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!?)