6 Weeks in the English Lakes: Photos and Literary Quotes

Mac and I spent several weeks in the English Lake District -- home of poet William Wordsworth and Peter Rabbit author Beatrix Potter, among others -- as an escape from the empty nest left when our youngest set off for college. We chose it for the simple reason that it was to be the setting for my next novel. We had no idea what a magical place it was until we got there, or how steeped it was in English literature and art. Over the next six weeks, I'm going to run a series of short posts -- sometimes no more than a captioned photo or a snippet of literature -- to share this world.

Wordsworth called the English Lake District "the loveliest spot that man hath found." He made his home there, first at Dove cottage in Grasmere, and later at a home overlooking neighboring Rydal Water called Rydal Mount. Later this week I'll share a map of the area, but for today I want to keep the focus on Worldsworth and this photo of Rydal Water, where he often walked. As you can see even through my bumbling camera hands and this unenhanced photograph, it's a gorgeous place. - Meg