breakfast at the drunken duck: one of the best we’ve had in the UK! recommendable! space is at a premium though, reading the morning paper is not really possible (unless you have one of those wannabe papers in tabloid format…), oh, well.

after breakfast — the weather is quite nice for walking, clouds hunting across the lake district sky, being in turn chased by the sun, and temperatures in the upper 10s, lower 20s — we are on our way towards hawkshead and then via tarn hows back to the drunken duck.

the drunken duck on top of a hill at a crossroads and we take the road down towards outgate: as with all the roads converging at the drunken duck it’s a rather quiet road and, hence, low risk at outgate we cross the road and take the footpath going around the right of the outgate inn which leads us across grass land and a small wood to loanthwaite lane and then on via grass land again until we reach hawkshead — after such a strenuous walk it’s really time for a good cup of tea (and a look around in all the tiny and not so tiny shops)…

…over an hour later and we are finally on our way to tarn hows — very few walkers are on the loose today and we have the walk almost to ourselves and enjoy the quiet, the peacefulness and the beauty of the lake district!

when we reach tarn hows it’s become quite a bit windy and we need to take cover for a short break under a tree in the rose castle plantation on the north-east side of tarn hows to avoid having our snack blown away.

the way back leads us around the northern end of tarn hows and then onto the old roman track eastwards again past torver intake until we reach one of the four roads going to the drunken duck at knipe fold — where we turn left and walk up the road until we reach the drunken duck again: time for the complimentary cream tea! to be honest, we are a bit knackered…

dinner is excellent, again