Middle-aged flash packers

Hands up everybody who would would cancel their 2 week holiday in Spain for a week in the Lake District. Yes, I thought as much.

Have we gone mad?

But the rain in Spain is falling , whereas the Lake District will supposedly experience unusual blue skies and balmy spring temperatures, so our decision is not quite as crazy as it seems.

Cue hurriedly cancelling flights, finding a base, emptying the fridge and forgetting to pack the things we always forget to pack.

The drive up was made easier by the sun shining all the way and a stop at Sainsbury’s to buy yet more stuff to fill the refrigerator with.

Our abode this time is 6 miles from the nearest shop, and not straight miles either. Winding, tortuously wiggly roads – not the sort of journey you want to endure just for a pint of milk. (we don’t actually drink milk, but you get the gist.)

We are in the middle of nowhere (although a mile away there is a pub -phew) because we are attempting to knock off a few of the southern lake Wainwrights and some of them are rather remote.

Our home for the week is a newly renovated old terraced cottage. The walls are probably the thickest I have ever seen and it is beautifully decorated with messages such as “be happy” and “always be true to yourself”. However it’s flipping freezing despite central heating and I’d really rather be warm and trade “living my best life” for an electric heater.

Tragedy number 2 is that there is no bath. Completely my fault. I was convinced it had one but a deeper analysis of the house blurb shows it is bathless. One of life’s biggest pleasures – a bath after a hard day’s walk – is going to be replaced by a shower.

Problem number 3 is that tomorrow and Sunday there is an orienteering running competition which means a busy road and nowhere to park for the walk we had planned.

And if that’s not enough, the bloody road is going to be shut for 5 days as of Monday for repairs on a bridge.

Could it get any worse? Probably but a walk to the pub surrounded by amazing scenery and a clear dusk sky put everything into perspective. As did a couple of pints.

Living my best life.