It Would have been Beautiful.

If I had known beforehand that Esthwaite Water was a no no for swimming, I wouldn’t have attempted it. However online searches suggested to me that it was a hidden beauty spot, thanks to Outdoor Swimmer and The Guardian! Even my go to guide, SwimmingTheLakes had swam Esthwaite Water in 2015.

Esthwaite Water

So imagine my excitement when I donned my swimming kit and strolled out into blissfully warm waters of 19°C. The shingle beach was a welcome from scrambling over boulders and slipping on stones.

Esthwaite Water lies between the busier lakes of Windermere and Coniston and was a favourite of local champion Beatrix Potter. There’s even a car park right next to the lakeside. Perfect!

However my relationship with this tranquil lake came to an abrupt end when an angry Scotsman pulled up in a jeep and shouted aggressively, ‘get out of the water, there’s no swimming!‘ No please or thank you to be heard! To say I was shocked was an understatement!

Sadly I was only in the water for two minutes, before I retreated to shore with my tail between my legs. I did not see the no swimming signs until we pulled out of the car park. Oops!

Later research informed me that Esthwaite Water is in private hands and is a favourite for trout and pike fishing. D’oh!

So there you have it, my escapade into a forbidden lake.

Have you flouted rules, (conscious or not) to get somewhere?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

Blogs I’ve Enjoyed in 2016.

Since it’s December and the end of the year is fast approaching, I thought I would share with you all the blogs I have been enjoying over the past 12 months!

Sharon’s wonderful Sunshine and Celandines, has become a long standing blog which I follow. She writes about food, days out/holidays and her life with gorgeous Labrador Hugo. I have enjoyed our blogging friendship and the sharing of writing topics such as joining Wild October!

Keeping with the theme of nature. Another three blogs which I look forward to reading are:

1. Ramblings of a Roachling, where Louise posts beautiful pictures of her walks and life in the Peak District. She also blogs at 30 Days Wild!, were 30 days has become a life long love affair with nature.
2. Nicky at Too Lazy to Weed writes a fantastic blog with detailed pictures and information on the critters that live in her not so manicured garden!
3. During June’s 30 Days Wild I came across Emma’s Discovery Hub and Twitter page. Both are full of informative facts on wildlife.

Grasmere

A source of inspiration for my recently discovered ‘wild’ swims, is SwimmingTheLakes, where the author is challenging herself to swim every lake and tarn in the Lake District!

Mexican Quinoa

My favourite ‘go to’ website for recipes is Chungah at Damn Delicious. Her One Pan Mexican Quinoa makes a wonderful nutritious meal and the ingredients can be swapped and changed depending what’s in the store cupboard.

When the mood grabs me, I dabble in a little creative writing. Sue’s weekly #writephoto, where she posts a visual prompt, is and can be stimulating, as you can read here.

Classical music is another big passion in my life. I don’t know how I came about Charlotte Hoather’s blog but I enjoy reading updates on her performances and her studies.

If the London theatre scene is more your thing, then Rukaya vlogs about the many stage shows happening in London!

So there you have it, a small snapshot of some of the blogs I follow. If you have any blog suggestions then do post them in the comments below. I look forward to discovering many more fantastic blogs!

Thanks for reading,

Christine x