To Her Fair Works Did Nature Link The Human Soul That Through Me Ran ...

After leaving Edinburgh, we traveled to the island of Lindisfarne, also called the "Holy Island". It is a place steeped in Celtic history, a place where monks and saints once lived and created the basis for their mission to the pagan people in surrounding Northumbria. Their history is very important to them there, and all the islanders know and respect the stories of St. Aiden and St. Cuthbert.

A unique thing about this island is that it is totally dependent on the tide. At high tide, the road is covered by the sea, and impassible, trapping those on the island, on the island until the morning, and low tide, comes. It was a wonderful place to stay--very idyllic and welcoming, and we stayed in a bed and breakfast that had comfortable beds and a home cooked dinner.

In the morning at low tide I walked about gathering sea glass, enjoying how much slower life goes when you are not in the city.

We only stayed a night there, and went on to Durham, the sight of England's greatest Roman style cathedral. The town of Durham almost felt like the Edina of Minnesota--kind of ritzy and rich. The Cathedral itself was beautiful, and we attended evensong there. It was amazing to hear the huge, open building fill with the sound of the choir.

Durham was also a one night stay, and finally we came to the Lake District. Along the way, we stopped at Hadrian's Wall, a stone wall built by some king long ago to mark the border of the northern Roman empire. We got to hike along it in the wind and the rain, up and down steep rocky inclines with beautiful views at the top.

Now I am in the Lake District, which was one of the draws for me for coming on this trip. We are staying in a town called Keswick, right in the heart of all the mountains (called fells), which are splashed in purple heather and covered with pine forests. The town kind of feels like a Colorado town, with many outdoors shops and focus on getting out and exploring the Lakes.

We visited the house of William Wordsworth, poet, a necessity for us literature nerds. We had an outdoor activities day, guided by outdoor adventure guides. Although it was downpouring and freezing, we built canoe rafts and took them out on Derwentwater Lake. After, we got to do archery and orienteering. The best part about this day was wearing the "waterproofs" (rain jackets and pants) and "wellies" (rain boots). We all looked strange. That was enjoyable for me.

Today I hiked up around the area, saw some breathtaking views of the surrounding fells, and walked through a field with sheep and black horses. My life is complete!