We pass by the Lake District in the North of England every time we make the journey to visit our family in Scotland. But the motorway exits usually serve no purpose besides punctuating the long and often monotonous drive.
Sometimes, I even visit the picturesque town of Kendal for work meetings. But again, there's nothing much for me to see besides the interior of a meeting room before I need to hurry back to my office in Manchester.
Sometimes, I even visit the picturesque town of Kendal for work meetings. But again, there's nothing much for me to see besides the interior of a meeting room before I need to hurry back to my office in Manchester.
When I reached the end of my twenties, I decided it was only fair to mark the occasion, so instead of passing the Lakes by as usual, this time we booked a two night stay in Bowness-on-Windermere. We were keen to see more of the Lake District than just the bland, blue signs of the M6 motorway junctions.
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| Evening falls on Lake Windermere |
Bowness is a perfect spot to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lake Windermere, and is a wonderful English village that harbours a bustling, cosmopolitan vibe. In truth, we'd barely travelled two hours by car to get there, yet we felt a world away from our Monday to Friday routine.
From Bowness, you can explore more of what the area has to offer, including taking a boat trip on the Lake, which I highly recommend, come rain or shine!
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| My Birthday Girl boat trip |
Bowness offers plenty to do (especially when it comes to eating and drinking - no complaints from me, then). We enjoyed Spanish tapas, outstanding traditional fish and chips, and some of the best Italian food I've ever had in England. And of course, being something of a shopaholic, I was more than happy to meander the shops - especially those selling beautiful silver jewellery.
All in all, it was a fabulous birthday. But the real lesson for me was in learning that the change of scene you need, can sometimes be closer to home than you think. You too may have so far overlooked it without even realising.
One thing is definitely for sure; we'll be making time to discover more of the Lake District in future. It's the perfect escape from city life.
All in all, it was a fabulous birthday. But the real lesson for me was in learning that the change of scene you need, can sometimes be closer to home than you think. You too may have so far overlooked it without even realising.
One thing is definitely for sure; we'll be making time to discover more of the Lake District in future. It's the perfect escape from city life.
Have you been to the Lake District? Do let me know in the comments! And check out the Go Lakes website for activity ideas should you be either returning to this part of the world, or planning your first visit.
We stayed in The Cranleigh, where boutique hotel meets B&B hospitality. Our stay wasn't sponsored, and this recommendation comes purely from my own opinion.
Oh the Lake District! I have so many good memories there, I remember going there every Summer with my friends doing a bunch of activities. Sadly I don't have any photos but the memories are still very much alive. I love Lake Windermere! So beautiful. I'll be sure to come back and relive my childhood memories :)
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