The Lake District

On Saturday, we made our way to the Lake District. As we approached Ambleside, Lake Windermere came into view. Our hostel was right on the lake. After dropping our stuff off, most of the people in my room decided to go for a small hike to a nearby waterfall. It was nice to spend so much time outside enjoying the gorgeous views.

Despite the gloomier weather on Sunday, I still had a great day. We went to Dove Cottage and Allen Bank, where the Wordsworths lived for a time, as well as the Wordsworth Museum. Seeing the views that inspired their works allows one to see the works in a different light. Even in the mist and fog, there was a certain beauty about the landscape. The clouds hung low between the stout pastoral mountains. It is impossible not to be moved by the views. While at the Wordsworth Museum,we had the opportunity to look at the manuscripts of letters and writings by William Wordsworth, Dorothy Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. We had fun trying to interpret their handwriting to read the manuscripts. Reading the letters made me want to write letters. Letter writing has become another dying art. The museum also had a collection of first editions of books, including Shelley's Frankenstein.