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Find your inner poet
Tim Oliver16/ 6/2008
THE Lake District is not a place I associate with pampering and fine dining. Beautiful, romantic scenery, certainly - usually in the context of energy-sapping walks in driving rain, with odd days of sun-kissed bliss scattered among them like fairy dust. But indulgence? No.
For years it's been camping, B&B and the occasional cosy holiday cottage packed with friends and their (and our) copious offspring.
But, if you slip out of the parental harness and steer clear of the muddy boots brigade, there is another magical place to explore - and it lies amid the villages nestling seductively among the shimmering lakes.
We stayed in Ambleside, which I confess evoked memories of traffic jams and endless childhood days traipsing around life-sappingly dull garden centres with my grandparents.
This visit changed my associations forever.
It was bliss from the second we arrived at our heart-flutteringly stylish and luxurious award-winning hotel, The Waterhead.
Heaven
My wife, Sue, and I were in heaven - soaking up the warm décor, voluptuous sofas and designer-chic rooms of this four-star hideaway.
Our opulent chrome, stone and glass bathroom - complete with `waterfall' shower and integrated sound system elicited breathy sounds of delight from Mrs O.
A large, super-comfy bed, gorgeous contemporary furnishings, ultra-smart TV and hi-fi and a view of the lawn terrace and Windermere put the seal on a perfect home from home.
"Can we live here?" asked Sue, hopefully. "Only if we win the lottery," came my realistic reply.
It was tempting not to leave this Edwardian town house `with a `contemporary twist' for the duration of our stay.
But the sun was shining and the great outdoors beckoned us. . . to lunch.
A relaxing 10-minute stroll through the bustling and attractive village (bursting with tea shops, cafes and clothes outlets) led to Lucy's. This friendly and unpretentious cafe/restaurant even has an attached deli, which shows the owner's passion for fine food.
A tasty and inexpensive home-cooked lunch fortified us for a gentle romantic outing - a cruise on the Victorian steamer Tern.
Glorious sunshine
We are soon basking in glorious sunshine on the 1891-built vessel's bench seats, surrounded by ice cream sucking pensioners and kids.
The shushing of the water soothed us as we lazily admired the fantastic views of the surrounding forests and fells. Our elegant hour-long round trip to Bowness would have moved even the most hard-bitten and prosaic minds to poetry.
Then it was back to our hotel to shower and change before dinner at The Waterhead's Bay Restaurant.
G&Ts in the elegant, softly-lit garden conservatory, as we perused the mouth-watering menu, set the tone for a delightful evening.
The dining room was striking. So was the superb food, as we relaxed amid leather upholstery, subtle lighting, crisp linen and bold blue tableware.
Head chef Michael Weston Cole has developed a creative menu that blends the traditional with the contemporary to match the hotel's ethos.
Our indulgent romantic evening set the tone for the rest of our stay.
We visited Grasmere's Dove Cottage, the fascinating time-capsule former home of the great romantic poet William Wordsworth, where he wrote some of his finest work. Now you can't get more romantic than that
Fresh-baked
An amble around the attractive village churchyard was less to see the great poet's grave than to stock up on fantastic fresh-baked Sarah Nelson's gingerbread from the sensibly-named Grasmere Gingerbread Shop. Delicious.
Lunch at the bohemian Jumble Room (tucked away around a corner and adorned with funky local art) was another treat for the senses. Cracking fresh-cooked food at reasonable prices.
Pottering in low gear was the order of the afternoon before the next gastronomic onslaught on our waistlines - dinner at the award-winning Log House restaurant, a short walk from our hotel.
The atmosphere was warm and friendly at this unusual Scandinavian wooden lodge, which was shipped over from Norway by Manchester-born landscape artist Alfred Heaton Cooper.
The food was eclectic, interesting and beautifully cooked. Good value, too.
We checked out next day with regret that out stay was over.
Treats
But the road home still had a couple of treats in store. A detour to Bowness to magnificent Blackwell, the former country retreat of Manchester brewing baron Sir Edward Holt, which is an arts and crafts gem overlooking Windermere.
As a final treat, we sampled the dizzying gourmet heights of Sunday lunch at Michelin-starred L'Enclume, in sleepy historic Cartmel.
Head chef Simon Rogan has won plaudits galore, and that coveted star, for his daring and original dishes.
His creations often feature mouth-tinglingly exquisite herb or flower `froths' and startling textures and flavour combinations, like foie gras, figs and sweet bracken.
Sitting in the airy, white, minimalist converted blacksmiths, which dates back 800 years, we were waited on by high priests of haute cuisine. The French-influenced food was simply sublime (and I feared I might meet my maker when I scanned the price list - a three-course lunch for two, with wine, will set you back about £150). But the atmosphere and service was that of a religious rite.
Romantic? Hardly. . . too precious by half.
Food, life and romance should be sensual, passionate, life-affirming and fun. Just ask the poets.
Better still, head to the Lakes yourself and get in touch with your own inner romantic.
The Waterhead Hotel, Ambleside: Tel: 015394 32566 or visit
elh.co.uk/hotels /waterhead; Lucy's, Ambleside: 015394 32288 or
lucysofambleside.co.uk; Windermere Lake Cruises: 015394 33522 or windermere -lakecruises.co.uk; Dove Cottage, Grasmere: 015394 35544 or
wordsworth.org.uk; Jumble Room, Grasmere: 015394 35188 or
thejumbleroom.co.uk; The Log House, Ambleside: 015394 31077 or
loghouse.co.uk; Blackwell Arts and Crafts House, Bowness: 015394 46139 or
blackwell.org.uk; L'Enclume, Cartmel: 015394 36362 or
lenclume.co.uk; Cumbria Tourist Board: 01539822222 or
cumbriatourism.info or
golakes.co.uk
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