This last weekend I had a homestay in Cumbria. We got on a bus and drove 2 1/2 hours from Edinburgh. The bus ride was breathtakingly beautiful, giving us the chance to see the Scottish countryside at sunset.
Everyone in our group was given a family to stay with for the weekend. Megan (another girl in the group) and I were assigned to Judith’s home, outside the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland. Judith lives on a large farm with horses, sheep, cats, and a dog. Her house was originally built in the 17th century, revealed by the stone exterior and thick walls.
She heated one main room off the kitchen, and so I spent most of my time in that room in front of the wood stove! There were beautiful old paintings and portraits throughout the house that Judith said had been passed down through the family. Her family at one point had been land caretakers for the Royal Family.
Judith was absolutely lovely, and very welcoming. She gave Megan and I beautiful rooms and bathrooms in a separate wing of the house. Friday night I was a little afraid because I didn’t know if there were ghosts and I was starting to freak myself out, but when I asked her about it Sunday morning she assured me there were not. Saturday I met up with the other families in the area to go to the Lake District National Park, made famous by several authors, including William Wordsworth. I wasn't prepared for how GREEN and lush it was going to be!
We hiked around a beautiful waterfall.
Then we took a rowboat on a big lake surrounded by mountains.
It was a cold and beautiful sunny day, and I had a lot of fun exploring the Lake District. We also stopped and saw Castlerigg Standing Stone Circle, estimated to be built around 3000 BC-- one of the earliest stone circles in Britain. The circle was in a picturesque place surrounded by sheep and beautiful mountainous scenery.
Saturday night I got to meet Judith’s daughter Gemma who came in from London. We had fish and chips for dinner, it was my first time eating “real” fish and chips! I ate it the traditional way, with salt and vinegar. We ate in front of the wood burning stove and watched “X-Factor,” a the British version of American Idol. It is VERY popular here!
Sunday morning we all had breakfast in Judith's garden, to have a view like this made the coffee taste so much better!
Then we walked a little down the road to a church and graveyard dated from the 13th century. It was a very small church full of history and with architecture over the centuries combined to make a very beautiful small building.
We walked back to the farm and explored Judith’s property.
We got to meet the sheep!
My favorite sheep was named Pet. Pet is very laid back. So laid back that she was kicked in the eye by a horse for not getting out of the way and bit in the ear by a sheep dog for not moving. Talk about taking laziness to another level, that’s my kind of sheep. So now poor Pet is blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. While most sheep scatter when you approach, Pet shuffled up to me and we became best friends!
Judith told Megan and I that the land her sheep now graze on used to be Roman vineyards!!! And there is evidence of Roman irrigation. She said archaeologists came by to check it out and confirmed Roman activity. How cool is that!
When we went inside, Judith made us a delicious lunch of pork and apples from her apple tree. After eating dorm food for the past couple weeks, it was so nice to have a homemade meal. After lunch it was time to go, and I was very sad to get in the car and wave good bye to the beautiful farm.
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