FRUSTRATING HOT AND ENOYABLE

That about sums up my day really.

I've been trying to get to Askham Hall Gardens and Kitchen Garden Cafe for a few weeks now.  Earlier this week I had decided that today was going to be the day for G and I to go.   Hubby had a working party morning down at Kents Bank Station.

So planning ahead I check Askham Hall's website and they open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - result.  Then I decided I would avoid the A590 and A591 due to the Westmoreland County Show and the expected long days in traffic and make a journey of it.

G and I set about 8.45, and headed up to Newby Bridge then along the shores of Windermere,  through Bowness which was heaving, but expected, Windermere village, again heaving but expected.  The road between Windermere to Kendal was also busy but OK, getting through Kendal was fine too.  So far all going according to plan.

However the problems started on the A6.  Usually when I've gone up there there is very little traffic, the odd cyclist, walker, lorry etc but not much and it doesn't take that long.  However today I think we met every single slow moving vehicle in the country, tractors, laden lorries plus there were large amounts of cyclists around, some singly some in large groups.  This would have been OK except there was a log tailback of traffic due to a learner driver not wanting to overtake the cyclists at all!!!! They were probably on one of their early lessons I should guess, poor thing.  

Once we eventually got to Shap I disovered that there was a "Ride Through Britain" event on for cyclists *sigh* wish I'd known that before.

We eventually got to Askham Hall (it took 45 minutes longer than usual) to discover THEY WERE CLOSED - EEEEKKKKK!!!  I have no idea why - maybe their staff were at The Westmorland Show but I wish I'd known that too.

By now desparate for a loo and coffee we decided the nearest place was Lowther Castle as it was so near.

GREAT IDEA.  There were quite a few people around but it wasn't heaving.  The cafe is really good for covid safety so we went in there and waited, with coffee, until we could order lunch at 12 noon - delicious.  I had blue cheese, walnut, rocket, leaves and poached pears salad - scrummy.

We then went into the Castle ruins and had a walk through the woods and around a small part of the estate, with plenty of stops for G.  It then became far too hot for me and G was getting woozy so we headed back to the car and home.  Thank heavens we parked in the shade and my air con was working - so needed for me today.

This time I assumed the County Show would now be in full swing so we headed down to Shap, past many many more cyclists, luckily going the other way, onto the M6 down the Junction 36 as per usual and just headed home from there.  The whole journey only took 50 minutes - as it should - yeahh!!

So all in all a good day, except for the frustration of the very slow journey up the A6 getting there and Askham being closed.

PS:  I'll do a collage again and post it tomorrow in extras.

At last I've also remembered to take part in the W-I-D-E Wednesday challange, so this is my entry, with the theme being "A Different Angle", I hope this meets the brief??