Friday 10 June 2011

A Day Out.







Sometimes it does you good to drive through the area near where you live and to look at it objectively (as though you are a tourist) as you go. There is nothing like it to make you really appreciate the beauty of the area.

Today - courtesy of my friend W (thank you W) - we had a lovely drive through Wensleydale, down through Woodale, past the magnificent Ribblehead viaduct and the peak of Ingleborough (for once visible without cloud) and down into the Trough of Bowland to the pretty little town of Kirby Lonsdale.

We met a friend in the Car Park; it should have been two friends but one was prostrate at home with a bad back. First we had lunch in a dog-friendly bistro in the town. This meant that Sophie, my friend's Jack Russell, could accompany us and in fact that were four dogs in the bistro. Would you like to know what we had for lunch? Well, it was so good that I intend to try it out on the farmer for lunch tomorrow!

We started with roasted prawns in garlic butter with dipping bread. Then we had roasted Mediterranean vegetables with cous-cous, apricots and mint and a dressing of rocket with balsamic vinegar. Delicious.

After lunch we took the short walk to the pretty parish church and then through the lovely churchyard to look at the Lune View (Ruskin's view). It was from this spot that Turner painted his famous picture which Ruskin described as 'one of the lovliest scenes in England.'

Our friend left us here and W and I meandered through an almost empty little town (how do shops in these small towns make a living these days?) looking into various old-fashioned shops.

We came back by a different route, through Sedbergh - through the whole length of Wensleydale, which was looking particularly beautiful at this time of the year - the fields full of sheep with their lambs and cattle with their calves; the River Ure meandering through green fields; the trees in full leaf in all their glory. Aren't we lucky to live up here.

18 comments:

Bovey Belle said...

What a lovely day out. I have to say that even after living here for 23 years, the view of Black Mountain in the distance, as we drive home along the A40 from Carmarthen never fails to fill me with pleasure. We know it in every mood. The same goes for our beautiful river valley.

angryparsnip said...

Oh My Goodness what I beautiful area you live in ! My tourist radar is on full alert.

What a great idea to look at where you live and take for granted with tourist eyes.

Wonderful photos and thanks to your friend W, we get to visit too.

cheers, parsnip

Heather said...

I feel as if I have been with you on your lovely day out Pat. Such beautiful scenery, interesting shops and that delicious lunch. I often think what a nice little town we live near as we drive through after a spell away.

H said...

Beautiful! I love your part of the world :)

Elisabeth said...

Isn't that what writers do, Pat? Try to make the stone more stony? Sorry i've been absent for a while, thesis writing. I'll get back again soon enough.

ChrisJ said...

You certainly do! I love going on trips with you. The Dales are a treasure -- especially at this time of the year.
I have a favor to ask. Your banner photo of the cows is priceless. I would love to make a painting of it -- but only if I have your permission. I don't sell my paintings, I'm not a professional. But I am considering selling some with the proceeds going to our local animal shelter, for which I volunteer.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

And aren't we lucky that you took us with you on this day trip. I'd love to be tourist in your part of world. Someday.

Pondside said...

It was kind of you to share your day with us - I always enjoy a day out with you!

Arija said...

You truly are blessed to live in this beautiful and soothing landscape with sleepy villages and sheep and cattle exceeding the number of humans.
Your lunch sounder really delicious.

Elizabeth said...

I like the idea of the dog friendly bistro!
and the menu -- in fact the whole day out sounds wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Easy for you to refocus on the beauty of your immediate area, Pat: you live in one of the most spectacular locations in Britain! And it's our good fortune that you share it with us, verbally and visually, so regularly.

Rarelesserspotted said...

My goodness, don't we live in a beautiful country? Thanks for sharing this journey and the pictures.
XX

steven said...

what a day out! thanks for the picture of ingleborough especially weaver. wow! steven

Rachel Phillips said...

God, if I served that up for lunch my farmer bloke would ask if I'd gone totally mad. Good luck!

The Weaver of Grass said...

The cous-cous lunch was a great success and got the thumbs up from the farmer. Anybody who would like my made-up recipe, which turned out quite tasty, just ask.

Rosie said...

Your part of the world is very beautiful! I've travelled across the Ribbleshead viaduct in a train and visited Kirkby lonsdale. We had ratatouille on cous cous last night -your roasted vegetable idea sounds very tasty:)

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

It looks good when you really are a tourist, too. Haven't been able to get up there for a while, in the meantime look forward to following your blog for my fix of Pennine magic.

Gwil W said...

Kirkby Lonsdale is a lovely spot.

There used to be a caravan selling reputedly the best bacon butties in England nearby at Devil's Bridge. Hundreds of motorbikers stop there on a Sunday. Children like to swim in the river at KL. Sometimes they will jump off the bridge into the deep pool...although I don't think they are supposed to :)

The road rom KL through Barbondale and over to Dentdale is one of my favourites; a lovely stretch. I saw Alfred Wainwright up there once.

Kirkby Lonsdale is famous for its annual Victorian Fair when all the townspeople gets dressed up in Victorian costume and there's a 3-day (I think it's 3 days) festival.