What I Did on my Summer Vacation: Part 2

Background: After having just about as much "excitement" as we could handle trying to drive a houseboat around Lake Powell in 2011 (details here), we decided to go low-tech in 2012 and did 2 short walking tours in the U.K.  First we spent 3 days walking in the Lake District, crossing mountain passes to get from one night's lodging to the next.  Then we spent 4 days walking along the Ceredigion Coast of Wales.  We averaged about 7 miles and 2 hours of rain each day.  ;)  

For the next week or so, I'll be posting pictures and stories from this trip.  

Today's Theme: Hiking the Mountains and the Coast

Now shall I walk

or shall I ride?

"Ride," Pleasure said:

"Walk," Joy replied.  

~ W.H. Davies

Hiking in the Lake District usually began by leaving our B&B and walking through a beautiful valley until we came to the mountain pass...  

Even though we didn't summit, just crossing the passes put us up in the clouds...

...and provided a great place to eat our packed lunches...  

...before starting down into the neighboring valley.  

Using my incredible navigation skills, I was able to find this cairn!  ;)

The scenery usually turned more bucolic as we neared our next B&B.  

On our first day along the coast, it was a  bit of a hustle, but we manged to stay a couple of miles ahead of the sun all day long.  ;)

Check out Scott's pants.  

Getting from our B&Bs to the coastal path each day sometimes required walking through farmers' fields.  Look at her ears - this cow wasn't sure what to make of me.  Maybe it was my brightly colored shirt?  

The path was marked with "stiles" to help us get over the fences.  

Here I am looking back to where we started that morning.  

And Scott looking ahead to the destination for that day.  

The scenery along the Welsh coast was completely different from the Lake District - and yet the hiking experience was quite similar.  At no other time in my life am I living so completely "in the moment" as when we are together, but otherwise alone, surrounded by the most beautiful, natural scenery.  :)