I'm afraid I've confused my readers (both of you) by posting "back-dated" entries on the blog. Sorry to have fallen behind, but I tried to put things from Greece, Turkey, and Prague on the approximate dates the events occurred, not the dates of the actual posts.
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| Dove Cottage, Wordsworth's home |
On Saturday, May 12 we set out early by motor coach with the students for two days in the Lakes District, studying Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter, and other British authors who were inspired by that countryside. The plan was for a relatively relaxing trip, given that the students have many exams and papers coming up.
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| Wordsworth's view of Lake Grasmere -- some large buildings added after his time. |
At Grasmere, we visited Dove Cottage & the William Wordsworth Museum. Students learned about this man who wrote poems about nature and living a simple life close to the land. They also learned that Wordsworth was what would be known today as "a male chauvinist pig," allowing his sister, wife, and sister-in-law to care for all his needs (and those of his many poetic house guests) while he looked at the lake and thought deep, romantic thoughts. He even ripped off lines wholesale from his sister's diary! What a guy.
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| Beatrix Potter's Hill Top Farmhouse |
We moved on to Hill Top Farm outside of Hawkshead, the farm purchased by the young Beatrix Potter with the profits from her first big hit in children's literature,
The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Here they learned of women's revenge against chauvinism, as Potter, who became wealthy enough to own a number of farms in the area, kept this one to herself as her own, private "women's only" creative sanctuary -- not even allowing her husband to live there (she kept him in another place, across the road)!
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| Some of our students enjoying the ferry ride across Lake Windermere |
Having learned all about the 19th century battles of the literary sexes, the coach deposited us on the shores of Lake Windermere, just outside of Ambleside.
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| Ambleside YHA |
Here, the Youth Hostel Association has converted a defunct, early 20th century resort into a very nice hostel with a gorgeous lake view.
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| View from the window of our hostel room |
Most of the students elected to follow Mary and I on a short hike around the north side of the lake, past the ruins of a Roman fort, and into town for dinner. Then, all enjoyed a relaxing evening by the lakeside.
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| Hiking along the lake |
On Sunday morning, after a great breakfast at the hostel, we loaded the coach for a visit to the Castlerigg Stone Circle. Most people think of Stonehenge when they think about English stone circles. Our students have learned that there are hundreds of such circles, and nowhere more than here in Cumbria, where the lakes and hills inspired the spirits of ancient hunter-gatherers, just has they have inspired poets and authors in more recent centuries.
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| Castlerigg Stone Circle |
We enjoyed a two hour hike around Lake Buttermere, despite cold, wind, and the occasional sprinkle, and also a scenic drive in the coach through the starkly beautiful Honister Pass.
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Hiking around Lake Buttermere
[student photo] |
After a short time on their own in the village of Keswick, it was onto the coach for the ride home and back to their studies.
2 comments:
As half of your readership, I can report only modest confusion as to how you were finding enough time amidst the high seas and constant buffets to write and post such detailed entries. The backdating was conveniently hidden by my RSS reader.
The Lake District was the final house trip for our group in 1998 as well. I think we stayed at the same hostel, in fact. One highlight of that trip was a member of our group (not me, seriously) disrobing and jumping into the lake from the end of the pier in front of the hostel, followed by a mad streak in the crisp night air to the hostel room (again, let me stress again this was NOT me).
That was the era of naked soccer at Luther, I believe, so it only stands to reason that the behavior would have found its way across the pond.
Actually, not our last trip. Tune in tomorrow for one more.
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