Lake District - Derwentwater Launch

 After getting our tickets at the Tourist office we walked down to the Lake....

A totally different day from yesterday. Calm water and frequent sunshine.

After much "googling" we found out that this is a Black Capped Gull in winter plumage.

I was able to sit in the single seat at the front

next to a rather anxious young lab, his first boat ride.

We disembarked at the first stop

and took the trail that would take us to a nearby estate. Low tech gate closure system.

A short walk through some woods and then we sat on a rock, in this meadow, to eat our lunch (crackers, cheese, ginger cookies, apples) while a steady stream of walkers with dogs passed.

Through more woods and passed a field of Alpacas

to our destination.

Beatrix Potter had holidayed here for 10 years and started her writing career here.

The walled garden was her inspiration for Farmer MacGregor's garden.

There were plaques around the garden describing how some of the stories were based on her pets and experiences of local children.

The garden itself smelled of freshly strewn manure (perhaps from those Alpacas)

It supplies the cafe on the property and

a local market. I chatted with one of the gardeners who was harvesting celery.

Fruit trees and flowers were planted alongside the walls.

We walked up to the cafe for a coffee

and were tempted into scones, jam and clotted cream. Hopefully I am walking enough to at least keep up with the calorie intake.

We are seeing Rooks, pigeons, sea gulls and the occasional glimpse of a warbler but the Robins will actually sit to be photographed.

They are very tame around places that they can pick up crumbs but even cooperative subjects out in the woods.

Back along the path

to wait for the launch

and chatted to a couple

who identified this as a Goosander (otherwise known as Common Merganser)

and had two very well behaved Black Labs.

We stayed on the launch

as it continued around the lake

and back to Keswick,

as the sun sank until it just lit the tips of the trees

and the other launch completed its route in the opposite direction.

Back at the dock, Greylag Geese, the basis for most domestic geese.

Palm trees,

fungi

and at the end of a lovely day....

Fish and Chips.