Our Cumbrian Extension.
We stayed a few nights in Keswick with the intention of revisiting some old haunts from years ago in the days of free for all road rallies. Carol drove the car for the first time this trip on the approach to Honister Pass, but soon, rightly, asked me to drive due to the slow moving traffic that we encountered shortly after the start of the climb. perhaps not the best place to start, when you haven't really driven it that much.
However, after that incident the traffic was not so bad and we experienced a great drive over Honister down to Buttermere and onwards to reach the main road down to Seascale and Ravenglass where we stopped for a leg stretch. We parked the car on the small car park there that was nearly empty, but when we returned we found a man looking at the car, who had been told that there was a Stratos on the car park and had driven there too have a look. He said that he had been thinking of building one but thought he was to old to contemplate it at 'just coming up to 60!!!!' I suggested otherwise !!!. We also encountered a very ebullient Italian gentleman who was very excited at seeing such an Italian inspired car, and who was the exact image of the person the car was designed for, dark haired short and slim, he had no trouble sitting in!!!
From Ravenglass we went inland over Hardknott Pass and on to Wrynose and then The Langdales. Amazingly there was hardly any traffic on Hardknott and none on Wrynose, so extremely enjoyable, although taken somewhat cautiously due to sheep.
The following day, on the way home with the boot brimmed full due to having everything including the proverbial kitchen sink, (my wife does not do travelling light) a stop at a favorite Ladies shoe shop in Windermere was called for, and fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) there just happened to be an on street parking slot in an end bay right outside the shop, on Windermere's main street, the Cameras were out in force. Three pairs of shoes in boxes had to travel home in the passenger foot well, it was a little crowded and warm with the outside temperature in the upper twenties. Fortunately the A/C struggled but did have an effect.
So after a total of just over 850 miles for the weekend we returned home having had no problems, other than space for excessive luggage.!!!
Top of Hardnott Pass
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