I have been planning to make it to Wales my entire time in the United Kingdom. I wanted to make sure I went to all four countries, so that I could see the similarities and differences, and also visit a friend I had met on my way to the UK!
While I was on a trip down south to visit Carys in Coventry I took the train to Oxford for the day. I'm not really sure what drew me to wanting to go there, maybe just another one of those places I'd been hearing about as long as I could remember. So why not?!
I think I first heard of the Lake District in association with Beatrix Potter, whose books I was an avid fan of as a child. I knew it was a picturesque place and the more I heard and saw about it while I was here the more I wanted to go.
I stopped by on my way back from Liverpool and Manchester and stayed for two nights at the Lake District Backpackers Hostel in Windermere. The hostel was really great with a huge lounge area and kitchen. It is unmanned and you put your money in a safety deposit box, but there is plenty of info around. I also ended up with my own 4 bed dorm since it was completely off season and the middle of the week, bonus!
I always wanted to visit Liverpool. It seemed like it would give me an insight into English city life that I hadn't had yet. And of course I wanted to see where the Beatles had come from!