Weekend in the Dales - Day 2

On the Friday of our trip we went to the Wensleydale Creamery! Lee and I went there before in 2017 and really liked it, so we decided all four of us would go back. As it's on the winter timetable now the cheese making demo is only happening twice a day, at 12.15 and at 1.30. I had booked lunch for us at 1pm so needed the earlier demo... but then couldn't book the tickets online. So we left the cottage at about 11 to get to Hawes, and then we went in to the demo bit to buy tickets. We had a bit of time so we looked round the gift shop for a bit. My stepdad bought some Theakston's Old Peculier liqueur - it is basically like a whiskey but it can't be called that. I had a taste of it later and really liked it, it was smoother and sweeter than whiskey.

We watched the cheese making demo and then had a quick look at the factory. It's interesting to see. There was a tasting too - Lee and my mum don't like cheese so they didn't have any but my stepdad and I both did. Then it was lunchtime! We headed to the restaurant. It was nice and warm in there and it's got a lovely view of the hills outside. We had all looked at the menu beforehand and my stepdad and I said we would share the Wensleydale cheese tasting platter. It had five types of cheese plus chutneys, olives, crackers, bread, and butter. It didn't look like loads of food but it was absolutely gorgeous and we were both stuffed! I liked tasting all the different ones, including the blue Wensleydale that they make. I don't particularly like blue cheese but this isn't too strong so it was nice. Lee and my mum both had soup. 

We looked round the shop again and bought some bits before going into Hawes itself. It was about 3pm by this point and it was dropping cold, so I borrowed my mum's hat. She then borrowed my stepdad's flat cap, haha. We went in a few shops and headed down towards the bridge across the river to look at the water. It was a bit full but not totally, but it was nice to see. Loud, too! 

We headed back to the cottage and spent the evening in, playing games and drinking. It was so nice and cosy, and relaxing. I was wearing a new t shirt I got recently which says Show No Mercy, Hold No Quarter, which is a reference to Our Flag Means Death which I love. I like it! It was pretty cold in the cottage so I had a cardigan and thick socks on too. 

My mum and I stepped outside about 6pm to look at the stars and there were lots out. My phone takes decent pictures of the night sky, as you can see! After this I put my pyjamas on though!

I love this map of the area that is in the creamery. It really is such a beautiful part of the world

Here's Lee next to an outline of the biggest cow on record. I took this exact photo six years ago, too 

The view from the restaurant

Our cheese platter. The chocolate on the bottom right went with the Wensleydale with ginger in it

It is PERFECTLY normal in Yorkshire to eat a creamy cheese like Wensleydale with Christmas cake or other fruit cake. So there

View in the car park as we left

I think I looked cute in my mum's hat!

This plaque is on the side of one of the shops in Hawes - Kit Calvert helped to save the creamery in the 1930s and they make a 'farmhouse' Wensleydale named after him. It's firmer and a bit stronger than normal Wensleydale

My mum and I on the bridge in Hawes. I love this picture of myself, I'm feeling myself here 

The falls just from the bridge

We accosted a nice stranger to take our photo on the bridge. You'll see that even Lee thinks it's winter because he's wearing jeans again not shorts

Looking facing downstream at the other side of the bridge

There seemed to be some kind of warehouse on the left here

Our Flag Means Death t shirt, plain lback cardigan, and Scarlett & Jo skirt that used to be a dress

And finally, some stars. The bright light just to the east of the chimney stack is Jupiter

I might have caught a shooting star here?