England - Lakes District (7/9/12)

Yesterday was my favorite day of the whole trip. The rain held off, and the scenery was beyond belief. I'll post some pictures below, but it won't do it any justice. The Lakes District is even better than I expected.


 

We started off in the town of at Rydal Hall. It was an estate in the 1600s, and now it's used as a Christian retreat center. The gardens there are spectacular. It's so peaceful there. The grounds are immaculate, and there are little creeks and waterfalls running throughout the land. I didn't sleep well the night before (I miss my bed!), so I needed a tranquil start to the day.

 

After that, we took an hour long hike through the hills and inside a park. It was nice to stretch my legs after being on the bus. The panoramic views were breathtaking, and the hills were a good workout. All along the walk, there were rock walls, waterfalls, lakes, hills, and tons of beautiful wild flowers.

 

After lunch, we went to Dove Cottage - home of the poet William Wordsworth. Our guide was very knowledgable. I literally had goosebumps standing in the same rooms that so many talented writers have spent time in. Wordsworth planted beautiful gardens, but his home was quite small/simple (which makes sense given his philosophies on life). After the tour, I climbed up to a secluded bench in his backyard garden. There was no one else around there, so spent some time alone reading poetry and taking in the moment. To me, it was perfect.

 

Next, we took a cruise around Lake Windermere, which is the largest lake in our area. That was a lot of fun, and the rain stayed away until the moment we were finishing up our cruise.

 

Finally, a few of us decided to take a night hike up to an ancient stone circle. The actual circle is nothing compared to Stonehenge, but the views are incredible (sensing a theme?). The other thing that made it so neat is that you can walk right up to the stones and touch them or climb on them. They keep you pretty far away from Stonehenge, so it was great to get so close to this one.

 

All together, it was a day I'll never forget. I just wish some of my loved ones could have experienced it with me (especially you Mom). I think you would have appreciated it as much as I did. I know I haven't been able to call or email anyone much, but I'm having the time of my life. Each day, I see something that reminds me of the people I love back home. (Side note: I've seen several boxers that look identical to Harley. Who would have thought I'd get all the way over here and even miss that crazy dog!?)

 

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Today, we went to Haworth in Yorkshire. This is the home of the Bronte sisters. We went to their home/museum and took a walk around the moors. It was really nice day. I found it really interesting to see where they lived and worked. You could almost picture them there imagining and writing such beautiful novels. In light of this experience, I'll list some quotes I really like from their various works.

"I dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind." Wuthering Heights

"I approve nothing to be Utopian. Look life in its iron face - stare Reality out of its brassy countenance." Shirley




Outside of the Bronte house:

In Haworth town:

On our hike:

Up in the moors:

 

Quick Picture Post

I haven't been able to blog in a while. The email has been tempermental and too slow for uploading pictures. I'm having so much fun! Everyday is an adventure. We FINALLY had a pretty day today. Even the Irish couldn't believe all of the rain we're having (and that's saying something). I was in Wales yesterday, and I'm in England now. Here are some pictures from the past few days. I don't have many good ones because of the weather. I mostly had to keep my camera in my purse so it wouldn't get wet. But, I got a few decent ones.

Blarney Castle:

After climbing to the top.

 

This is how you have to kiss the Blarney Stone. That's the ground you see though the metal bars. Not quite what I imagined beforehand... I'm glad I'm not scared of heights.

Cheshire, England

Tomorrow, we head to the Lakes District, which is supposed to be spectacularly beautiful. I really hope the weather stays nice. It's been frustrating to have so many ugly days. But, today we had sun, and that was just what the doctor ordered.

County Kerry

Today, my tour members and I took an early morning jaunting cart ride (this is basically a horse-drawn cart). It was an amazing way to see some of the sights around Killearny - especially their park. It was so tranquil and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. What a perfect way to start the morning!

Me with some of my tour mates:

An adorable cottage (now a tea house):

Pretty view of the mist-covered hills:

A creek in the park:

I'm laughing because our horse, Billy, kept nuzzling up closer:

 

I also got to see an Irish shepherd do a demonstration with his herding dogs. It was beyond impressive how well they are trained. Each dog has a different set of signals for right, left, up, down, etc. He can control them by voice command or different whistles. That was really cool to see.

 

We also drove around the Ring of Kerry, which is beyond spectacular. Talk about a view! Unfortunately, what you see in person never quite seems to show up on film...

 

We did many other things, but I don't have the time to list them all now. We just got back to the hotel, and I am hungry! It was a really great day though. I am having the time of my life. Dad, you HAVE to get here. I keep thinking how much you would love everything I'm seeing and doing.

 

Start of my 2nd Tour

I have now started my second tour. I already feel much more comfortable around this group than I did the last one. My last tour was amazing as far as the sights/experiences went, but I never quite clicked with the group. That was mainly because there were several large families and groups that came together, so it was a little cliquish. I guess that was fine because it forced me to go off on my own more. But, this one seems MUCH better! It's great to have people around my age to hang out with. The guide, Matt, is amazing. He's young and really personable, so I think he'll be good at recommending things I'll enjoy. And, he is hysterical! My cheeks hurt from laughing all day long.

It was a rainy day, so I don't have many good pictures from today. Tomorrow, we should be going around the Ring of Kerry, so nice weather and good visibility is a must. I have heard it is beautiful, so I am really hoping all goes well. Keep your fingers crossed for our weather tomorrow, please!