The kindness of strangers...

The thoughtfulness of our guesthouse hosts in Windemere repeatedly surprised us.

-Baar-bara the sheep (on our pillow),
-Maps brought to our room when the other guests had returned them,
-Breakfast: 2 types of gf toast,
-Welcome: offered to help us with our bags late at night in pygamas,
-Box of chocolates on our bed for valentines,
-Unfinished cooked breakfast 'I noticed you did not eat all your pancakes, can I cook you something else?
-Banana cake (see pic below...)

Being away for so long, we both long for the feeling of 'home' and the familiar. Our baguette and omelette chef in NY provided this, now our hosts in Windemere.

Yesterday- Went for a 'wee fell' up a hill in Bowness. A pretty little lakeside township popular with tourists. The view was much better than the smell. Sheep roam the national trust site.

Today- Visited Chester. A lot in common with York with its walled city and medieval buildings. A little more fashionable though.

Drove to Conwy Castle in Wales- a huge medieval ruin in the middle of a sleepy fishing village. Beautiful views across the town, with the fortress winding its way through the buildings.

On the way to our accommodation in Snowdonia we drove through the town with the longest train station name: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Now in Betws-y-Coed in Snowdonia. A lovely Victorian era b&b. Had a great dinner at a local bistro that specializes in traditional Welsh dishes, local produce. The lamb was so sweet.

A good place to be a signwritier- all the signs in Wales are written in both the native language and English. Saw some of this in Scotland, but here they seem to be making even more of an effort to preserve the old ways.