Saturday may 15

After all the talk about volcanos, I end up being done in by a thunderstorm!
As the time to board came we were told the plane, coming up from Florida, had landed in Baltimore for refueling.  While it definitely was hot and hazy in NYC, there must have been some pretty crazy storms south.  Long, long story short we finally took off around two thirty Saturday morning!  We landed about 2:30 and somehow I made it through customs and baggage claim just in time to catch a 3:30 pm train.  Being used to American commuter lines, I am always surprised to realize that in other parts of the world train travel is how the masses get around and on train to Preston there were lots of people out running the weekend errands.  At Preston I changed trains to one for Glasgow which gives you some idea of how close to the Scots border we are, and finally got to the town of Penrith about 5:30 pm some 17 hours after I left my office.  Needless to say, I'm in a bit of zombie land.
Penrith is like a lot of other small english town, this one a launching point for lake district tours.
One of its claims to fame is a castle ruin which dates back to the 14th century-see I managed to find some history!  It was built as a border fortress and later temporarily a home for Richard, Duke of Gloucester, during one of the times during his brother's reign when he left the court unable to deal with its profligate ways.  The ruins are pretty much total ruins-not quite as bad as what i've seen in Wales but almost and this castle was built about 300 years after those.
Staying at a hotel right near the train station, logically called The Station Hotel.  Comfortable with very friendly people.  



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