Biscuits

Set off in good time for the short drive from Gretna to Carlisle. The carpark by the city walls costs £3.80 for 24 hours. The added bonus is that the carpark is locked from 8 at night. This means we won't be bothered by idiots donutting or doggers!

The carpark is a 5 minute walk into the city centre and is reasonably quiet . The railway runs along one side and the river and park the other.

We walked down one side and crossed the river to walk up through the park on the other side. It's strange as it's about a 10 minute walk from the city center and there are cows wandering around on the roads and parkland.

Carlisle is the biggest city in the UK at 402 square miles as it incorporates the surrounding countryside into its jurisdiction. Also its proximity to the Mcvities factory means there's a constant smell of baking biscuits. Depending on which biscuits are being baked the smell changes. This afternoon it was definitely ginger nuts!

We took a brief walk around the cathedral in an attempt to find a toilet. The cathedral was surprisingly beautiful. So much history.

A beautiful ceiling in the main body of cathedral

and artefacts displayed in the crypt.

We spent a bit of time wandering around the city. We intervened in a situation where a drunken fat skinhead was abusing a couple of young asylum seekers. We managed to calm things down until the you lad raised his middle finger to the skinhead and despite our advice refused to walk away.

Back to the van and rescued the dog for an evening stroll in the other direction.

Tomorrow we are leaving the van here and are going to a National Trust area in the Lake District to have a wander around. It looks beautiful and will involve a bit of hill walking hopefully!