BLUE SKIES SMILING AT ME................

..................nothing but blue skies do I see.

Another glorious day.  A very frosty start to the day, everywhere was white.   I decided to set out early and go to Bowness, hoping it would be quieter now that it's the end of November.  WRONG.  However it wasn't too bad at 10.15 am.  

We parked along by the lake and then walked on up to Bowness.  Visited a couple of shops and then we just HAD to visit the specialist Hot Chocolate shop (Choccobar at the Quarry Rig shopping centre at the top of Bowness.   G had a Black Forest Hot Chocolate and I had a Gin Hot Hot Chocolate,, with a sponge finger and strawberries to dip into the chocolate.  Basically it's melted Belgian chocolate.  Well it would be rude not to wouldn't it, and it is definitely hot chocolate weather.

Then we walked back down the hill and along the lake.  By this time it was like ants coming out of the woodwork, sooo many people.  Not as bad as in the summer but still the queues for the boats were huge.  

G was not getting a bit dizzy so we got back in the car and I took him to Storrs Hall hotel for lunch - just a sandwich.  It was to see the bar they have that actually came out of Blackpool Tower.  After this he sat in the car whilst I walked round the shore, along to Storrs Temple and back up to the hotel.  

Since it was built in the late 1700s Storrs Hall has hosted and inspired some towering figures from English literature. Renowned Lake District poets William Wordsworth and Robert Southey stayed here. It is reported that Wordsworth recited his famous Daffodils poem in the drawing room.
Throughout the years, the mansion has also played host to a stream of famous guests from art and culture, industry and politics. The famous Children’s Author Beatrix Potter, who wrote such wonderful stories as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, attended many parties here. Winston Churchill is also reported to have stayed at Storrs Hall Hotel. 
It is also the setting for the  book I am currently reading by Rebecca Tope "Windermere Witness".

It's worth paying a bit more to have access to the grounds and a walk along the hotel's part of the shore.  I've only been once before but wanted to go again, well any excuse really.

Choccobar
Storrs Hall

After that we came home.  Tonight we are going to Thyme Out for another Mezze night, just got to go out in the cold!!!! Record Strictly of course.  Wonder who will go out tonight, could be Chris or Alex but really they're all really good now.  I do hope it's not Emma as I am a bit of a fan of Anton, I just love his dry sense of humour.

Will catch up on your blips tomorrow, please accept my apologies for that. 

Hope you've all had a lovely day.  Take care, be careful it can be slippy in places.  Thank you for dropping by and see you all tomorrow.