Home of William Wordsworth

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Geo: 54.4592, -3.02509

July 2, 2010

York, England

6:00-11:00 a.m.

Had a good night's sleep after the relaxing swim. Breakfast was at 6:30 a.m. The typical breakfast buffet items have been soft fried eggs, runny mushy scrambled eggs, 2-3 types of sausages, has brown wedges, grilled tomato halves, baked beans, cooked mushrooms, assorted fruits, breads, and cereals. I tried the scrambled eggs, but they were unappealing. I usually get the eggs, hash browns, bread, and a cereal mixture that I make with rice crispies and frosted flakes. Milk is not seen as a morning drink, so I have been drinking some orange juice or water. I finished and then went to wait in a very nice room off from the dining area. With its many windows and having a door that I can open to the fresh air, I could see building one of these onto the back part of mom and dad's house. You feel like you are in the outdoors, but with the comfort of furniture and protection from the elements. This comes in handy when it is raining, like it is this morning. It rained over night, and it is cool and cloudy with a light breeze. At 8:00 a.m. we made our way northwest towards Grasmere, England, the birthplace of poet William Wordsworth. The weather began to clear up before getting there. We passed over the River Ure and the town of Thirsk, the home of novelist James Elliott. At 9:10 a.m. we made a pit stop at rest stop in a town called Scotch Corner for about 15 minutes. As we traveled along we passed rolling hills of pasturelands or cows and of course sheep, a ruin of a Norman castle, and the former mining town of Thrillkill.

Lake District

Grasmere, England

11:00-2:15 p.m.

We stopped for 1 hour to visit the family plot of the Wordsworth family. The little village is very quaint and very English looking. They had a small river running through the town over a stone bridge. Many ducks of all ages were swimming and floating along the banks. The stores were small, but had many items from another local novelist, Beatrix Potter. We had time for a quick bite, and I'm still leery of the ham and cheese paninis that are offered for sell. They are pre-wrapped and refrigerated, but they are in the open air. So, I ordered a small side of chips (fries). I bought postcards and magnets and then headed back to the bus. About 1:30 p.m. we drove through the town of Carlisle and passed the Carlisle Castle. Then we crossed into Scotland.

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