Saturday 11 March 2017

Day 12: To Keswick

Today is a transition day. Some of our group left in the early hours of the morning, others before and after breakfast. I had a taxi booked for 12.20 pm, so had time to finish packing, catch up on emails and begin to consider where to go with my final robin panel. There was much packing of boxes and equipment as well as multiple farewells. It was a grey and drizzly day.

I spent the morning catching up on emails, talking to fellow stitchers waiting for taxis and considering my last Robins panel. I have given all my Windermere embroidery projects to Philippa to send back to Australia for me. The slate frame of whitework is too large for my suitcase and Jenny's roundel is in a hoop for which I am not carrying a stand. They are not projects for doing on the road so they will arrive in Australia just after I return. I would dearly love to keep working on them - but no good would come of doing it while travelling.

I have three projects of my own with me. Priority 1 is my 9th, and last robins panel. I am trying to embroider a group of Scarlet Robins in a nest.  I had put in a branch using Bokhara stitch but the tension was poor. I spent much of the morning removing it - a tedious and messy process.



My driver was cheerful and chatty on the lovely - if wet and misty - drive across the hills to Keswick. Sue and Alf had arrived, found our apartment and parked their car in our allotted space by the time I arrived at the Wainwright Pub where we'd agreed to meet. We had a hearty meal and a lot to catch up on.


Our apartment key was not in the allotted key keeper at 3pm as promised. Fortunately the cleaner was still in the downstairs apartment and, when we asked her, reread her instructions. Had we not found her and asked, we'd have been locked out.










It is a pleasant apartment with a comfortable sitting area with a view over Derwent Water. - today moody and grey but periods when enticing peaks loomed up.





Our bedroom windows overlook the street.














































It's great to have decent wifi. And even better to be in a comfortable place with plenty of interest around us and time to spend with each other.




4 comments:

  1. Hi, Jillian! Greetings from sunny Florida!
    I'm loving your England travelogue! My ex-dh and I took an extended trip to Britain back in the '80s and spend a bit of time in Windermere along the way. It's so much fun reading your posts and looking at the photos not to mention all the great stitching stuff! Thanks so much for sharing (by the way, I found your blog via Mary Corbet's Neeedlenthread blog) and am looking forward to reading your next installment.
    Shelley Wine

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Shelley. I'm so glad you enjoyed reading about our retreat. I'm amazed and, of course, delighted that Mary Corbet picked up on the blog and posted a link.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Did she indeed? That is funny, because a few days ago I was thinking that Mary would appreciate this blog, since she does not travel herself. I think she still reads mine once in a while, even though I have "gone over to the dark side" with quilting.

    But before I read Shelley's comment, I was going to say that you always seem to get the chatty and informative cab drivers. And I am sure that is your influence on them, rather than random luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure someone drew her attention to it, Monica, rather than her finding it. You may be right about the taxi drivers. I mostly keep to the old Australian habit of sitting in the front seat of taxis which does make chatting easier.

      Delete