We stayed for a week at Sommersby Cottage in Cockermouth at the beginning of January.  We were really comfortable there where there was easy access to the amenities of Cockermouth, the North Lakes as well as the Cumbrian coast.

Here are some of the things we did when we were there:

• Explored the beach at Allonby and tried the ice cream shop there.  I had a scoop of rum and raisin because it was my friend Julie’s birthday that day and that’s her favourite flavour!
• Went to the Victorian seaside resort of Silloth for the first time and walked along the seafront there.
• Walked along the lake in Keswick (where Olaf had a swim!) and popped into a few of the shops (including the pet shop!) when we were there too.
• Made a couple of visits to the Bitter End pub which was pretty much our neighbour for the week.
• Had a very lovely meal at the Royal Yew in Dean – about 10 minutes from Cockermouth.  Paul tried the “famous” cow pie – or half of one which looked like it probably could have fed a small family!
• Had lunch at a little bakery we discovered in an unlikely location at an agricultural centre called the Cumbrian Baker.
• Revisited a very nice Turkish restaurant in the centre of Cockermouth called Aspava for a takeaway.
• Discovered a couple of local circular walks incorporating cycle routes and riverside pathways.

It was cold and frosty when we were there but the cottage was warm when the fire got going.  Olaf discovered what it felt like to walk on frosty grass, that Derwentwater was nice to swim in, that the couches at the cottage were very comfortable and that the back yard of the cottage wasn’t as scary to pee in as was first thought!  He travels really well and adapts to his new “home” quickly.   And although we need to work on his fear of traffic,  we are already looking forward to our next break away together.