May 27: Grasmere to London

Today it was time to move on to my final destination in this adventure, London. Unfortunately I didn't plan today's journey very well. I purchased the train tickets first back in March in order to secure advance first class tickets at a good price. I purposely chose trains towards the end of the day so I could maximise my stay in the Lake District by doing an activity this morning. However, when it came to booking a car I found myself having to return the car before 1:00pm because it's a Saturday. That was nearly 3 hours ahead of my train departure. 

As there was very little point in returning the car earlier, I took my time getting ready this morning, aiming to check out close to 11:00am. Packing was the usual challenge and one holiday experience I won't miss. 

I headed back to Carlisle shortly before 11:00am. I decided that I would take the route with major roads this time following the A66 and then the M6. This provided a very easy and pleasant driving experience. 

After returning the car I headed to the train station. I decided to enquire whether I could exchange my tickets for an earlier service. Unfortunately, because I had managed to get such cheap advance tickets in the first place, to change them now would have been ridiculously expensive. Also unfortunately, Carlisle railway station doesn't have any facility for leaving your luggage so you can head off for a bit. My only choice was to wait it out at the station. But at least that was a nice opportunity to read over the notes I've been keeping for this trip and skim through some of the books I've purchased. 

This weekend there is maintenance on the west coast line which seemed to cause some chaos at Carlisle with bus services and announcements going off all over the place. When I first purchased my tickets there had been a note that the service might be affected by maintenance, but luckily for me the east cost line I had selected escaped the works. 

The first train from Carlisle to Leeds departed at 3:49pm. The train arrived in Leeds on time despite having to stop for a fallen branch across the line. At Leeds I transferred to the 6:45pm Virgin Trains service to London Kings Cross.  All up, that's nearly 5 1/2 hours of train travel.

Funnily, the first train, which was a Northern service, was a very ordinary train but smooth ride. The second train, which was the much swisher Virgin Trains service, was really bumpy. Of course, I think it was a much faster train, but surprising all the same.

May 24: Scarborough to Grasmere

To my surprise my legs felt OK this morning after yesterday's trek. Today was a travel day so I needed to be up early. I had a rotten night's sleep, so that was quite easy. I took at taxi to the train station well in time to catch my 8:50am Trans-Pennine Express to Leeds. This was the same route I took to get to Scarborough. From Leeds I caught the 10:49am Northern service to Carlisle. 

The weather in Scarborough had been mild with blue sky. From Leeds it got grey and chilly before finally clearing up at Carlisle.  

The countryside started with the familiar fields before changing to a more barren landscape in the Yorkshire Dales and then returning to more pastoral.

I arrived in Carlisle around 1:30pm. Next task was to pick up my hire car. I'm not fond of driving while on holiday, but I decided that having a car would provide me with more interesting adventure opportunities in the Lake District. I remember public transport being quite restrictive last year.

After figuring out how to start it (new cars!) I made my way first to Keswick. The lady in the car hire place asked if I needed help getting to Grasmere. I explained the path I planned to take. She suggested an alternative which would be much more scenic. I decided to take her advice. She was right, but it was distractingly scenic! With a new car and driving in England to contend with already, having the magnificent mountains and lakes in my peripheral vision made it even harder. But I managed OK.

I plan to explore Keswick in more detail later so I only stayed long enough for some refreshment and a couple of snaps. 

From Keswick it was just a 15min drive to my final destination Grasmere where the hotel is. 

May 22: North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Today was another one of those days that turned out quite different from the original plan. The day got off to a good start after a less noisy night and a better sleep. I went for the buckwheat pancakes and berry compote for breakfast and they were fantastic. As I enjoyed my breakfast I reflected on how it feels like I have been away for an eternity. That's a really nice feeling to have. And there's still just over a week to go! 

I also reflected on a funny trend I've noticed. The few times I've engaged in conversation with locals I've often remarked on how beautiful I think the UK is. The standard response has been along the lines of "yes, but you have better weather". Like they can't recognise what they have. When I respond that I'm not a fan of the hot weather they don't know what to say next. 

I headed off quite early. I needed to get to Pickering at one end of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. I briskly walked the 10min to the train station where the 128 bus to Pickering departed. I was there in plenty of time for the 9:10am bus. Pickering isn't that far if you travel direct but the bus did dart in and out of a few villages, something I was very happy with as it gave me more insight into the area. We passed through more green fields and villages with lovely stone cottages. The bus was a double decker and I decided to be brave and sit up top at the front. I say brave because last time I did that was in a bus from Windermere to Bowness last year and I really didn't enjoy the experience. But this time was OK and I got a great view. 

Pickering is a small town with a generally vintage feel. There was an open air market with a variety of things on sale, but nothing I was overly interested in. 

I headed straight away to the train station to get my bearings and secure a ticket. The station and surrounding areas purposely appear frozen in time, like this tea room. 

After wandering around Pickering for a little while I decided to head back to the station. My train was due to leave at 12:00pm and I got back there just as the 11:00am train was departing. 

The platform is decked out in 1930s style. Others on the line reflect other eras including the Goathland station which has been used for the Heartbeat TV series and first Harry Potter movie. 

I had some morning tea in the tea rooms at the station and bought a book from the gift shop while waiting for the train. Shortly after 12:00pm toots heralded the train as it rounded the bend into the station. 

This train was more substantial than those on the North Wales railways. The sound of the steam as the engine gained speed was so iconic. We even got a free fine layer of soot blown in through the windows.

The scenery along the line was quite varied. There were buildings dotted though the countryside and green fields. 

As well as stretches through the barren North Yorkshire Moors. 

This row of houses appeared out of nowhere with no evidence of other buildings to form a village. 

Part way along the trip I noticed a "passenger" hitch hiking on the outside of the window. He held on for quite some time, helped by the leisurely pace of the train. 

All up the journey took about 1.5hr. Towards the end the train went under the massive Larpool Viaduct. I wasn't able to get a great photo from the train but that led to the changes in the rest of the day. 

May 20: Manchester to Scarborough

I only had a relatively short stay in Manchester. I could definitely find plenty of other things to do there, so it would be nice to come back and spend some more time at some stage. I packed my bag last night, so this morning was pretty easy going. I had hoped to sleep in until around 7:00am but unfortunately I was wide awake at 5:00am.  

The weather was clear and blue and it did occur to me that I could pop outside and take advantage of the weather and Saturday morning to do some photography. But I just didn't feel like it - and I'm trying not to feel guilty about it.

I got to the railway station in plenty of time for my 10:11am train. I had purchased a advance first class ticket which was a very reasonable price. First class can be a bit hit and miss depending on the train company and whether you're travelling during the week or on the weekend. In this instance it was just right. Very comfortable, a single window seat and tea/coffee service to your seat.

Sitting diagonally opposite me for most of the trip were two women. They seemed lovely but didn't stop talking for the whole trip. That doesn't bother me at all, I just don't understand how anyone can keep talking that long. I'd find it exhausting! 

The terrain was varied, much of the same lush green pastures and fields I have seen on other trips. I tried to take a few photos but, as usual, timing was critical. This photo was a perfect example of getting the timing wrong! 

The journey was just over two hours long and we arrived around 12:30pm.  About 1/2 hour before arriving, the lady who had been quietly sitting directly opposite me said something and a conversation ensued. That was lovely, though it soon descended into a long list of bad accommodation experiences she and her family have had. Luckily I'm not staying in the Grand Hotel! That place sounded diabolical - though I doubt it could have been as bad as she made out.

I chose Scarborough as a base to explore some towns and villages on the Yorkshire coast. If time permits, there's a steam railway I hope to try also.