Great Expectasia: Our Last UK Holiday - the Lake District (take two)

We are so sad to have finished our last UK holiday. We had an absolutely wonderful time exploring the UK, hiking the hills, sheep fields, cow fields, woods, rivers, coasts and everywhere in between in the UK over the last two years (we missed the first year - we had no idea what we were missing). This was our last one, and we went to the most beautiful place we have found here: the Lake District.

Two days before our trip, I saw the weather was awful, and I said, "man, guys, it's going to rain every day in the lake district!" Elie said, "last time it rained the entire time, and we still had a blast!" And that was how it was.

Koby didn't have school on Friday, so he and I went up that morning and got in an extra hike on Friday afternoon. We took the train to Penrith and then took a bus to Keswick. When he saw where we were staying, and he saw a huge hill (mountain?) behind it, he said, can we climb that? Done. We had a BEAUTIFUL walk with an amazing view. Dinner was in our guest house, and we were the only ones (literally) under 75 and not in a dress and with dress shirt. Oops. (They could have told us...) The food was AMAZING. Koby and I had a wonderful day, just the two of us. We played a lot of games and had a lot of great talks. I'm not great at finding one-on-one time, but when I do, it's so special.

I got a baked potato from this guy in the market square in Penrith. Someone has sold baked potatoes there for over 150 years.

I asked the baked potato guy what I should get as a beginner. He said cheese and beans. It was a delicious mess. Koby wanted McDonalds. I never say yes. I said yes.

Such a beautiful hike with Koby over Keswick

The one beautiful day we had

Keswick below

More Keswick

Matt, Elie and Sam arrived at 10:30 that night. I was barely conscious.

After breakfast, we took a bus to the most beautiful hike ever. It starts in the woods with a bunch of gorgeous waterfalls, and then it climbs and climbs to views of lakes, peaks, fields, towns and just amazing UK beauty. Unfortunately it was raining for a lot of the hike and pouring for some of it. And unfortunately it was a bit longer and higher than I knew Sam could do comfortably (trying not to say I told you so to others in my family...but you know...). Sam had a rough time. Chocolate didn't even do the trick. She gave up twice but ultimately caught up with us. It was really high. Luckily we finished right as the bus was coming, so we got back to Keswick, TOTALLY soaked, had a great lunch and went back to get dry. Matt and I ventured out in the rain to see Keswick, and there was a gorgeous little craft fair and cute town square. We walked down to the lake. Drinks with games and then dinner at the hotel (great again!).

beautiful Aira Force Waterfall

the peak - it was SO WINDY and rainy

SO WET but so beautiful

Keswick craft fair

Wet boots. Anal husband.

Sunday we got up and packed, breakfasted and then took the train to the south of the Lake District. Sam wasn't up for another big hike, and Elie was dying to do this one walk that we had done last fall, as he said it was his favorite hike ever. So Matt and Sam took our bags to our new hotel in Ambleside and then went on a beautiful, flatter hike. The boys and I went on Elie's dream hike, and it was dreamy. It was nice being in a smaller group, so when they wanted to pick ferns and fight, I let them. We got to a big lake at the top, and they wanted to walk around the lake, rather than walk through the rocks/waterfall. I loved not being in a hurry and saying, "great!" We stopped and climbed rocks. It was so so so beautiful. We met Matt and Sam for lunch and of course got some gingerbread. After ice cream, we took the bus to Ambleside, shopped for new hiking boots for Elie, some camping gear for Sam and walked to our hotel. I needed some down time (finished Mitch Albom's The Little Liar - loved it), then we met friends for dinner downstairs.

Beautiful hike - my kids are so weird

Sheep came running towards us

weird

starting off the walk up

fighting with ferns (with names, obviously)

flying UP the mountain

crossing NEXT to the bridge. why take the bridge when you can hop on rocks?

can you see them behind their camouflaging ferns?

the lake at the top. they took off and then came back and convinced me to walk around the lake with them, rather than crossing and going back down the other side.

elie teaching koby how to skip stones

jumping over more water falls

weird poses with ferns continue

they worked hard to figure out how to climb ONTO this rock. by the end they both did it on their own.

all of the world is a very narrow bridge. why walk alone when you can fit with your tiny-tushed sibling side by side?

On our last day, Sam did not want to hike in the rain, but the boys, Matt and I did. After a big breakfast, we went on our last GORGEOUS hike, grabbed quick sandwiches and took the bus to the train in Windermere then back to London. We are so lucky to have had this time hiking these beautiful hills and spent it together. I am not taking this for granted.

waterfall near ambleside. gorgeous walk up there

bet you can't see them. new ferns. we don't usually pick stuff while hiking, but there were trillions, so i told them they could.

tree fell on the path. could have gone around it, but we all went over it. even matt.

the views are amazing

our last hike as a family (ish) in the UK (sam was at the hotel). What a gift it's been.

In other news, we are closing up our life here, and we're all really sad. The weather has been unbelievable for the last few weeks, so that hasn't made us more excited to leave. We have seen as much theater as possible, and we have three or four more to go! I went on a girls' weekend to Rye, and it was SO SO FUN AND FUNNY. Matt and I went to a Spurs game (they were bad, but it was so fun). I met up with one of my favorite people from camp, who I have been in touch with the whole time, but we think we haven't seen each other in nearly 20 years. Elie went on a school trip to Calshot - an activity centre. Sam went on a school trip to Normandy (she learned SOOOO much). The kids have had so many birthday parties. Sam and I went through her entire room (not a small task if you know her). Matt went to Egypt. Sam had her final performance in her musical theater class. I turned my ankle, took a week rest, but then I have been back to running and walking. Lots of tennis. Lots of table tennis for Elie. Horse riding for Sam.

Sam in Normandy w her friend

Running to the Chelsea in Bloom festival last week

cool art installation in hyde park (running group)

sam's friends at one of their birthday parties. i love them all so much. such great girls.

saw this in shoreditch. resonated right now. ugh

girls weekend. winery tour

with our tour guide. love these ladies. missing one.

yoga the next morning

rye

#coys

mail box topper at Belsize Park tube. animals!

and the one by our house that I always take pics of. "When will we ever learn."

my injury in steps - turned ankle running. still hurts but i have chosen to not listen to it anymore. i don't have time.

Matt took another day off work, and we went to Kent and went on this gorgeous walk. Saw this viaduct. Had a great lunch.

Last saturday we woke up early with Koby and went on a hike about 40 mins away (west and north). You could hear the road for almost all of it, so I didn't get what I needed to get from it, but it was beautiful still.