Well, I'm back...
Oct. 5th, 2008 08:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sildilWell, Friday night I was whisked away on a surprise weekend break by spouse. We drove till late and arrived at a charming cottage in the dark, a real 1960's throwback 'oop north' near Clitheroe. It belongs to the daughter in law of a friend of ours and she doesn't quite know what to do with it (her elderly mother having died recently) so at the moment it is available to friends and family as a holiday cottage.
It's basically in the middle of nowhere, nearest village is Rimington about 2 miles down the lane, and has a spectacular view of Pendle Hill...when the cloud and rain isn't so low! We did see Pendle this morning, and did a four and a half mile circular walk along the lanes, catching the best of the weather today - it was drizzly and EXTREMELY windy, but we managed to get a glimpse now and then of watery sunshine. After lunch we got in the car and drove through Clitheroe and on through the the aptly named 'Trough of Bowland' a pass with the most amazingly dramatic moorland scenery. It rained and rained and rained! I don't think I have been so wet ever!
After drying off and warming up, we headed out again to Gisburn (as of Sir Guy of??) this evening to an amazing Italian restaurant. I had the nicest chicken livers cooked in sweet wine to start, then a (very) rare (ie; almost still mooing) filet steak (exactly how I like it) wrapped in pancetta and in a green peppercorn sauce. We had roasted potatoes in garlic and rosemary and some delicious and tangy shredded cabbage in garlic. Then I finished off with cherries and home made vanilla ice cream with Amaretto liqueur. I am STUFFED. It was absolutely delicious and all perfectly cooked.
We will drive round Pendle tomorrow and maybe if the weather IS fine, walk up a little on it, but we suspect it will be EXTREMELY boggy, given the lashing rain today. As an example, the little stream that runs by the house this was a tiny rill this morning, but almost full to overflowing this evening!
It's been a brilliant break and lovely to be completely away from everything and everyone!
Sunday morning and there is actual sunshine, so we are going to try and tackle Pendle hill. I've read all about the Pendle witches (local book) and what an incredibly sorry event that was. Yes they were by and large all cantankerous, bad tempered ladies, all of whom had grudges against one another and probably used their reputation to make people a little afraid of them, but they were no different (as Simon said) to the average irate and unpleasant participant in the Jeremy Kyle show nowadays, full of 'he said this and so I did that' and largely wishful thinking when some poor soul died or the milk turned sour, 'that was ME what did that, so you'd better be nice to me in future.'
Eight were executed and several were sent to prison or the pillory and all totally on hearsay and conflicting evidence.
And yes, we MADE IT! The walk up was surprisingly good going, steep but a good stony path. The views all the way up were gorgeous and the top of the hill was quite flat so we walked along to the trig point where we consumed a Snickers bar each as a reward! Actually, the walk down was more hard-going on the knees! So I reckon I have had my exercise for the year.
Back at the cottage for lunch and then off home.
It's basically in the middle of nowhere, nearest village is Rimington about 2 miles down the lane, and has a spectacular view of Pendle Hill...when the cloud and rain isn't so low! We did see Pendle this morning, and did a four and a half mile circular walk along the lanes, catching the best of the weather today - it was drizzly and EXTREMELY windy, but we managed to get a glimpse now and then of watery sunshine. After lunch we got in the car and drove through Clitheroe and on through the the aptly named 'Trough of Bowland' a pass with the most amazingly dramatic moorland scenery. It rained and rained and rained! I don't think I have been so wet ever!
After drying off and warming up, we headed out again to Gisburn (as of Sir Guy of??) this evening to an amazing Italian restaurant. I had the nicest chicken livers cooked in sweet wine to start, then a (very) rare (ie; almost still mooing) filet steak (exactly how I like it) wrapped in pancetta and in a green peppercorn sauce. We had roasted potatoes in garlic and rosemary and some delicious and tangy shredded cabbage in garlic. Then I finished off with cherries and home made vanilla ice cream with Amaretto liqueur. I am STUFFED. It was absolutely delicious and all perfectly cooked.
We will drive round Pendle tomorrow and maybe if the weather IS fine, walk up a little on it, but we suspect it will be EXTREMELY boggy, given the lashing rain today. As an example, the little stream that runs by the house this was a tiny rill this morning, but almost full to overflowing this evening!
It's been a brilliant break and lovely to be completely away from everything and everyone!
Sunday morning and there is actual sunshine, so we are going to try and tackle Pendle hill. I've read all about the Pendle witches (local book) and what an incredibly sorry event that was. Yes they were by and large all cantankerous, bad tempered ladies, all of whom had grudges against one another and probably used their reputation to make people a little afraid of them, but they were no different (as Simon said) to the average irate and unpleasant participant in the Jeremy Kyle show nowadays, full of 'he said this and so I did that' and largely wishful thinking when some poor soul died or the milk turned sour, 'that was ME what did that, so you'd better be nice to me in future.'
Eight were executed and several were sent to prison or the pillory and all totally on hearsay and conflicting evidence.
And yes, we MADE IT! The walk up was surprisingly good going, steep but a good stony path. The views all the way up were gorgeous and the top of the hill was quite flat so we walked along to the trig point where we consumed a Snickers bar each as a reward! Actually, the walk down was more hard-going on the knees! So I reckon I have had my exercise for the year.
Back at the cottage for lunch and then off home.
