Smultron mellan blåbär: The Lake District

Good news, the train from London to the Lake District only takes about five and a half hours. When I tell that to British people, though, they think it's super long! I din't get any pictures from the moving train, since they would not have turned out very well. And it was always moving—no long stops like on US trains. Scenery through the corridor between Birmingham and Manchester was not very exciting; it reminded me of Iowa, actually, but north of Lancaster we got into very picturesque territory. Feeling grateful for noise-cancelling headphones, since this train car had crying babies and toddlers with noisy toys, here's part of my soundtrack during the journey: The Kinks, "See My Friends"; Jethro Tull, "Cup of Wonder"; George Martin and The Beatles, "Pepperland"; Led Zeppelin, "Bron-Yr-Aur"; The Idle Race, "Come With Me". I only had to change trains once and made my connections even though the train was running a bit late! On the bus I learned that you don't need to say Lake Windermere or Lake Grasmere because mere means lake. On Thursday morning I took the ferry from Bowness Nab. It takes about ten minutes to cross from Bowness to Far Sawrey. From there, I walked to Hilltop—the cottage Beatrix Potter used as her art studio in Near Sawrey. It was kind of wet, and I think it got on my camera lens in some of these photos.

Windermere

Friendly kitty

Kendal Mint Cake: pure sugar

This way to the ferry!

View of Windermere

Walking path

Irresistible sheep

Leaves are starting to turn

Yes, the path goes THROUGH the sheep field!

Hilltop Cottage

Near Sawrey

Amazing dry stone walls!

Growth on the walls

Flourishing lichens

And succulents!

I LOVED the walk to Hilltop! Seeing the sheep fields, dry stone walls, and cottages, somehow I felt right at home. I can well understand why Beatrix Potter liked this area so much. I didn't mind the rain, but the downside was that there was no dry place to sit. I would have liked to stop longer in the garden with my knitting. There was also a sweet little creek with a bench along the way. Still didn't see any hedgehogs, though! I guess you really have to keep a sharp eye out for them. Red squirrels as well. Many visitors I saw at Hilltop were international. There was a Danish family, a mother and daughter from Sweden, a German couple, and a Japanese family. I spent the day on Friday in Grasmere, taking the bus through Ambleside and past Rydal. I didn't have time to stop—or rather, alight, as the automated voice on the bus says—but those are definitely places I want to explore more. Just do a search for Rydal and you will see the beautiful lake! I really enjoyed my visit to Dove Cottage, too. The view is changed now from the early 1800s with the more recent (haha) Victorian houses built across the road, but they've attempted to restore the garden-orchard behind the house. I felt most connected standing in the kitchen where I could imagine Dorothy Wordsworth baking bread. I picked up a copy of her journals in the shop. An entry from October of 1802 reads: 'It is a breathless grey day that leaves the golden woods of Autumn quiet in their own tranquility, stately & beautiful in their decaying, the lake is a perfect mirror.' My ticket is good all year, so that gives me an excuse to visit again!