Canadians, Caveliers and St Patrick

On Canadians, Caveliers and St Patrick
Today started as a very claggy (not to be confused with the new deputy prime minister) day.  Claggy is west Cumbrian for cloudy and once again we started a trek across the field to the start of an incline.  We passed the gravesite of the last king of west Cumbria-now covered with a huge pile of small stones.  No, I don't know his name.  We were told this morning but I've forgotten.  I asked our guide who were the Normans who conquered this part of England.  He said the Normans didn't want it and repeatedly gave it to the Scots-except being from York, he used a bad word in front of Scots.  Scrambling up a cliff in clag is a bit disconcerting.  You really cannot see too many feet in front and you certainly cannot see the top-an important motivator as you scramble up on a wet trail.  After a few tumbles yesterday everyone was very careful today.  The top was covered with clouds and we started on a trail which we eventually figured out was around a lake.  It was so foggy we couldn't see more than 15 feet in front of us so we had no idea we were lakeside.  Finally we figured it out and one of our group decided she was going swimming.  Now mind you, it was chilly, some would say cold from the fog, but she  climbed behind some rocks, changed into a red swim suit and waded in.  She is from  Canada so more used to the cold than some of us.  A group of British walkers came behind us and I stopped them from going behind the rocks to the changing room telling them that a Canadian pal was dressing for swimming.  They said their daughter was headed to Canada shortly for work and they sure hoped madness was not contagious.
On through the fog, we started down the trail where we ran into some Aussies from Perth.  The woman was wearing a cap with an orange V and crossed swords which I immediately recognized as a UVA Cavielier cap.  I think I startled her a bit with my reaction as her husband explained he had been in Virginia for a tattoo with his Aussie prep school and simply thought the v stood for Virginia.  I explained that Thomas Jefferson founded the school, adding for clarification that he wrote the Declaration of Independence (do Aussies know that?). At any rate, they seemed interested enough as I explained my brother and his family were in Charlottesville.
Down the trail we stopped for lunch where three sheep tried to get a bit too close. They apparently will eat bread crusts as one of my fellow hikes shared with them.
Further down the trail, we came to Pattersdale, a town where St Patrick came to convert the heathen before moving to Ireland.  Could not help thinking how much their feet must have hurt without our good boots.
Tonight we hiked into a really old inn-15th century-ish-complete with the uneven floors.  Tomorrow we hike out for another climb and another long day but first tonight dinner with an OBE, as our guide's wife received one a couple years back for work in nursing.  We all plan to ask her about meeting the queen.