Day Six (From Wales to the Lake District to Carlisle)

Sarah Nelson's

---

We walked into the sweet smells of homebaked gingerbread where we bought a package of three pieces of gingerbread. When we walked outside we intended to sample one slice and save the other two, but the taste was so delicious we devoured the other two pieces as well. We walked back in and bought a couple tins of the stuff.

I see dead people

---

Right behind Sarah Nelson's Gingerbread joint was the local churchyard where Wordsworth and his family were buried.

Dead Poet Society

---

Once we found Mr. Wordsworth's grave we realized we had to hustle to get back to the bus on time. Even though we were in a hurry we still took time to stop for a gelato and potty break on the way back.

Stone circle

---

Back on the bus James was overwhelming Gail with suggestions of what we could do next. Apparently we had already pretty much done all the scheduled EF activities for the day. Instead of heading for our hotel in Carlisle where there wasn't supposed to be all that much to see and do, James was suggesting detouring to some of the lesser known sites in the region. Gail and I liked his idea of taking us to see an ancient stone circle nearby.

Just getting there is half the fun

---

This stone circle built by the Britons before the arrival of the Romans was truly out in the middle of nowhere. We got there on a narrown dirt road, then had to climb over a fence and navigate around piles and piles of sheep dip to get close. Meanwhile a flock of very shy sheep hovered nearby just out of reach. We tried to get close but they ran every time we drew near them.

A truly beautiful landscape

---

Yes, it was still stinkin' hot but I hardly noticed. The countryside here was really pretty and seemed so peaceful. We couldn't see any homes or farms anywhere nearby. I was very surprised that there were parts of England that were this isolated.

Looking for Hadrian's Wall

---

James got us back onto our air-conditioned bus and then suggested we take a look at Hadrian's Wall. This was the protective stone fence that the Romans constructed to keep the unconquerable Scots at bay. The wall graphically demonstrated the outermost extent of the Roman Empire. It stretched 73 miles across the breadth of Britain. Even though it marked the division of the Roman-influenced Britons from the "barbarian" tribes of Scotland, the wall is actually quite a few miles South of the current Scottish border. James and Mark seemed to have some difficulty finding a good view of the wall for us. We cruised back and forth paralleling the reamins of the wall, but we were unable to see much of it from the bus.

There it is!

---

We eventually pulled in to the parking lot of a government-run National Park site. By this time it was absolutely miserable outside the bus. With virtually no trees around for shade I was all for staying on the bus and observing what little I could see from inside our air-conditioned cocoon. James led us to the park's office building which was closing for the day. Behind it I could see a very long dirt path leading uphill through a pasture infested with sheep. At the top of the distant hill I could just make out a gray wall. the energetic kids in our group immediately broke into a run toward the hilltop. When I saw some of the folks that were even older than myself walking up the incline, I wasn't about to wimp out again. I was sweating like a pig when I finally made the crest of the hill, but the view was well worth it.

The fortifications

---

The Romans didn't just build a wall thinking that would keep the Scots away. They built a series of battlements strategically situated along the course of the wall. At this spot there were the remains of some sort of stone buildings. Since we didn't pay the admission price we were unable to read any brochures or signs that indicated what exactly these foundations were. I suspect it was part of Housestead's Fort.

On the other side of Hadrian's Wall

---

Much of the wall has been taken away by farmers and souvenir hunters over the years but there was still enough of it to get a sense of how magnificent an architectural feat this was. The views were excellent and the sight lines were perfect for defensive purposes. On the Scots side of the wall were these reamins of a round tower. My guess is that this may have been some sort of observation post out in no-man's-land.

The long walk back (but at least it's downhill)

---

Hopefully this will give some sense of how far we walked. Our bus is in a parking lot behind that grove of trees.

My room in the County Hotel in Carlisle

---

A little after 6:00pm we rolled into Carlisle. We checked into a typical, older English hotel called the "County". A couple of people in our group had been getting a little spoiled by the fancier hotels we had so far been staying at. To me this was a more "authentic" English-style hotel. A bit worn and definitely from another era, the carpets were a bit threadbare, the walls a little dingy, the rooms tiny and the bathrooms featured ancient plumbing. I was standing with my back against the opposite wall so you can see just how small my room was. I had no problems with it other than the lack of a/c which would be the case throughout our trip.

Another Telford Project

---

After a very nice dinner where we were actually offered a menu from which I chose a tasty chicken breast with mushrooms, we headed out on the town. Our hotel sat across the little square from Carlisle Citadel. Originally this was the main gate leading into the old city. In the 16th Century, the entrance was replaced by a fortress which had a central square tower flanked by round towers designed to house artillery. The purpose was to quell unrest caused by Henry VIII's move toward Protestantism and the dissolution of the existing Catholic Church. Three centuries later the ever-present Thomas Telford was called upon to restore and revitalize the deteriorating structure. It is his redesign that we see today.

Looking back at our hotel

---

Among Gail's many duties as tour leader is making sure the kids check in with their parent's from time to time. One of the kids seemed to have a problem getting in touch with her family so Gail spent the next few minutes helping her phone home. Meanwhile, Gail's mother and I took a walk toward the pedestrian-only shopping area. Just before we headed through Telfor's Citadel I turned around and took this photo of the little town square and the County Hotel on the corner.

English postbox

---

I had to get a photo of the local mailboxes in Carlisle.

Bustling downtown Carlisle

---

Even though it doesn't look late in this picture, the time was actually just past 9:30 when we reached the totally moribund center of the shopping district. We saw a number of well-known brand stores and some interesting window displays, but everyone seemed to have gone home hours before. It was time to grab a drink before bed.

A nice place for a pint

---

Walking back toward the hotel we caught up with Gail. She was ready for a drink too. We decided to stop in the pub that sat directly across the street from our hotel. The Griffin looked rather intriguing from the outside. It appeared to be a converted bank building.

Inside the Griffin

---

Gail and her mother were the only two women inside the rather large pub. The atmosphere was great. Even though this was obviously a bar you could still see remnants of its previous incarnation as a bank. The subdued lighting and dark wood along with a number of late 19th Century paintings created a romatic ambience. We spent a couple minutes sitting at our table soaking up the atmosphere before I remembered the British pub rule that you had to go to the bar and order your drinks - no table service. I ordered myself a pint of something dark and bitter, while Gail had a much lighter lager and Grandma ordered white wine. I was thrilled when the bartender said "sure thing, mate" as he filled my order. We nursed our drinks for about an hour before heading off to bed at around 11:00. Fortunately James wasn't rousting us until 8:00 the next morning.