The Dales and the Lakes in a day

We set off on a day trip to the Lake District in sunny but chilly conditions, and of course being inside a warm car soon made us forget the realities of an Englush Spring. Winding uphill through Swaledale, we reached a point where I wanted to take the first of about 500 photos of the spectacular scenery. I jumped out of the car and found myself standing in the equivalent of a blast freezer. No jacket, woolly hat or gloves. 'Bracing', I said through chattering teeth. I tried taking photos through the car window, but the tinting was too much and so I dressed sensibly for the frequent stops and hops along the way. We reached the top of the moors and the welcome sight of the highest pub in Britain,  Tan Hill Inn. Inside it was warm and inviting (if it weren't, nobody would go in, as the air up there was arctic, but nature called and even if there had been a convenient clump of bushes or rocky outcrop on this barren landscape, frostbite was not an option.
The remarkable thing about Britain, for me, is the way the scenery changes so suddenly, with so much diversity packed into a very small island. The weather is so localised that it must be a meteorologist's nightmare, and one must be prepared for extremes of temperature at all times, though not so much at the warm end of the scale.
The greenness is startling compared to home, where lawns have been reduced to sandpits and winter hasn't yet brought succor to the land. Nearly every field is dotted with sheep and their frolicking offspring, truly pastoral in every way. Bare-branched trees are still awaiting enough warmth to release new leaves from budded
protection, and another week of icy weather is forecast. We passed through areas where last week's snow still gleamed on mountain tops.
A sudden descent from the moors brought us into Cumbria, with a much gentler landscape, and then another sudden change as we entered the mountainous Lake District and received a total overload of picturesqueness! Despite the season, the area was already under pressure from locals and tourists, as well as the many, many hikers who love the region. It heaves with people in summer and commercialism abounds. Best avoided at that time, and a far cry from the 60s when we went there as children. Interesting to note that not much English was heard among the crowds.
We travelled for nearly 200 miles, and the light at sunset was absolutely stunning,  necessitating many stops for photos despite the continuing freezing conditions, not much above 0, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my visit. Will post more interesting blogs when my pics are available!