Have just returned from a week in the Lake District.  Quick recap for you (in case you are making your way there!)

Took the motorway - ten hours later (and the AA assured me it would only take 6!) we arrived, hot, bothere and pretty tired.  We had booked a cottage in Windermere and it was centrally located and quite adequate (if a tad basic).

From then on it was all systems go - we hit the lake (in more ways than one!) - we sailed up it and back and then the next day up the other way and back (we had wanted to catch the steam train back but discovered, nearly too late, that the line back to Bowness didn't exist - doh!)  The views are, of course, superb and the trips were calm and peaceful.  We drove up over Hard Knott pass (the longest and highest pass in the UK apparently).  We did it a few years ago and I swore "never again".  Pressure was put on me however so the Laguna and I took a running leap and only stalled the once!  We felt quite proud.

We visited the Aquarium of the Lakes which was interesting if a little small - they have a sturgeon there (I wonder if they run a side-line in caviare?) and the wonderful South Lakes Wild Life Park where you walk through surrounded by lemurs, emus and kangaroos - literally - they are loose!!

We visited various towns and villages as well of course but Bowness really does take the biscuit - it's vibrant, colourful and happy - almost continental in atmosphere - especially in the evenings.

Need I say that we DID NOT take the motorway back - drove down through England (and a bit of Wales) - much more interesting and if it hadn't been for the inevitable hold up round Bristol when we finally HAD to set our tyres on the M5 we would have made better time.

Back to reality then.  If you haven't had your holiday yet - enjoy!  If you have - hope you enjoyed it!