on christmas day we didn't move from the sofa, except to make one extraordinarily large meal that we ate variations of all day long, as well as a couple of trips to the fridge to get more booze. so, the following day called for a day out. finding that a lot of places were 'closed for winter', we hunted out suitable options that weren't too far away from the warm and cozy of the cottage that were open, and settled on something we both knew we'd love, because... nostalgia; the world of beatrix potter in windermere.
windermere was about a twenty minute drive from grange-over-sands, and we headed off to arrive for mid-morning. we found a pay-and-display where i could safely park the beast i had been avoiding driving because scary, and because i sometimes drive up one-way-streets the wrong way. not on purpose, i swear.
we wandered around the permanent exhibition, oohing and aahing, and squealing out loud at totally inappropriate times. cries of "do you remember this", and "what about that!" escaped our excitable faces as we pieced together broken memories of the stories we grew up reading with our families. and the gift shop! did everyone have those benjamin button bowls as a kid, or was it just us?!
the exhibition was great; we got tons of information about beatrix potter's time living in the district, and based on the story of her life decided that we'd head up to hill top the next day and check out her old digs. the world of beatrix potter is definitely a world for kids - or at least, kids at heart. if you're expecting an interactive experience or themed museum experience... don't, because it's not. if you want to learn about the woman behind the stories, where she got the inspiration for her incredible and time-loved characters, and learn a little bit about the most gorgeous part of the country, then do.
and do yourself a favour and finish your day in the right way; with an afternoon tea from the official world of beatrix potter tearoom. well, when in rome... right?
