Starting the Day with Red Squirrels C2C Day 7

Our last day of the Coast to Coast half as I've decided to call it, because instead of walking the whole Wainwright route, we walked to Kirkby Stephen, started with red squirrels! We saw them in the ground of Shap Wells hotel after a rushed breakfast, they can be seen around 8.15am and on cue they came out. I took lots of photos, this is possibly the best:
 I liked the tail on this one
 and the way the squirrel is sitting on the tree here
 the river is very picturesque beside where the squirrels were feeding
 and this is rather a fine well head
 We tore ourselves away from the squirrels and went back to Orton where there's a market on the second Saturday of the month, well worth going to. I took a photo of the bakery stall because the custard slices were twice the size of normal ones, however so was everything else!
 There were some lovely alpacas and products made from them at the market.
 We couldn't stay long at the market because we needed to complete our final leg of the walk to Kirkby Stephen
 The views of the fells were wonderful with big open vistas and limestone pavements dotted about
 The sun came out at lunchtime
 There was a lovely view of Smardale Bridge over Scandal Beck before we descended on the home straight more or less
 A bit further on we got tremendous views of the Smardalegill viaduct
 And reached Kirkby Stephen in time to have a look round the town before our evening meal at the rather wonderful Black Bull Hotel. I'm keen to go back there because it looks like a gem of a town nestled in the most glorious countryside.
The next day we left Kirkby Stephen via the station, which is in a most glorious spot above the town:
 We took the train to Carlisle and then to St Bees where we'd left the car. Not a good plan, because  the trip took all day and ended with a taxi ride from Whitehaven. The sea just before Whitehaven looked glorious
 and St Bees was fantastic in the sunshine, there were even people in the sea.

 I don't know whether to include Jane looking out to see or at the camera.
 We were sad to leave the Lake District
 but had thoroughly enjoyed the experience of 7 days walking. I'm looking forward to the other half next May, and hoping Jane will come with me.
I've recently heard from one of the people who walked the whole 194 miles, she says:
' The throwing of the pebbles into the North Sea was quite emotional and the sense of achievement was huge. You have to walk the second half'

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