parting is such sweet sorrow

Ok, kids. Last night in England.

I fly home tomorrow. We leave the hotel at around 4:45 am to be exact.

What? Hotel? Did you say hotel? (that’s you, reader)

I sure gosh-darn did.

So we left Ambleside around 10 this morning and trudged drearily to the bus in a heavy down-pour. Some of our fellow travelers are in Copenhagen for a few days, so we had to carry their stuff too—made a sloshy wet mess of my shoes, trekking back and forth to the bus. Aren't I a good pal?

sadness at leaving good pals

Finally, it was all loaded, so we headed to Manchester. It was about a two hour drive but we arrived … at a hotel! A real actual hotel! Such luxury! Actually, it’s not—it’s not really even as good as Hampton Inn. It’s just so so so much nicer than where we’ve been staying!

We weren’t allowed to check in until three pm, so we lounged about, ordering coffee, making a general nuisance of ourselves, and descending upon the unsuspecting hotel staff like a plague of locus.

Can you tell I’m in a good mood? That’s because, after we checked in, I took a long bubble bath (eek! fresh towls!) and then watched British television. Which is really very odd—I don’t envy them their telly selection.

Around six thirty, we had a pretty nice dinner at the hotel restaurant—Caesar salad, lamb shank, date and toffee pudding. It was... decent, but much much nicer than what we’ve been having! I was grateful.

Goodnight friends. I’m settling into bed (one that has sheets!)

I am anticipating posting some behind-the-scenes pics when I get home, so this won't be the last blog post. But I want to say—thanks for reading. And following me on this journey. It’s been really grand. 

throwback to when nathaniel and i just couldn't take any "moor"

I will be glad to leave:

1) the rain 

2) the bland & starchy food (no one here has heard of salt)

3) the home-work 

4) gross hostel showers and sheet-less beds 

5) moving in an amorphous horde 

6) weirdly polite yet passive aggressive brits 

I will be sad to leave:

1) some of these people on this trip are really great

2) the tea and coffee culture here

3) scones with clotted cream and jam 

4) digestive cookies  

5) seeing cool things and doing cool stuff 

that one time we all were yellow high-lighters

we go on a climb, I take pictures

Today, I awoke late (yay sleeping in! what a novel concept!) and took coffee overlooking the lake. Wow. That may just be the most pretentious thing I’ve ever written.

I wasn’t feeling church, so I watched a Beth Moore sermon online with my peaches and some Greek yogurt, afterwards wondering about the youth hostel to find a shower that wasn’t cluttered with hair.

Feeling clean and fresh, I ambled into Ambleside, the small town about a mile from our youth hostel. I joined some friends of mine at a small café where we lunched on traditional English breakfast food and scones. I then united with Dr. Galbraith & Co for a hiking expedition around 2 pm.

Yesterday, a few of my peers hiked to one of the mountain peeks nearby, but I was exhausted/wearing ballet flats so I didn’t join. The Galbraiths and I endeavored to hike the same mountain this afternoon, however we somehow missed the turning point for the trail. 

we made a friend & fed him carrots

We ended up going up an entirely different mountain peak which involved trudging through swampy sponge ground, navigating slippery rocks, and hiking through a small creek. 

up the path the Galbraiths go!

and we continue to amble

It was quite fun and the view at the top was incredible.

what!

Then we hiked up another mountain before heading back down through sheep pastures.  Basically it was a pretty chill afternoon, I was just worried about twisting my ankle on some temperamental rocks.

through the... sheep pastures?

We headed back into the town around 5 and I gathered some groceries to take home for my family: digestives (a weird cookie/cracker hybrid), gummy babies, and Cadbury Oreo chocolate.

Got back to the hostel around six and greedily devoured dinner. Didn’t think I’d ever be thankful for hostel food, but you know. A four hour hike will do that to you, apparently.

Tonight is basically home-work and packing. One more day in the UK and then HOME.

all things wordsworth (plus an exciting run-in with gingerbread)

welcome to wordworth's manor, friends!

I went to bed last night praying, “Hey, God—can you just give me the strength and stamina for a few more days? I’m in England—I should be grateful and excited, but right now I’m just exhausted.”

Because, as my friend LucyRose put it: “We’ve been moving every few days, living out of our suitcases for two months, have no clue when/where our next meal will come from, have to adjust to culture while still doing school-work, are around people we don’t know super well so we can’t necessarily let our guard down, are rarely ever alone….It’s difficult.”

I guess I just didn’t realize how difficult it would be. It’s been a good trip. Really. Please don’t think I’m complaining—I realize I’m incredibly blessed/lucky to be able to do this…But it hasn’t been all roses and butterflies.

Anyways, I woke up well-rested thanks to the Benadryl my friend Jeff gave me. We boarded a bus at nine and headed out to Rydal Mount, William and Mary Wordsworth’s home for 37 years (1813-1850).

entry-way to rydal mount

 It was in this home that Wordsworth composed and published many of his poems, and the gardens surrounding the home were designed by Wordsworth and are a wonderful example of Romantic gardening. It’s nature seemingly run wild, yet carefully maintained. Rock paths meander through wooded forest, stone pools collect water, and long stretches of grassy fields glisten with morning dew.

garden path-way

We toured the house (which is still owned by Wordsworth’s descendants), checking out Wordsworth’s study, bedroom, living room, etc. 

wordsworth's personal library

wordy's favorite chair

Several pieces of original furniture are still in the home, as well as original paintings and manuscripts. It’s a beautiful country villa with incredible views—if I was Wordsworth, I’d have enough inspiration to compose masterpieces there too! 

beds of wordy & mary

The gardens were intricate mazes of greenery, and we spent a bit of time tripping around in them. There were hidden glens of rose bushes and green-houses full of delicate flowers. 

We sat in the tea garden for awhile, enjoying the scenery before heading into Grasmere, the small town by Wordsworth’s house.

We ate lunch at a local café before purchasing some (apparently very famous) gingerbread from a small store—Sarah Nelson’sGingerbread. It was literally a tiny room with a counter and shelves; two elderly ladies were packaging the ginger-bread and distributing it as fast as they could. I’ve never had anything like it—a sandy, flat cookie/bar, served warm and with small chunks of ginger hidden inside it. Fascinating and surprisingly delicious. I bought several and hope to bring them home to the fam (don’t worry, guys—you’re getting more than that. I bought some postcards for you too…) 

look at that scenery! views like this are on every side of the lake district

After that, we explored the town for a bit, popping into Wordsworth’s church where a Rushbearing ceremony was about to take place. Apparently, this has been a tradition since 1680, where the public was promised a pint of ale for bringing rushes to repair the church. We didn’t have time to stay for it, though, as we had another spot to head to: Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage.

dove cottage

Wordsworth and his wife Mary lived in Dove Cottage for the first few years of their marriage, and his three children were born there. It was much smaller than his later home—dark and cramped too. Apparently, it had been a pub in the 1700’s before being made into a house.

mary papered these walls to keep the room warm-- these are still her original newspapers!

dove cottage living room

There was a Wordsworth museum and I looked inside but I’m honestly a bit museumed out at the moment and, as my friend Nathaniel put it: “I don’t feel like looking at any more stuff.”

Took the bus back and am enjoying an empty hostel room to myself before dinner, which I think will be Thai food with some friends.

Tomorrow, I’m planning on hiking a trail with the Galbraith family and finishing the last few bits & pieces of my essays.

Feeling like I can make the final push! Cheers, folks!

hawthorne (bronte & moores) // ambleside

in which I conquer England and then promptly go back to America

Ok, first: two things.

1)   This week has been one heck of a week. Sorry I haven’t gotten to post much. I’ve been consumed with final exams and papers, and I didn’t do a whole lot from Monday to Wednesday.

2)   I am ready to go home. Beyond ready, actually. I just finished hauling my luggage up a three story non-AC lake-house and washing all my underwear in the hostel sink. I’ve been having an allergic reaction to SOMETHING this last week, and my eyes are red and itchy, my neck is breaking out in some sort of rash, and I’m perpetually congested. I’m emotionally, mentally, and physically drained. I miss my family and boyfriend and American food. Chipotle and Chick-fil-A sound so good right now…

But you don’t want to hear me complain. You want to know what I’ve been doing these last few days, right?

Monday: I might have left the hostel once or twice. Honestly, I was just working on papers and studying for exams. Sorry, nothing too exciting.

I popped into York briefly on Tuesday for lunch (four days of the York hostel serving the EXACT SAME (bland) THING for breakfast, lunch, and dinner gets a bit old) at Brew & Brownie again. Afterwards, my friends and I were feeling a bit indulgent so we headed to York Cocoa house for some rich hot chocolate. It was an adorable chocolate café, and the menu is literally a small book—you can order anything from a chocolate and goat cheese scone to Spanish drinking cocoa to cocoa-coated chicken. My three friends and I treated ourselves to a few cups of hot chocolate. It was absolutely delicious and food-coma inducing.

so many chocolatey choices

After that—it was crunch time.

Wednesday, after I finished exams, I walked into York by myself for lunch at Pret and then wondered around the city a bit. Found some wonderful antique store finds, bought some awesome soap at Lush, browsed some used book shops, and made it back in time for class. For dinner, I joined some friends for Indian food in the city. I called my friend who’s Punjabi, and she advised me what to order, so we ate family style, sharing the dishes. We were planning on going on a ghost tour (York is England’s most haunted city, apparently), but it started pouring and didn’t let up for awhile. Unfortunately, we weren’t prepared, so we trudged the mile back to the hostel in a dreary down pour. We were all grateful for the hot showers.

Thursday, we hopped in a bus and headed to Hawthorne, a small town on the Moors. It’s basically famous for one thing: the Bronte parsonage where Anne, Emily, Charlotte, and Branswell (their lesser known brother) resided and wrote their famous novels.  We toured the gardens, the church, and the graveyard behind the house. 

statue to the Bronte sisters

the Bronte house

We also saw the school where Charlotte taught. Inside the house, we weren’t allowed to take photos, however the home is well-restored and chock full of Bronte relics. The couch where Emily died is still there, and you can see their father’s magnifying glass and Anne’s writing desk as well as some of Brasnwell’s paintings and a few first editions of the Bronte’s books. It was an enjoyable experience.

I walked into the town in search of lunch where I ordered a veggie and hummus plate (fresh, healthy food-- what is that anymore?!) at a café before browsing the town with some friends. Unfortunately, due to a mistake on our part, we headed to the wrong spot to wait for the bus. We only realized it was the wrong place after we saw the bus pulling away a few blocks down the street. Yes—they left us. We got stranded in the middle of Hawthorne.

But it’s ok. We problem-solved and headed to a store to call a taxi who drove us the 10 minutes to the youth hostel. The youth hostel was a beautiful mansion built in the 1880’s by a wealthy factory owner. It changed hands several times before being transformed into a youth hostel in the 1970’s. It was large and rather spooky, but it had a ball-room and garden which was impressive.

the hawthorne hostel

We spent the afternoon hiking the moors, which are basically deserted waste-land, barren and rocky, stretching for miles with the occasional body of water pock-marking the land-scape. We climbed around on those for a bit which was pretty entertaining. 

to your left

to your right

stretching on for acres...

This morning, we boarded a bus and headed to Ambleside, the Lake District.

windermere lake

 Our hostel is right on the lake, so that’s a nice view.

ambleside hostel

We couldn’t check into our hostel yet, so we took a boat to a small town on the other side of the lake and spent the afternoon wondering around there. It was a cute touristy town, but I was honestly just exhausted so after browsing a bit, I bought some peaches and iced coffee and sat on a bench in the sun.

i made a friend. he liked my rice cakes.

The bus ride back was nice, calming and warm. 

Dinner: flavorless mushy vegetables in a gray (gray! how did they get the color gray?!) sauce over rice. I can't. 

Tomorrow, we’re headed to explore Wordsworth’s houses. And then—Manchester. And then—home.

You have no idea how bad I want to be home right now.

york (in which I play hookey, eat real bacon, & tour york minster)

This morning I woke up a bit cranky with quite a headache. Not a fun way to start off. After a hurried breakfast, we (our group of 35ish) marched along the river into York. 

york, york minster in background

The goal was to attend the Sung Eucharist at York Minster and I fully intended to, even though I really didn’t relish the thought of another Anglican service, but when I walked into the building, it was so crowded that I just couldn’t do it. I whispered to my friend—“Wanna ditch?” And he agreed, so we darted out of the cathedral and into a small café called Brew & Brownie.

It ended up being a very good decision, for the café was absolutely lovely and we found out later the service was 2 ½ hours long (they were ordaining new deacons, apparently). For all those concerned about my soul, don't worry-- I read my Bible. Hebrews chapter 2, to be exact.

 

Anyways, I fell in love with the café. It served me an excellent Flat White along with a fruit scone, butter, and jam. Jeff chowed down on a huge stack of “American pancakes” with “streaky bacon”—which is actually REAL bacon. See, if you order bacon in England, you get a slice of ham. We discovered the secret—ask for “streaky bacon.” It’s a lot tastier than it sounds, believe me. 

a man & his pancakes are a beautiful thing

Afterwards, we wondered through the city of York. It’s a big city with a small town feel, and I was really digging it. A bit touristy in parts, but tons of side-streets and alleys to duck into and explore. 

i may have gotten a bit carried away...

this guy, doing his thing

Used bookstores, antique shops, and cafes are in abundance here, and Jeff and I found quite a few unique places, as well as the regular Urban Outfitters and Topshop. 

street side tea sampling

the bowler, a vintage fashion store

We just enjoyed the sights and sounds of the street for a bit, meandering up and down, checking out art galleries with Japanese prints, tea-shops, and bakeries. The Imaginarium, The Bowler, Yorkshire Soap Company stood out as some of the highlights. 

imaginarium

york soap company-- these are all soaps!

Around two, we headed back to York Minster Cathedral for a tour, which ended up just being a self-lead walk-around kind of thing. 

look at all that gothic architecture

It is the second largest Gothic Cathedral of Northern Europe, and it has quite a history. A church has stood there since 627 AD, and most of the one that stands there now was built in the 1200’s and 1300’s. It has survived fires, looting, and other natural disasters, and stands as a testament to Gothic architecture. The organ and stone carvings were beautiful, and the stain glass was marvelous as well. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day, so we didn’t get to see the sun streaming through, which is always my favorite part.

the organ

We were going to head up the tower, but realized it was five pounds extra, and I didn’t feel like paying for a ticket. I ducked down into the crypt for a look-around before Jeff, Chris, and I headed back to the hostel. However, it started to rain, so we took shelter in a tea shop, ordering a Nutella milkshake and a pot of spicy chai tea.

 After the rain abated, we walked back along the river-front, arriving at the hostel around four. Tonight is going to be home-work central, unfortunately.

Thanks for reading, folks. 

Cheers!

By the way, I really love the use of the word “cheers” in this country. It can mean “hello, goodbye, thanks, etc” and the Brits toss it about cheerfully. It’s really something I enjoy and will try to implicate when back in the states. Watch out, fellow Americans.

castle howard

welcome to castle howard!

Today, we left Cambridge around 9:15 am for a rather long bus ride. The estimated time was three hours, but around 12:30, the bus came to a very narrow road with a very small gate. The tour bus had to pull some pretty incredible maneuvers to turn around on a small country road, take a few windy back-roads, and arrive at the Castle Howard by 1 pm.

Needless to say, we were all sick of being on the bus as well as starving. There were several cafes, but Sophie and I opted for a small general store, where we bought a picnic breakfast of focaccia bread, brie cheese, cherry tomatoes, blackberries, and a brownie. We sat in the stable yards and munched contentedly.

After we were satiated, I set off to explore the Castle Howard. The Howard family has lived there ever since it was built over 300 years ago, but the gardens and house are still open to the public. Apparently, the film Brideshead Revisted was filmed there, so there was some movie memorabilia about. 

hello, castle

the entry-way

Only a small section of the actual castle was available to the public, but the house was gorgeous. Long stone hall-ways filled with Greek and Roman busts, elegant marble stair-cases, gorgeous bed-rooms with beautiful wall-paper, four-poster beds, thousands of paintings… 

bed-room

the chapel

the grand entry-way

The Grand Hall-way was an incredible dome, decorated with carvings, murals, and stretching up three stories high. The stone chapel was ornate and beautiful—it was a surprise to me that there was a chapel attached to the house.

I made my way out to the grounds, circling around the well-manicured Boar gardens where stretches of perfectly trimmed grass stretch out endlessly, and the expansive countryside is laid out before you like a map. 

the boar garden

I then headed into the Rose Gardens where pathways lead you round hedges and lattices laden with roses: pink, yellow, white, red, and everything in between. There were secret corners where lovers lounged, picnicking, Greek statues of mythical creatures, and giant lawns with koi fountains. The entire air was a heady breeze of delicious floral scents, the sun shone down gently, and the breeze was in perfect proportion. It was, as they say, a lovely day. 

rose gardens

and more rose gardens

Next, I headed to the Atlas Fountain, a huge fountain in the Castle’s backyard. 

the atlas fountain, castle in background

the view across the lake

I then headed towards the lake, taking a path around it to reach my desired destination—the Temple of the Four Winds. After a few failed attempts, I tried to cross a bridge which ended up being much more slippery than I thought. I splashed into the lake, soaking my feet and the lower half of my skirt. Managing to collect my dignity, I hiked uphill where I final found the Temple. 

the four winds temple

The mindset of the rich is quite amusing. “Oh, we’re bored—let’s just build another garden/temple/statue” seems to be the attitude. Anyways, after that, I headed back to the stable to meet up with the group.

and one more beautiful shot!

Afterwards, we boarded a bus and headed to York hostel, where we’ll be chilling for the next few days. It’s a nice town and a large, spacious hostel—something I’m grateful for, because Cambridge was cramped!

Tomorrow is Eucharist at Yorkminster and a walking tour. I’ll update when I can—lots of things due in the next few days.

Thanks for reading, friends!