High Street

Decided to go shopping so yesterday we headed for the High Street near Ullswater in Cumbria.

Getting there was a bit harder than expected, as there was no railway station, and it involved a 700m climb from the car park. Views were nice though.

Finally got there only to discover that the Vikings had torn down all the shops in the centuries after the Romans had left. The other shoppers seemed almost as lost (see their little silhouettes on that rocky outcrop!). Germanic and Australian accents asked us if we were "doing the coast to coast". Just a day trip we answered. It was surprisingly pleasant especially considering that this High Street is so far from those more desirable parts of the UK. Here, James is looking for the Apple Store. Sure it was supposed to be here somewhere... The street side planters were flowering nicely. This is heather, probably imported from the soon to be foreign country of Scotland. We never did find Harvey Nicks, but a couple of hours later we were in Patterdale (named after St Patrick Patterdale) where there are pubs that serve food and beer all day long. hicc. Best High Street ever.

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The Thames Valley

Londinium has, to me, always seemed alien to the rest of the UK, but the Thames Valley has become another country too. It is so polished that it seems more like a theme park than a real place.

Palaces and pleasure boating...

Perfect bijou gardening...
Hand-knitted designer bricking and flinting...
For those who don't know their UK geography, the Thames is the big river that runs right through Londinium. Thus, anywhere along its banks are the most sought after places to live, as you can easily commute in to the city.

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