Ultimate Selfie

I was due to hang around in Keswick with Jayne and then drive down to meet Beewriter around lunchtime. However when I saw the blue sky and sunshine I was overcome with envy at the rest of my group going off into the hills. Jayne had to take her daughter to the doctors anyway, so I quickly changed, packed and joined our group as they drove over to Grasmere for a walk up to Easdale Tarn. Again I chose the 'tier two' walk up to the tarn and this time the J16 boys decided to come along too, so it was my only walk with Tom this trip. It was glorious and we stopped for a snack alongside the ghyll where the boys stripped off and waded across in their search for the ultimate selfie. Then we headed up to the tarn which was flat and still providing stunning reflections of the hills around and the people walking on them. The boys immediately headed for the biggest rock they could find for selfie mark. 2. There was plenty of jumping across becks and streams, and stunning views. 

The walk was supposed to take 2 hours but it was almost four hours later when we got back to Grasmere even though I'd raced the last stretch. My knees ached and I was worried that I was running out of time. A quick call to Beewriter confirmed that I simply wouldn't have time to drive down and meet her before meeting our group at Knutsford services so reuctantly we had to ditch that plan.

I has the good fortune to give a lift both ways to another mum who turns out, along with her husband, to be one of the top experts on musculosketal problems in the country. By the time we'd arrived she'd diagnosed my knee problem and suggested I try out a new treatment available at their clinic. She also thought her husband could help with my ongoing lower back pain….. I'll be paying them a visit very soon!

We got stuck in heavy traffic on the M42. Ironically the minibuses that were capped at 62 mph beat us back as they'd been half an hour behind us when the accident that held up up took place so were able to turn off at a crucial junction. It took seven hours to drive back.

We walked in the door to find Josh waiting, having enjoyed his four days of being home alone and the intensive Physics revision course at Magdalen.

Within half an hour of getting home both Tom and I were fast asleep in bed. What a great trip it has been.