Blogs from Rothbury, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Oops. Forgot to do the blog last night! Sorry about that. All our plans went out the window when we woke to find the village covered in snow. Over breakfast we reworked the day’s plans to exclude any journeys on small roads, as we figure the main roads would be safer. This showed up to be true as we saw where a head-on accident had just happened on our way out of town. We continued a little ways further but the car didn’t feel very secure in the slush. Tom was ever mindful that I may have to forgo some of my people’s villages if we don’t stick to my ultra-researched jam-packed itinerary, (we don’t plan to ever return to Britain) but I want to walk in their footsteps, not meet them in heaven. And I ... read more

Apparently the batteries I bought last week for my camera weren't good enough, because yesterday I took one picture before the red battery symbol started flashing. I managed to coax out two more (with the screen off) before it died altogether. Apologies in advance; I did find suitable batteries today, so (hopefully) it won't happen again. After spending Friday afternoon reading about connectionist models of literacy development and the structure of the thoracic cavity, I decided to give myself a break and take another hike in Northumberland National Park. This time I took a bus to a small town called Rothbury at the park's eastern edge and hiked across some moors, through a forested area, and to the top of a crag called Simonside. Again I used the "Best Walks in Northumberland" book as a guide. ... read more

After a pretty miserable nights weather we were surprised when we woke up to a blue sky We decided on a trip to Rothbury, the home of Andy’s grandfather, and then on to the coast. We stopped on the way for lunch. This was our first meal out since leaving home five weeks ago. The pub and the food were good. Not having to cook and wash up was a luxury. After a wander through Rothbury we drove on and found a parking spot right next to the beach. We clambered over the dunes and onto a lovely sunny beach. We spent the day going back to our childhoods searching through all the rock pools and having competitions as to who could make the most interesting find. Andy found some shrimp and a sea anemone and ... read more

Well we were on the move again. For out next destination we chose Northumberland and this time we decided on a slightly more basic campsite. We booked on to a site in Bellingham which is on a working farm with free roaming chickens, noisy sheep - which served as a good alarm clock - and a newly born calf (bless). If we had realised the weather we were about to encounter we would probably have picked somewhere a little less open to the elements. We had a look around the village and found everything we needed. Shops, banks and three pubs all within a short walk. After a days travelling something quick was what we needed for dinner. we bought some jacket potatoes and a bottle of wine and headed back home. This was not to ... read more