So on Thursday afternoon, our family friend Matthew drove up from Weston Super Mare to spend less than 48 hours with me and take me to the airport. It was very kind of him and good to see him after 11 years. I wondered if I would recognize him but he hasn’t changed all that much. We had a really lovely time. He is a very gracious host.
After a nice bowl of soup and cup of tea at the Rydal Hall Tea Room we were on our way to Dove Cottage, the early home of Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. We hiked the long way around by the lake which offered some really enchanting panoramas as well as some cosy cottages and some rather grand houses to admire before we came to a hotel that reminded me very much of HGTV. We just stopped to use the bathrooms but someone had mentioned there was a nice hotel on the lake to have tea so we inquired and sure enough this was the place. I don’t recall the name of this establishment,but in one of their cozy sitting rooms they had a shelf with three flying ceramic pigs. Maybe someone back east bet them they could never pull off opening a gasthaus in England…but it appears they’ve done so!
The tea was really nice and the ice cream, called cinder toffee was delicious. The view was serene. I guess I had expected it to be an outdoor type of patio setting so I was disappointed that it was indoors but since the temperature was cool, it was probably best. We had the whole place to ourselves. Everyone who worked there seemed to be Russian and we asked if it was a family business and they said it was. They were kind and attentive without being overbearing.
We walked on to Dove Cottage after running into my friend Kristina, who pointed us in the right direction; we just made the last tour. It was just us and a mother and her young daughter which was good as it wasn’t very spacious, as the name implies. It was dark downstairs but pretty light and airy upstairs. The docent was knowledgeable, the artifacts interesting and I was able to find a nice book of children’s poems for Alex and I to read during school. We hadn’t time for the museum but the tickets were good for a year so we came back the next day.
We caught the bus back to Rydal Hall so that I was in time for afternoon tea (because one tea is never enough!) Matthew went back to his hotel for the night, which was just down the street and I was able to catch the final evening wrap-up session of the conference. Dinner was, of course, served promptly at 6:30 and after dinner we had last opportunities to interview the speakers. It was almost over and I was not ready to leave. Maybe I was not ready for that 23 hour flight back! I wished the family were with me and we could stay another week.
Friday after breakfast we took lots of photos together and said our goodbyes. Some people were leaving straightaway, other staying on for a few days in other parts of England. Matthew and I decided to see Rydal Mount, the later home of Wordsworth and then go back to Dove Cottage for the museum. We met my friend Cindy at Rydal Mount and since she had no firm plans she decided to catch a ride with us back to Manchester when we were ready to leave. Beatrix Potter’s House and the museum were both closed, which was a disappointment but there was an sweet attraction in Windermere of three-D scenes from the books. It was really quite well done and all indoors except the small garden. It was fun for children and adults. We took lots of pictures and lived our second childhoods. Jeremy Fisher, Jemima Puddleduck, Mrs. Tiggy Winkle and of course, the illustrious Peter Rabbit. It was a fun afternoon and we ended with Tea (which I shouldn’t have drank since it was so late in the afternoon). Cindy toppled her tea and we had a bit of a mess to clean up but no harm done.
We had a curvy ride to Manchester to drop Cindy off at the same hotel I stayed at upon arrival.Let’s just say we took some Dramamine, both Cindy and I. I hope M. didn’t get offended… Cindy stayed at the Radisson Blu which is where I stayed when I came in. M. and I stayed at Premium Inn which was really nice and cost much less. Too bad I couldn’t sleep since I drank tea at 4 pm…. 2 cups. Yes I know that was brilliant. M. kept drinking herbal tea but I was not smart enough to follow suit. Lesson Learned! We spent the rest of the night after dinner trying to get me checked in via British Airways technology that was glitchy. We called in Chad about 10:30 and he couldn’t fix it either. So we all went to bed. But Friday was a really nice day. I just know next time to try to not to schedule such an early flight! I had to be at the airport by 5:30 the next morning. YUCK. Sometimes when you are traveling so far there is not much choice. I was sad to leave but eager to get home to the family! I do hope that all of us can go back when we don’t live so far away.
Decidedly Different 