“Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were — Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter”

– Beatrix Potter, English writer

WINDERMERE / LAKE DISTRICT

LANCASTER CASTLE

Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle in the northwest English county of Lancashire and until 2011, it was a fully functioning HM Prison. From their website …

“1,000 years of heritage, history, justice, felony and incarceration … crime, punishment, witches and more…” Oh my. It’s the perfect summation for this fascinating castle that commands its hilltop position overlooking the town of Lancaster and the River Lune.

Its early history is unclear, but it may have been founded in the 11^th-century on the site of a Roman fort. In 1164, the Honor of Lancaster, including the castle, came under royal control. In 1322 and 1389 the Scots invaded England, progressing as far as Lancaster, and damaging the castle. It was not to see military action again until the English Civil War (1642-1651).

The castle was first used as a prison in 1196, although its use became more important during the Civil War. Fascinating fact: the castle buildings are owned by the Duke of Lancaster, more commonly known as Her Majesty the Queen; who knew that the Queen can also be a Duke! Hence, the historic Lancastrian toast, “The Queen, Duke of Lancaster!”

The castle has witnessed significant historical, cultural and political intrigue throughout the centuries; including religious persecution, witch trials and hundreds of executions. The witchcraft trials in August 1612 are among the most famous in history. There’s a very full accounting of them done by the Clerk of the Court, Thomas Potts. He published it the following year in his book, “The Wonderful Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster.” Ten “witches” would lose their lives. 80 years later, the Salem Witch Trials would begin in colonial Massachusetts.

Our tour guide, a very spirited Englishman, was thrilled to have guests from far away Mexico. He gave us a lively and spirited history of the castle as we walked the grounds, prison cells and its famous court room. And, sorry, no pictures were allowed, as it’s still an active Crown Court. There were no cases on that day, so we didn’t get to see justices and barristers in their robes and powdered wigs.

The prison closure will eventually allow the castle to be opened to visitors and tourists as a permanent attraction. In the meantime, access to The Keep, towers, battlements, and dungeons is currently denied to visitors. If you want to see them, I guess you’ll need to commit a felony.

From the harshness of criminals to the innocence of kids …

BEATRIX POTTER – HILL TOP FARM

Well off the beaten path, but being in the general area, we detour a bit and drop by Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top, her 17^th-century Lake District farmhouse. Generations of children have grown up with the London born children’s author and illustrator (1866-1943), and her famous animal characters. For such a fairly little property, it packs a big, emotional punch.

“The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” is one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter; who printed it privately in 1901 and commercially published in 1902. The story of the mischievous Peter Rabbit combines humor and adventure along with a moral lesson, and the text is accompanied by beautiful watercolors done by Ms. Potter.

She bought Hill Top with the proceeds of “Peter Rabbit” in 1905. Today, it remains her personal museum, just as she left it and asked for it to be such, when donating it to the National Trust in 1943. It’s a time capsule of her life, full of her favorite things, and an inspiration for many of her books.

Even now, 156 years after her birth, one of her books is sold every 15 seconds! As a child growing up in Cuba, I remember reading, “El Cuento Clásico De Pedrito, El Conejo Travieso” aka “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.”  

Beatrix compared Hill Top to an overcoat – at once comfortable and comforting. It was more than just a house to her. It was the place where she could be herself, the place where she wrote 13 of her 23 books. The lovely, compact gardens are a wild mish-mash of all sorts of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables and appear in many scenes in her “little books.”

As you walk through its entrance hall, simplicity is everywhere to be found … from the quiet beauty of the stove, the oak furniture, and stone-flagged floor. In contrast, the sophisticated parlor is a surprise. The elegant furniture blends with wood-paneled walls, and along with a marble chimneypiece, are reminders of her middle-class upbringing.

And as an avid conservationist, Beatrix used the money from her books to buy more farms and land under threat of development. She worked closely with the National Trust to help preserve the surrounding, stunning Lake District. Driving around, we could get a true sense of its beauty and thanks to Beatrix, we saw few developments.

Though best known for her rabbits, Ms. Potter was also known for raising herds of sheep and her love of them; winning prizes at local shows for them. There were fields of sheep down the lane from Hill Top, most likely descendants of hers.

Beatrix Potter, too, was one smart rabbit, as she pioneered character licensing. She designed and stitched her own Peter Rabbit doll, knowing that her fans would one day want to fill their shelves with more than just books. Beatriz patented the doll in December 1903, a highly unusual and savvy move. Today, Peter Rabbit and friends are a sales juggernaut, with an estimated retail empire valued over $500 million … Beatrix’s bonafide bunny bonanza!

BEATRIX POTTER EXPERIENCE

Beware! Cheesy stop ahead! Ms. Potter, ever the entrepreneur, would have gladly approved of our next visit, the popular family attraction, “The World of Beatrix Potter,” in nearby Bowness-on-Windermere. The tourist town sits on Windermere Lake, the largest in England.

It features fun, interactive exhibits of her 23 stories brought to life in three dimensions. You feel as if you’re walking through the pages of her little story books. The watercolor scenes of her favorite characters come alive, experiencing them in a sensory way with music, sound, lights and scents. It’s totally geared for little kids, but this big kid totally enjoyed himself … watch out for Mr. McGregor in the garden – you might get the boot!

LINDETH HOWE

After visiting Beatrix’s farmhouse and The World of … why not stay at Lindeth Howe Hotel, just three minutes away? Beatrix bought her mother this property, originally a farm, and a sprawling Victorian mansion. It’s been turned into a high-end hotel, nestled among quaint English gardens and overlooking Lake Windermere.

Lindeth Howe was a private home back when Beatrix would stay there and work on her children’s stories in 1902-1913. In 1915, after her father’s death, Ms. Potter would buy it for her mother to live in. The hotel has an eclectic and charming interior design, themed with many references to her books and characters throughout its public spaces. There are clever art pieces here, there and everywhere you look. It’s a fun and inviting place.

The custom carpet in the main salon and dining room is especially unique; with its colorful, woven pattern featuring characters from her books. It’s beautifully designed and it feels like the floor’s alive and hopping about with all the pretty and bright creatures. Again, the bunny fantasy comes to life, and you’re immersed head-to-tail in all things Peter Rabbit and Co.

One of our best dinner meals … David found a small and unassuming storefront, seafood restaurant in Windermere, simply called Hooked. They serve locally caught fish and seafood. We had called for a table, but none were available that night, so we arrived at opening time, and luckily were shown to a table; no sensible European would be caught dead eating at 5 o’clock, but we didn’t care, for what followed …

The mouth-watering menu was presented and I agonized over what to order because everything was written so beautifully and tantalizingly. David started with Crab Arancini: pepper and cherry tomato salsa, red pepper puree, lobster foam and a parmesan crisp! For my starter: Octopus Terrine: braised octopus, pink grapefruit, fennel, and watercress salad! It was a masterpiece. I’ve never had octopus prepared this way or tasted this good (sorry to all the cephalopod lovers).

Main courses … David had the Monkfish, one of my favorite fish; also called the poor man’s lobster for its meaty consistency. It was prepared delicately – stuffed with salmon mouse, spinach, leeks and rolled in prosciutto; served with a lemon butter sauce on top of new potatoes.

My dilemma – the Hake or Moules Frites (mussels, which I love)? I settled on the Hake: pan fried, with wilted spinach served on top of truffle mashed potatoes over a lobster sauce and topped with a Langoustine. Not only did all the food presentations look amazing, our taste buds exploded. It was an incredible culinary experience, overloaded with flavors. As we say en México, ¡Qué sabor! What flavor!

Dessert: David had a raspberry mousse and ice cream; I settled for my Drunken Affogato – which was put together from three different orders: an espresso, chocolate ice cream and amaretto, all combined when presented … one my favorite ways to end a meal.

This was hands-down the best and most memorable meal of our entire trip, and we have had some good meals. Had there been another night spent in town, we’d have been back at 5 o’clock sharp!