Second half of summer holidays 2026

[galadhir]

Now I've had time to mostly do the laundry, I should also take time to recall what we did in the second half of the holiday, when the weather got a little better. (It also took me this time to get round to reducing the size of the holiday photos so they don't take up too much of my storage.)

As some glimpses of clear sky and warm sun emerged, we went to a National Trust nature reserve whose name escapes me, where there were two breeding pairs of ospreys and Son could tick ospreys off on his birding journal.

To make us feel like home it was a very boggy area and there were walkways bordered with metal curbs. They must have been warm, because Daughter and I found this handsome chap sunning himself on the rim.

They're just called 'common lizards' but I've never seen one before in my life, so they can't be that common. I didn't even think we had lizards in the UK.

(To be fair we only have three species of lizard in the UK and one of them - the slow worm - has no legs and kind of counts with the snakes.) A neat thing about common lizards is that they bear live young rather than laying eggs.

So that was very satisfactory. The next day we went to Kendal Pride and took part in half the procession. It turned out to be quite long, and I find walking hard, though the physiotherapy has been working. Still, I bugged out half way through and went to a cafe to wait for DH to finish. (He was taking photos of everything.)

The children stayed with me (they're very kind), and when DH got back we had lunch at the cafe, then I completed the course and found the event, where there were stalls and a stage with various performers. An excellent turnout.

The next day we went to Beatrix Potter's house, which was very comfortable and filled with antique furniture which she bargain hunted herself. It was plenty large enough for one person, or even a couple, but nothing like the enormous, prideful, historic stately homes we'd been touring, and I liked her much better after seeing it.

They did tell us that there was an infestation, but clarified that it was an infestation of ten felt mice scattered around the house for people to spot. We found all ten, including the one who was in a hole in the floor. One was singing in the piano, and two were in the dollshouse arguing about the bed.

Obligatory photo of Son in the window seat at Beatrix Potter's house taking a photo of the very nice hearth set-up. Surrounding her fire she had a bread oven and a compartment that heated water, with a tap attached. We were impressed.

The garden was lovely too, and contained several spots that appear exactly the same in the books.

For lunch that day we went to a pub near the cottage. The most unimproved pub I've experienced ever since they started to get family-friendly. Bare boards, bare tables, a bar and not much more. They were not having with this 'gastro-pub' lark! But they did do an enormous bowl of tomato soup and bowls of chips so large we shared one between three.

And that was it! On the way home we diverted to see one of the largest prehistoric stone circles in Cumbria.

It had sadly been vandalized in the 18th Century (blown up with gunpowder!) so some of the stones were cracked and all of them were lying down on their sides. But it was so peaceful there - peace that pressed into you like a great weighted blanket. The sun shone and the quiet and calm was astonishing.

And then we came home :)

Comments

[mystical_journey]

What a lovely trip! Your lodgings were taking guests in a time machine. And the quaint gardens. The mice though!

The ancient stone site in Cumbria is very precious even though it was vandalized so long ago. On my trip to England, I found Stonehenge very peaceful besides the ancient stone circle near by. And steeped in such history.

I would love to go back to explore England's history and countryside. but unfortunately, not at this time.

Lizards though--i never saw one there. The only place I saw an abundant population of lizards was Southern California.

[galadhir]

The mice were such a good touch! It gives little children something to enjoy as they go round, and all of us adults found them very charming too. The one in the hole had a miner's lamp :)

I've been listening to the Prehistory Guys podcast, so I had to go see a stone circle, but I've never really been to Stonehenge. I would like to!

Heh, I know - I've lived here over 60 years and that's the first lizard I've seen. And then there was a second one moments later. They must really like that particular nature reserve.

[mystical_journey]

Stonehenge was amazing. For me, that was worth the whole trip besides the breathtaking terrain in the Lakes Region and Scotland.

[cairistiona]

What a lovely time.

We have lizards (called skinks) here that when young have bright blue tails that attract the bird to attack the tail, which detaches, somehow, so the lizard can scurry away and live another day. The bird still gets a good nutritious snack even if they don't get the entire lizard. Nature is cool.

[umadoshi]

What a darling lizard!