Saturday 19th August

The end of a holiday is best got on with. Once it's time to go, the journey is just a process that leads you to home. We had breakfast, Peter cleaned his sitting room and bedroom, dad cleaned the bathroom and kitchen. We left the cottage looking pretty and welcoming. We said farewell to the Race family who farm Burnthwaite and had been so friendly.

The rain was pouring down, water in flow wherever we looked. The taxi arrived and took us to Ravenglass Station, the mist low down on the hills, the rivers all in flood. A train took us to Barrow, and another to Lancaster. Here we walked into town and had a quiet pub lunch. Then by train, we headed south, playing cards until we arrived at Watford Junction. Peter had finally pulled ahead, winning 11 games in a row, and so (with the score at 108-101) dad finally had to concede defeat.

We arrived back in Berkhamsted, and the walk up the hill seemed so easy after out week in the mountains. We knocked on the door and there was mum, her smiling face welcoming us back, and it was so good to be home!