Tuesday: Honister to Grasmere

Miles Traveled: 11
Beer Consumed: Hawkshead Lakeland Gold

The Lakes keep continuing to surprise me. Today I got proper lost. I went too far south from Lining Crag, completely missing Greenup Edge and ending up on High Raise. Luckily I had my other maps with me (see previous post:) and with the help from some passerby I was well back on my way to at least getting to Grasmere by nightfall. I got to a fell with Easdale Tarn at the bottom-- now all I needed to do was get down... I forged my own way and was triumphant in the end, however I suffered a major casualty. I lost my Trailblazer Coast to Coast Book. It was quite a crazy day and I managed to get into town and buy another one so it was not too much of a setback. Still quite funny, as that is my 1st navigation guide and my OS maps second. So if you are ever hiking up in the Fells and see a Coast to Coast book in a location which is not even mentioned on the route itself... well now you know how it got there :)

Before all that nonsense, I am pretty sure I got chased by angry sheep in Rosthwaite. I was just moseying thru a field (like you are allowed to) and suddenly I hear this angry bleating. I turn to my right and there is this big sheep, who looks angry.... or as angry as a sheep can possibly make themselves. So I say "Hallo sheep. Just passing thru!" and keep moving. I turn around and its still bleating and following me. I go a bit faster... it starts going faster. Then it gets the whole gang involved and when I turn around again right before hitting the gate there are like 7 sheep after me! It might of been a proper lynching!

Unlike the other hostels the one in Grasmere is quite busy and I have others in my room. Most are older ladies, and one who is shocked and in awe with women hiking alone. Me and other girl are doing just that-- she is from Poland studying in London. She was very bubbly and friendly and we got along just fine talking about school holidays and where we have hiked,.

I wanted to eat at The Jumble Room, but of course it is closed on Tuesdays. So right now I am at The Rowan Tree having antipasti and a salmon penne in a creme sauce. And of course a local beer!
Dove Cottage
Grasmere seems to be known for three things: Wordsworth, gingerbread, and tourists. I swear they just stand there in the middle of the pavement to you have to walk in the road... move! I can't wait to get to a smaller town, although on the plus side there are more food choices rather than just hostel food. The gingerbread, I must say, was pretty delicious, with like a sugary brown sugar topping. It almost melted in your mouth and had a bit of a brownie-like texture. For someone who does not like gingerbread, I would say it was pretty tasty!

Tonight there is a storyteller hour at the hostel, where people will weave their lyrical masterpieces to wow the crowds and win their hearts with spoken adventures. Or something like that. Its free-- there's tea. I am there.

So in theory I failed the Coast to Coast, about half of today was ad libbed, still I saw some beautiful stuff so I think in the end Wainwright would have been OK with it.