Leaving the Lake District

After our last day in the Lake District, we left the Lake District. We were sad, it was very beautiful and we'd had a wonderful time, but we were happy to say goodbye to the midges. We were all covered in bites, which ended up lasting over a week. Not as itchy as a mosquito bite, they were far more of them, and nothing seemed able to keep them away. We saw some ingenious uses of netting, with couples lying together awkwardly on the grass draped in mosquito netting, others seated in chairs with nets strung up to branches above. This is what others do:

I had long wanted to visit the Lake District, which I first became aware of in my youth, through the film Withnail and I, probably the film I have seen more often than any other.

In the film, two out of work actors in 1969 take a break from the miseries of London to spend time in the countryside. The countryside is the Lake District.

There, they stay at Withnail's uncle's rustic cottage, flee a randy bull:

Take tea in a Penrith tea shop:

Drink with the landlord, a retired alcoholic, at the Crow and Crown:

Substitute quadruple whiskies and pints for a pair of wellingtons:

And avoid the dangers of Jake, the local poacher:

Back to our world. Our fancy yurt was very comfortable.

The night views of the hills.

To quote Willie Nelson, on the road again, taking more photos of signs, this time, to quote Michael Hurley, headed south.

Taken alone, this is confusing:

This may be the third time I'm posting a photo of this Soviet-styled roadside complex. We didn't even go in.

Instead we went to a roadside complex which spanned the dual motorway. This was the al fresco dining area:

Inside the roadside complex. One could purchase burgers, coffee, stationary and newspapers.

The Costa dining area:

No outside food:

One could also purchase Giant Handwarmer Soft Toys for only 12 pounds:

Or gamble:

Greggs is this way:

I missed out on trying the cappuccino, depicted in giant size here, overlooking the al fresco area:

Bangin':