Day 6 – AM – 2 Cheeses pick up 3 cheeses . . .

We all like to take a holiday. Escape. Remove ourselves from the humdrum. Release ourselves from responsibilities. If only for a short time. Living life as a religious, must feel like one long holiday. Surely?

A thousand years ago acceptance into a religious order granted security. Of one sort. For some, it was within the family order of what was expected. Or even demanded. With the pressures of our current everyday existence, I wonder if this alternative life journey might make a resurgence.

We’re on our way over to Ingleton, in search of the Waterfalls Trail. But before that, we stop off at Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale. There can be few finer places to take up residence. Even under vows. However, sun and location can easily skew the true nature of monastic life.

A little further on I improve (or just prove) my spontaneity skills. An impromptu about turn on a narrow bend causes some consternation behind, as Beastie swivels his hips one way and dramatically veers the other to prepare for a U-turn. The reason? Mrs S has spotted The Courtyard Dairy and its cheese exhibition. 2 Cheeses could hardly roll by now – could we?

Cheesemonger Jen tempts us with mouthwatering slivers. We savour each melt in the mouth unique flavour. Her vast knowledge extends to the type of cow, or goat, the pasture in which it was raised, and even the type of grass it grazed on. We put our back-pocket plastic to good use. We load up with three cheeses, honey, pineapple chutney, a heart cheese board and a Sicilian red.