Grasmere- A Beautiful Lake District Town

As I have traveled twice for work to Lancaster, visiting the Lake District was a logical choice. Windermere is just a 40 minute train ride from Lancaster. Everyone I consulted (which was not much) told me to go to Windermere as that is the rail head as well. So, I had a hotel booking at Windermere. When I got off the train I saw a bus that advertised a day pass for Pound 10 and the last stop was Grasmere. I immediately made up my mind to go to the last stop on the bus route the next day. As I would buy a day pass, if I did not like the place, I could catch the next bus and get down somewhere else. That is the kind of planning I did for my trip in the era of internet!

After checking into the hotel at Windermere, I did another uncharacteristic thing! I am a vegetarian by choice. But this was my fifth trip to UK and I wanted to try fish and chips! So I went looking for it, bought it but did not like it much. But my second adventure turned out to be much better, which was going to the last stop, Grasmere.

Fresh from a good night’s sleep and after a hearty breakfast I arrived at the bus! In fact, the breakfast was so hearty for me that I asked them to reduce the portions as I do not like to leave food on my plate. The bus did not take long in arriving. I went to the open rooftop even though it was a typical British grey weather day! When I got down at the Grasmere, I just followed the crowd. And guess where it took me?

It took me to the family grave of the poet William Wordsworth. I turned up at Grasmere without any idea of the deep connection Wordsworth had with it. It was such a pleasant surprise! Tucked in a corner near the St. Oswald’s Church and the grave, is the best Gingerbread shop you will ever find.  I bought one initially just to taste it and then went in again and bought a pack of six. However, for me no holiday is complete without walking around a place.

While walking around the chruch area I chanced upon the tourist information office. I decided to go in and inquired about the walks that I could do in the region. I guess there was something amiss, as the lady asked if I had hiking boots and rain gear. When I replied in negative she suggested that I was better off walking around the Lake Grasmere and to the Dove Cottage, the home of William Wordsworth. The Dove Cottage didn’t work for me as the entry fee was just too high. But I had an amazing time walking around the lake.

There is a well kept path around the Lake Grasmere and I had an amazing time walking by it. I had the luck to hear to a Goldfinch singing in a tree. It was an overcast day, ready to rain. I had just one day at Grasmere. None of my pictures have even a little bit of blue in the sky. As for going somewhere else, it never happened. I took a late bus back to Windermere. If I ever go back to Lake District, I will make Grasmere my base and then probably catch a bus to the last stop of where ever it goes!