Stone Circle, a 5000 year old circle of 38 stones “mysteriously laid out on a line between the two tallest peaks on the horizon”. Very cool to walk this circle in the middle of a field, with my extremely tired legs somehow feeling energized by gazing up at the peaks beyond. In the photo, the other big peak is to the left. Both quite huge.

A great end to a day of natural beauty. I managed to trek my weary legs the 1.5 mi back to town to a fantastic dinner downstairs in the my hotel. More to come after I settle into my new “job” tomorrow.