The trip to Scotland was a real eye opener, but we weren’t done with U.K driving. After a couple of days relaxing on trains, we picked up our second rental car in Morecambe. This one was a Nissan Qashqai, another small SUV ( much needed to carry the luggage of four passengers) and as boxy as the Peugeot 2008 we had previously driven. It is a good thing new cars come with a host of sensors, because trying to visualize where the corners end is a challenge. But, on with the voyage. Leaving Morecambe and driving North was pretty seamless thanks to Mike’s skillful navigation —-I never had to worry about where to turn or when. Leaving the motorway, headed towards the Lake District on the A 66 until it gave way to the B roads nearing Windermere. Like driving in Scotland, these roads were quite narrow and busy, but at least we didn’t have to contend with much rain—-a real blessing. By this point I was pretty comfortable with being on the left side of the road and only had to check myself at junctions a couple of times. We stopped in Ambleside for coffee and some window shopping on our way to Braithwaite, our final destination of the day. It was here that I was first grateful for the car’s array of sensors. Parking lots are small and parking spaces are small. I held my breath a lot while negotiating parking spaces. The Lake District is beautiful, but watching the road all the time doesn’t allow for much sightseeing. When we arrived in Braithwaite and parked in another impossibly right parking spot, I decided the car could sit for a couple of days and we would either walk or catch a bus. You tend to miss a lot when you are the driver, but there are still plenty of places in the U.K that you can only access by car. When you get where you want to go, it is worth the drive.
A year of discovery 