North of England: Stunning Scenery, Cute Villages

Johan Hoving in front of Coniston’s former copper mill, atop a hill we climbed on mountain bikes.

This part of England is stunning, with rolling hills, distant snowy mountains, and cute villages. The roads are narrow and more than once we stopped and watched in awe as a giant coach or a construction truck squeezed by a car with inches to spare.

Johan told us that the stone fences are made of the remainders of the slate that was used to make roofing tiles…the waste became the miles of mortarless walls that line the roads and separate the fields. If you have to avoid a truck, at least these walls will break open.

Sam and I were like two Michelin Men, bundled up against the cold, but we still managed to tip over and get our shoes soaked.

We had a mountain bike ride left before we were done today.