It’s a really pretty area but the weather just isn’t in our favour so it’s not quite as desirable as it should be, it’s cold and overcast. [View Full Entry]

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The kids are hooked on exploring by bike, especially Lucy; she tags on the back of Darren’s bike and has an easy ride. The track we chose was an old railway line so it’s nice a flat, running along beside the river through a few tunnels and over bridges to a little village with a pub for lunch. Trouble was we were too early for lunch so when we saw a sign to the ancient ‘Stone Circle’ we took a detour….down hills…back up again...mile after mile. We finally reached it, and it was impressive but Darcy’s first reaction was ‘hey, sheep [View Full Entry]

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At the northern end of the Lake District is Keswick (pronounced Kesick) another pretty town as they all seem to be. I haven’t come across an ugly town yet. Walking is the main attraction here too. [View Full Entry]

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Having skipped Scotland we had to cut across the top of England and find somewhere to stay. Our resident ‘Roman History’ buff wanted to see Hadrians wall. The Roman’s built it to separate the area they conquered from the ‘barbaric Scottish’…yawn.…miles and miles of nothing…yawn…stone walls (though slightly wider) just like all over England…yawn…a few wind swept sheep, some rocks and hardly a tree in sight. The hostels are full with walkers (crazy people wandering over barren landscape in the wind and rain!) so we sought out a cheap pub. After dinner we started chatting with a couple of old guys…well [View Full Entry]

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We spent the afternoon at Alnwick Castle but should have allowed more time, it was great. The Duke of Northumberland and his family still live there and it was the set for some of the Harry Potter films. It was so interesting; the kids were knights and princesses for a day fighting their way through the ‘Dragon’s Quest’, in the many towers and rooms around the fortified walls were interesting displays of the various stages of English history and some of the main house was open to look through. I couldn’t take photos of the Dukes residence but it was so [View Full Entry]

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Pronounced Anick, how can they keep skipping letters of a word!! I keep having to check words for local pronunciations. We have a hostel in a quiet country lane all to ourselves with the added bonus of an open fire. It’s still not getting above 16-18. But we soldier on and go for some nice walks around the coast discovering a castle here and there and try to warm up on a sheltered beach and watch some crazy kids paddling in the icy water, our kids could only manage dipping in a toe. We’re still really tired and the trip to [View Full Entry]

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Seems this area was a haven for pirates to smuggle in their booty. The village is supposed to have a network of tunnels linking houses and escape routes. We couldn’t find any but the kids imaginations were set off. [View Full Entry]

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The rain has eased so we went into the old harbourside town of Whitby. Quaint little shops in quaint little cobbled streets around a harbour with old wooden fishing boats. If everyone would just dress in 1800’s style clothes I would feel like I stepped back in time. As it is there are a lot of ‘Goth’s’ around, Bram Stoker centred a lot of Dracula in Whitby. Goth’s and crazy English in singlet tops and shorts on a cold, rainy, windy (though technically summer) day. [View Full Entry]

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First stop is Robin Hoods Bay, a picture postcard seaside village. No cars allowed. It has one main very steep street and little cobbled paths winding up and down between the cottages, all covered in beautiful flowers. The beach would have been a great place to explore on a summers day except for the cold wet weather. But we’re not complaining (yet) thankfully our little cottage is so cozy we grabbed some coal, lit a fire and read a book and played games. We really need a bit of time to recuperate, I’m exhausted. [View Full Entry]

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Yeah, it’s a nice day at last, so we set off for a bike ride through the wonderful old streets of Brugges. It’s a great way to see the town but riding on cobbled streets through pedestrians and traffic is a challenge though. We’ve loved every minute of Europe but we’re looking forward to being able to speak to some one in English…anyone, even a shopkeeper. We’ve been able to get by with a very limited grasp of the language but it’s strange not being able to understand even the simple things like ‘would you like that in a bag’. Catching [View Full Entry]

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