Dear Elisabeth Bennet,

I must say ...
It started during the hot feverish days of the summer. It made
me indulge my sexual desires, and made me long to touch the 
beauty on which I set my eyes. It was you, my dear Lizzy. I mistook
your blankness towards me for chastity, which raised my esteem for 
you, and gave my desire a sweet sting. To give a higher cause to my 
suffering of abstinence I pretended that I loved you. How the mind 
can play tricks on us. Love is the one complex which comes natural 
to almost all humans. It is a frame of mind in which we are most 
alive, aware and alike. For it is in love that sex, friendship, 
offspring, trust, and loyalty come together in a seemingly logical scheme.
I don't know how lust turned into love, but it did. A selfish interest
in you, became a pure interest. You became the measure of all. However,
one cannot simply forget the cause of which the effects filled my heart.
Dignity required me to keep distance. Hence I cannot claim I know 
you, since we only exchanged glances, which makes my love still seem a 
self-centred obsession.
We never talk. We show the good manners designed for proximity of 
polite strangers. How easily liking turns into disliking, and around,
if the mind looses itself on sparse signals. 

Yours,

Mr D'Arcy

..., however, the summer is over, sensuality is hidden under
sensible clothes, subtle gestures never go beyond the bulky coats.
Autumn is the season we acquaint ourselves again with Nature;
with our basic existence. We leave the frivolous playful 
pastimes of flirt behind, and speak our mind as stubborn 
Nordics. Going to the Lakes District is an excellent opportunity
to get in the right mood for the long and dark winter; enjoy the
nature fickle mind in the last lights and brown shades of autumn.
Maybe if you sign up on Wednesday there might be one or two places
left.

On the programme are low hills, high hills, waterfalls, lakes,
streams, and bits of forest. The youth hostel is east of the Scafell
Pike area, with amble opportunities to go high, and scramble over
rocks: Scafell Pike itself, or Crinkle Crags. Also some lower hills
around the Langdale valley offer majestic views. Not so high up are
waterfalls, and small lakes in remote valleys with steep slopes rising
at different sides.
Most walks start from the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

1) The Langdale Pikes (14km, 1055m ascent)
2) Blea and How (10km, 450m ascent)
3) Crinkle Crags (13km, 1000m ascent)
4) Scafell Pike (back over the same path) (18km, 1150m ascent)
5) (From Hardknott Pass) Scafell, Scafell Pike, and Slight Side
   (18km, 1000m ascent)
6) madhatters option: From Wrynose Pass; Crinkle Crags and Scafell
   Pike, back via Mickleden. (21km, +/-1100m ascent, heavy going!)
7) From YH; Little Langdale, Tarn Hows, Colwith Force, Skelwith Force.
   (17km, 300m ascent)
8) Easedale Tarn, Grasmere (13m, 500m)
9) Pike of Blisco and Wetherlam (15km, 1000m)
10) Pike of Blisco, Blea Tarn, and Lingmoor Fell (13km, 750m)
11) From YH (Nicola's Choice) Raven Crag, Grasmere, Dove Cottage,
    Rydale Mount, Dale End. (13km, 350m ascent)
12) Around the Back of Pike of Blisco, back via Little Langdale.
    (12km, 650m)
13) Around the back of Pike of Blisco, up Wetherlam. (15km, 800m)

Yours,

Norbert