Monday 21 March 2016

Lake District: 10/10

A couple of weekends ago, I had the distinct pleasure of going on the Lake District trip with the school, and let me tell ya, it was a breath of fresh air, guys.

I'm talkin' actual, wonderful, mountainous, fresh air.

Travelling to big cities every weekend can wear a human out. (Specifically, this human.) Even though every city is completely different, a lot of city travel is the same wherever you go: subways, busy city centers, museums, castles, cathedrals, etc. Don't get me wrong – I absolutely love it, but Lake District was exactly the spice my travel diet needed.

Lake District is a gorgeous little bit of England, complete with lakes (of course) and mountains and ghylls and gingerbread and villages. All the outdoorsy things you wanna do – you name it, and they've got it.

Now, I know what you may be thinking- "I can do outdoorsy stuff in the States!" Well, yeah, you can go canoeing and mountain biking in Kentucky or Indiana or wherever you're from, but you can visit museums and get lost on public transportation systems in the States, too. Besides, Lake District has so much more, people!

Can you go ghyll scrambling in the States? (NO.) A ghyll is basically a stream on steroids. It flows downhill down a mountainside, and lots of waterfalls and rocks are involved. Ghyll scrambling is pretty much just climbing up a waterfall, and it's exhilarating. The water is lowkey freezing as h*ck, but it's actually okay because you'll definitely lose feeling in your feet after about five minutes in the water and the rest of your body will be burning up because of the intense workout you're getting in. Also, you may find yourself wondering if it's actually safe for you to be doing this, which just adds to the thrill of it all (don't worry – I'm pretty sure the guides are trained and stuff). Ghyll scrambling is a hardcore must-do for most Lake District-goers, and I would highly recommend it. Climbing up a waterfall is probably one of the most accomplishing things a human can do – next to completing British Studies exam (except you don't walk away from the waterfall in despair).

Okay, so how about Grasmere gingerbread? Since Grasmere is actually a place in England, no, you can't get this stuff in America. It's sold at a teeny tiny little gingerbread shop right next to a lil graveyard, and it will shatter all of your current conceptions of gingerbread. Little gingerbread men? LOL, no. People RAVE about this stuff, and if ginger is your thing, then you better buy yourself a 12-pack because you'll love it. (As for myself, let's just say it was an experience.)

Now, what about those English villages??? I'm pretty sure these only exist in England. I could be wrong, TBD. The villages in the Lake District are THE picturesque English village you were imagining before you came to England. They're similar to Harlaxton village, but they actually have stuff to do! (!!!!) Ambleside is where our hostel was located, and it was adorable. There are so many cute, locally-owned shops to check out! Windermere is another great village in the Lake District; it's located about halfway down Lake Windermere so it has a lot going on. Let me tell ya, I betcha didn't think that Lake District could be a place to drop a lot of money in the shops, but some serious shopping was done here.

Of course, we can't forget about the spectacular views that the Lake District as to offer. I'd show you the pictures I took, but the fog was really intense during my visit so my pictures are actually horrible. Google Lake District and check out those images – WHOA BABY. THIS IS A REAL PLACE, AND YOU CAN GO WITH HARLAXTON COLLEGE.

Seriously, guys, 10/10, highly recommend. There's a reason why Lake District is the biggest college-led weekend trip (besides London, of course_ – BECAUSE IT"S AWESOME.

YAS.

Written by: Lindsey Moore

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