On 7th June 2010, we woke up to a dreary and gloomy morning in Ambleside; it was drizzling lightly, and the ominous dark clouds spoke of more rain throughout the day, but we managed to lift our spirits to enjoy the trip fully. After breakfast, we had a hard and torturous time dragging our luggage down the 3 levels of stairs of Ambleside Youth Hostel as there weren't any lifts. However, since the hostel was situated right by the lake it had a certain poignant ambience.
Ambleside Youth Hostel
The pier in front of the hostel
After a short ride on the coach with our new yet friendly driver, Mark, we reached the Dove Cottage which was William Wordsworth's first house. We attended a short workshop, where we were introduced to Romanticism in poetry, the different themes that dominated the poetry written by the Romantic poets such as the importance of personal experience, the influences of nature on man and vice versa and understanding the way a person's mind works. We were also introduced to famous Romantic poets such as Percy Shelley, John Keats and William Blake. The class was livened up by the game Bingo we played. It was not only fun, it was also a challenge that helped us gain knowledge at the same time on Romanticism.
At the Romantic Poets workshop at Dove Cottage
We were then brought around the house by our guide, Kristy. There, we learnt the habits of William Wordsworth and other people in the past, like why they did not wash up as often as we do now. This is because they believed the layer of grease accumulated on their skin helped to protect their body from germs and bacteria, and thus reduced their chances of getting infected by diseases. We also learnt a lot of facts about the Wordsworth family like how they lived, who they lived with, the ways they solved problems so differently from how we do in the present.
After touring the house, we went for a walk in the large, scenic garden. It had many different species of flowers and plants, which were extremely colourful and beautiful. The daffodils were especially beautiful! Climbing up the stone steps, we could view the house and nearby ones clearly. We were awestruck at the fantastic view and stopped for quite a while to snap some pictures. We saw a replica of a small pavilion that William Wordsworth had built at the highest point of his garden, where he got his inspiration for his poems.
Walking up the trail to the top of the hill
Wordsworth would have sat in a similar pavilion
This is the view Wordsworth would have seen, except the house in the background hadn't been built then and he would have had a clear view of the lake.
After having some Cornish Pasties for lunch we drove back to the jetty where our hostel was and took a cruise on Lake Windemere to Bowness. The ride was relaxed and breezy although the stormy clouds were a constant fixture in the sky.
All ready for the ferry ride!
The clouds were dark and ominous but luckily we only encountered a drizzle and could stay dry under our umbrellas.
It was a long coach ride to our new travel lodge, with a break in between to stock up on water and some snacks. We were allowed to settle our own dinner with a refund of 10 pounds and then all of us went to the nearby Tesco where we did a little grocery shopping for fruit and 'retail therapy'. Finally, we went back to our rooms at the Travel Lodge for a good night's rest in order to charge up energy for the next day of fun.
Written by: Si Ying
