Blogs from Northumberland, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 2

Vera scampered excitedly amongst the sand dunes. Overhead, the magnificent Bamburgh Castle loomed. Below were the pristine white sands that stretch into the distance in both directions. Bamburgh is the sort of place that can make you wonder why you ever consider leaving the shores of Blighty. Perfect. Well perfect, if the weather plays the game. We'll come back to Bamburgh later. We set up basecamp in Beadnall. The bungalow had all that was required for our short stay. The garden was fully enclosed, so Vera could patrol the doorstep and remind all who passed, that there was a new dog in town. The threat of an ASBO failed to silence her. The local four legged gang took it in their stride and were well used to these canine holiday types gatecrashing their patch. They largely ... read more

We didm't have a good sleep after our news of yesterday . Well you wouldn't would you? Your head would go round and round trying to work out what had happened . You would have been annoyed that the people buying your house waited so long to decide to come back for a second viewing . You would be angry with them for saying nothing and letting the solicitors start the process . Our night had been well and truly disturbed by our thoughts. Trying to work out what we did wrong . What was wrong with our home ? It did not matter how many times we talked it through we found it hard to understand . A very large red wine did help slightly . Red wine always makes the world seem better . ... read more

Gabby the motorhome was still parked up at the Old Farmhouse . We had had a relatively peaceful night . We never heard the pub goers coming nor going . We left Gabbys heating on low overnight . The nights are starting to get a nip to them. We woke to a cosy van . We were in no hurry to leave . The pub landlord was in no hurry to move us on . He even mentioned breakfast in the pub but sadly the chef was not available. The rain pitter pattered on the roof . Not that level of thumping you get that sounds like the demented drummer of a heavy metal band . More the sort of rain that makes you drift back into sleep . We ate slowly . The inverter came ... read more

Gabby the motorhome is parked up on another car park close to the railway line. The trains are rushing past us and Gabby is rattling like a pea in a pod. We arrived in the dark and did not realise that we were so close to the line. It is a lovely pub warm inside and cosy . The wood burning stove is burning away and we are drinking two very large white wines . We ordered a cheese and pickle sandwich with crisps and coleslaw and added side fat chips. A further two large white wines completed our evening dining. Foolishly we had passed the £10 a night stop at a brewery on the way thinking we would stop for free at a viaduct car park high up in the mountains. Not a good idea. ... read more

Yahoo! Last day of the walk complete. About 7,500 steps or about 5.5km from the causeway to the hotel with a few extra steps drying our feet and a little diversion. BUT ... we never got lost!!!!! Total steps today 20,956 after we viewed the Abbey, lighthouse, castle and gardens. A very good day. Up early as we need to cross the ocean floor while the tide had receded. Terri was panicking for the last few days. It was a straight line filled with mud, hard packed sand, seaweed and green algae. It was a extreme change every dozen or so steps. Reaching the shore was a great feeling of success, a crossing of the finish line. We spent the rest of the day wondering through the Abbey, Castle, lawns and the town. We had a ... read more