July 18: Visit to Lakes District

Dr. Welsh, Ms. Wright, Edie and I got up very bright and early on Wednesday morning to catch the train going to the Lake District of England. According to Peter, our guide at Mountaingoat Tours, it is listed by National Geographic as one of the 50 sites of the world that should be seen in one's lifetime. It was easy to see why--the most vivid green countryside I have ever seen and classic stone walls intersecting the farm lands. The lake was clear and the surrounding forests were rainforest-thick. Our tour guide took us on a bus ride (at times a bit unnerving!)to the tops of the surrounding hills where we could look down on exquisite valleys and up to locations of the remnants of ancient Roman roads.

The towns in the district were also beautiful. The buildings were made of old stones and wood and (again according to Peter the guide )any new construction was required to retain the authentic look of the older architecture.

On our tour of the area, we stopped at Dove Cottage, the home of William Wordsworth. I was a bit bummed that we couldn't go in, but there wasn't time on our tour. I satisfied myself with seeing the outside of the house and peeking in the garden.

The highlight of our tour was a visit to Hill Top, the home of Beatrix Potter and the place that served as inspiration for the illustrations of some of her books. This home is a time capsule from Miss Potter's time there, full of her furniture and favorite things. For information about Hill Top Farm, go to: http://www.visitcumbria.com/amb/hilltop.htm