Pupdate

July brought us back to the Lake District, which the boys love as it means more time outdoors for extra long walks (and the odd little swim if they fancy).

Once we were back Milo visited the oncologist for the end of his chemotherapy (at least for now), as he moves to monthly monitoring.

Lake District

We once again returned to Keeper’s Cottage on the Graythwaite Estate, which really felt like a home away from home on this third time staying there. The dogs were really excited as soon as we pulled onto the drive, as I think they recognised it as somewhere they’ve loved before.

Walks

Charlotte and I climbed Scarfell Pike, which deserved its own post. We also returned to a few walks we’d done on previous trips.

The ‘coffin route‘ is a walk that we frequently did with the kids when we used to rent a place in Ambleside, as it’s nice and level, and not too long.

The map above captured a slight detour where we missed the start of the path from the road, and had to double back. From Grasmere we jumped on the bus back to Ambleside, which was a novelty for the dogs.

Another favourite walk from when the kids were small, and we’d stay in Ambleside, was Wray Castle to The Ferry House along the Western edge of Lake Windermere. We’d do it with the Walkers Ticket from Windermere Lake Cruises, using their boats to complete the loop back to Ambleside via Bowness.

The derivative of that walk that we did this time started at the little (free) car park at Red Nab, and looped through the gardens of Wray castle before returning back along the edge of the lake. I always remember that as the best bit of the walk, as our dog at the time could run off the lead. It gets a bit tedious later as it’s on road with the ever present risk of having to get out of the way of cars. The footpath has been upgraded since we last walked it, which seems to be part of a broader programme of improved walking routes along the West shore. That meant (a lot) less mud and puddles to deal with, but also many more cyclists; so unfortunately the dogs had to stay on their lead.

The route around High Dam was one we did a couple of years ago, and returned to as it’s scenic and not too hard on the legs. The circuit of the dam is essentially level, whilst the ascent from the car park certainly isn’t, though there are alternative paths that provide longer routes around the steepest parts.

Paddleboarding

Each time we’ve stayed at the Graythwaite Estate we’ve rented something from their water sports centre. For me that’s generally been a canoe or kayak, whilst Charlotte has usually preferred a paddleboard. I was persuaded to try one myself this time.

I was very happy to make it back without falling in :)

Berlin

The start of the month found me back in Berlin for Fluttercon (as part of Droidcon). It was a great gathering of the Flutter community, which is one of those vibrant groups that hasn’t (yet) had the fun squeezed out by men in suits.

The trip was cut short due to travel expense limits, as flights back on Friday evening were silly prices, but it was still long enough to take in some parts of the city I’d not seen before. The Zoologischer Garten area chosen for the speaker hotel was lots of fun, with a cornucopia of restaurants, bars and shops; so I was able to get my fix of currywurst and various other local delicacies without straying too far.

Comedy

Most years (at least before Covid came along) we’d go to Edinburgh in August for the Fringe. Sadly that won’t be happening (again) this year due to some other plans (more on that next month).

Thankfully we were able to catch up with some of our favourite comedians by going to a preview show for Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke at The Clapham Omnibus Theatre. Those going to their Edinburgh shows are in for a treat – they were both great. I’m also hoping that we might catch some post Fringe tours as they pass through London or Brighton.

Veteran’s Railcard

It’s been a couple of years since I got my Veteran’s Railcard. In that time it’s saved me £680 on train fares, which includes £184.95 on work trips[1] and £18.95 on trips with my wife where she also qualifies for a discount by travelling with me.

The best bit (and the part that distinguishes the Veteran’s Railcard from other Railcards I might buy) is that discounts also apply to First Class tickets; so I’ll often treat myself to a comfy seat (and some included snacks), particularly on long trips like seeing friends and family up in Newcastle. It’s also pretty handy that it covers peak fares, where many other Railcards are just for off peak travel.

Solar Diary

After such a glorious June, July was always going to be a step back. But with Atlantic weather fronts rumbling over the country like a freight train it’s been dark and wet, and not so good for generating.

The datalogger also stopped sending for a while, and took a router reboot to get reconnected, which explains the even bars towards the end of the month.