The English Lakes - Be Inspired. (Lake District)

Member Name: somonte

Product:	Lake District
Date:	25/07/06 (210 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Spectacular scenery, picture-book villages, poetic inspiration, and delicious gingerbread.

Disadvantages: Fickle weather conditions. Can be busy in the summer months.

My first visit to the Lakes some eight years ago took me completely by surprise. I had not expected such breathtaking scenery, although I knew the area abounded in lakes. Indeed, the only thing that might be described as 'typical'was the weather, with its extreme changeability.
My second visit made this July just gone, was far more fortunate weatherwise. I have travelled in Europe, and seem some sublime places including the Austrian Alps, and also the Dolomites as we travelled over the Brenner Pass into Italy. On those foreign trips I was always impressed by the sheer majesty and height of the mountains and the vastness of the Lakes.
So what is it about the English Lake District that makes it so special for me? After all, the Lakes' mountains are of much more modest height than their European counterparts and the lakes are small enough to remind me of lakes rather than miniature 'seas.' It is not just the accessibility of the Cumbrian peaks that make them so special, the fact that they can be conquered without the effort of a major expedition. They are also spectacularly beautiful, both in colour and degree of individuality, possessing all the other characteristics one would associate with mountains. Their size and grandeur never fails to impress and yet they are mountains very much on a human scale
The lakes are the same. They are large enough to admire, small enough to be able to see the reflections of the distant shores when the lake is still. All this just adds to the sheer colour and variety of the scenery. Little wonder then, that the Lakes have inspired some of our greatest poets and artists. The scenery possesses a strange quality of light and shade all of its own.
This makes a visit to the Lakes a 'must' for all connisseurs of beautiful scenery, and there are some excellent areas for climbers as well. As well as a host of outdoor activites, such as walking, scrambling, boating and mountain biking, which this beautfiul National Park offers in abundance, the visitor can also find some excellent restaurants, particulary in the hotels. And don't forget the tea houses which also stock some delicious local delicacies.
If one gets to visit the pretty little village of Grasmere, Sarah Nelson's famous gingerbread shop is well worth a visit. I guarantee, even if you don't like gingerbread, this mouthwatering delicacy is still worth a try. The gingerbread is cooked on the premises to a secret recipe and is extremely moreish. I moment I tried some I was hooked. the village churchyard also has a famous resident, being the burial place of William Wordsworth. This famous poet can be found in the place where you are likely to see a number of people standing, looking at his grave.
Ambleside is also another worthwhile town to visit. There are a number of good restaurants and two cinemas. We had a fine evening out at the local Pizzeria for a very reasonable price. They offered a three-course meal downstairs with a film of our choice upstairs in the cinema for the price of fifteen pounds and ninety-five pence per person (2006 prices). We thought that a good bargain for a whole evening's entertainment. And the menu is not limited to just pizzas.
Ambleside also offers a miniature golf-course, a bowling green, tennis and trips on Lake Windermere. Oh, and don't forget Stockghyll Force, particularly after it has just rained.
There is also a great deal more to see and enjoy in the Lakes, which this article could not cover. So perhaps I should leave the reader with a few lines from the Lake District's bard - being a lover of poetry.

'There was a time
When meadow, grove and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
Did seem to me
Apparalled in celestial light.
The glory and freshness of a dream.'

W. Wordsworth.

Summary: Scenery, outdoor pursuits, entertainment, good food were the most important points in this article.