We went on our Northern Tour this last week and in this one week I have fallen in love with the countryside. It was a week of inspiration, meditation, contemplation, and exclamation. I took a ton more pictures than what I'll be showing you here on the blog, but hopefully you'll be able to see why I fell in love so quickly.
York
York is a small little medieval town. At the heart of the town stands the large cathedral "York Minster." We attended Evensong together at this cathedral. I had never been to a service like that before and I was fascinated by it. We walked all around the little cobble stoned town drinking in the precious shops that looked almost too cute to be real. We went to the Medieval Barley Hall where they currently house a collection of period costumes from famous movies like Pride and Prejudice, Cranford, Elizabeth, Hamlet, Casanova, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Sweeny Todd, and The King's Speech. I loved learning about the different English fashions through the years. We also grabbed a leg of pork sandwich and strolled along the tops of the Roman walls.
 |
| This one is for Megan - Darcy and Elizabeth!!! |
On our way to Edinburgh, we stopped by Hadrian's wall near the city featured in Stardust called "Wall." Hadrian's wall marks the northern reaches of the Roman Empire. They couldn't go any further North because the wild Scots were quite the warriors. Apparently they would paint their bodies all blue before running into battle. We stopped at the ruins of an old Roman fort.
Edinburgh
For those of you who do not know, Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is situated on the eastern coast of the country. After we settled into our Hostel, we hiked Arthur's Seat. It is this small green mountain that is situated right in the middle of Edinburgh (pronounced Ed-in-burra). When we finally arrived at the top, it was as if we were on top of the world. The city stretched out on all sides and we had gorgeous views of the Firth of Forth and the Sea. It was beautiful.
We did quite a bit in Edinburgh including walking the Royal Mile, spying on the Queen's tea party, touring the catacombs with a Ghost Tour, The writer's museum, the National Gallery, and going through the Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is sitting on the cliff of this large volcanic rock. It is famous for being the birthplace of James I and subsequently the residence of Mary, Queen of Scots. I learned a lot here about Jacobites, the Lang Siege, and the impact of war on Edinburgh. The castle was pretty cool! I also highly recommend walking through the Gardens below the castle. It used to be a loch (lake), but it has been drained and turned into a park. There isn't a prettier spot to walk amongst the roses while listening to the fountain, the spinning carousel, and the children laughing on the playground.
 |
 |
Trying to lift the Cannon Balls at the Castle |
Driving into the Lake District was like driving into my own personal fairytale. The greenest mountains I have ever seen, moss covered trees and stone walls, waterfalls, streams, sheep, cows, sparkling glass-like Lakes, pinkish purplish Foxglove flowers all over, and ferns covering the ground like a Jurassic Park movie. It is just so lush and serene.A small group of us went on a little hike up to Jenkin's Crag.
What an experience! I felt like I was walking into a painting by Constable or Thomas Cole. I just couldn't stop marveling at the beauty and serenity. It is so peaceful. No one is in a hurry there. When we got to the crag, we looked out over the hills and Lake. Wow. That is all I can say. I couldn't help just shouting from the top of the hill. We sat there in sheer beautiful silence for a while. I can see why so many poets and writers come to the Lake District to be inspired. It inspired me. Maybe I'll post my poem I wrote while I was there...in a later post though.
We visited the Poet, William Wordsworth's, grave and two residences (Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount). We read some of his poetry out loud at his grave site. What an experience that was! I also read my poem out loud for the first time in his garden because I thought it was the perfect spot. When we headed to John Ruskin's home (Brantwood) it started to rain a bit. We had to leave the Bus in the parking lot and take the rest of the trip on foot because the country roads were too small. So there we were strolling through fields, cow pastures, and meadows with our umbrellas and rain jackets. The rain let up and we just lauhed as we literally walked through the cows and sheep (this was a pubic path by the way). I felt quite skilled at dodging mud and cow pies. Brantwood was well worth the small trek to get there!
We strolled through the wild gardens and I felt a bit like Anne of Green Gables. I couldn't stop imagining myself as a fairy or an Avatar for that matter. The rain misted on and off as we spent the hour exploring and taking in the nature. I have never been so deliriously happy. When it came time to start heading back, the rain began to pour! It reminded me of the song from Winnie the Pooh. This didn't stop us from heading off back to the coach. Luckily, I was prepared with my rain coat, umbrella, and tennis shoes! So there we were walking through cow pastures and fields in the pouring rain, but I couldn't have been happier. It was an experience to remember.
The next morning we went on a boat cruise around Lake Winderemere. Afterwards a group of us enjoyed a homemade Blueberry Scone with cream and jam. Oh happy life! We sat on the dock with our feet in the water. I've decided that I want to return to the Lake District on my Honeymoon, and if I end up an old unmarried maid, I am moving to the Lake District for a year, buying a cow and a cottage, and writing great works of poetry!
I can't explain it, but I feel as if those few days in the Lake District were made for me. I felt closer to Nature, I felt closer to God, and I felt closer to myself. I wasn't worried about anything...I was just living and enjoying. I don't know how to explain it, but I wish you all could have felt it. It made me yell off the top of a mountain and throw my face up towards to sky letting the rain drops dance across my face. That is the Lake District!
No comments:
Post a Comment