Cumbria

 Edinburgh: the final day

There were three jobs to be done on Tuesday. The first was to ensure that Sophie managed to catch the train back to London; the second was to find our car for the next week or so, and the third was to find the sea. Having a car finally made that easy and it was surprising to find how close to Edinburgh it was. It also doesn’t take long (in a car) to find oneself in rural Scotland again. 

The beaches are attractive and the small towns beyond Edinburgh have manmade harbours for yachts and fishing vessels. We were surprised to find, on a walk along one of the beaches, a small group of bikini-clad girls wanting to have a swim. We didn’t think it was that warm….it wasn’t. They walked within three metres of the water’s edge, paddled through a little puddle and one of them said, “Do we really want to do this?” They looked at each other for a second or two and promptly walked back up the beach...it was too cold.

We found “the Best Fish and Chips” store somewhere on our travels and decided this would be the best meal for the evening. We sat and ate them facing the sea as the sun sank lower on the horizon. Back at the flat we packed the last of our stuff and prepared for an early departure the following morning.

On to Cumbria

Next morning, the plan was to follow a rather circuitous route south over the  Moorfoot hills which I had looked up on the internet as “picturesque.” Unfortunately about 20 minutes into the trip I confused my lefts and rights and we ended up going round in a circle but it was actually ok, and soon we were back on track.  We stopped at the San Ling Buddhist Monastry, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, down to Langholme and back onto the A7 . The country roads in the Southern Scotland are gorgeous and as we travelled over the border into the start of the northern Lake District we knew that the next few days in this region were going to be spectacular scenery-wise. We joined the M6  for a while and through Carlisle then down the A592 along the edge of Lake Ullswater. 

Our poor satnav had a bit of a hard time following the route I’d selected and at one point, and I think as some sort of revenge, it led us up the wrong country road, and told us to turn right into a very muddy looking bridle path.   The best solution at this point was in fact to be in tune with our  instincts, so we turned the satnav off and within 20 minutes we found our way to Hallthwaites and our family friends Brian and Kirsty.  We visited them four years ago in Suffolk when Brian was the travelling parish vicar. He’s now retired, and they are able to devote time to their country residence, their garden and their wide variety of interests. Both Brian and Kirsty have been great in helping us plan our daily exploration of the Lake District and activities that we must do whilst here.

Our plan for Thursday was to drive up to Lake Conniston and catch the steam gondola which would take us part way up the Lake. The guide pointed out the island Arthur Randsome used in Swallows and Amazons,  the exploits of father and son Malcolm and Donald Campbell who tried to break a world record in speed boat racing;  and finally, the spot where his boat Bluebird K7 broke a speed record of 328km per hour, flipped his boat and Donald sadly lost his life.

Ruskin's thinking chair

A view from Ruskin'swindow.

The gondola continued around the lake, and pulled up next to the home where art critic of the Victorian era John Ruskin lived until he died. We took a walk around his home and garden which was stunning for its viewpoints.  It was also fascinating re-engaging with his ideas and values through the informative museum. The gondola returned an hour later to take us back to Conniston, and we then headed for Lake Grassmere and the home of William Wordsworth.  Again we took a walk through the house and museum, and learnt something of his life in Grassmere through the help of a very animated guide.

Grassmere also has a very famous gingerbread shop and I lined up with a stream of others anxious to buy the famous biscuits. Once we had eaten something, we headed for the car and took an amazing route home over Rhino’s Pass towards Seathwaite beside the river Duddon where Wordsworth wrote his 59 sonnets. There were warning signs that the road in many places was not more than 6’6 wide with stone walls either side. It was interesting whenever we encountered another vehicle or tractor, or drove through someone’s farm but we got there and it was an unforgettable drive.

   

Edinburgh Festival

We have been in Edinburgh for a week and although the streets are different, the houses, the outlook, the way the stores are set up, and even the summer weather is changeable, I feel at home. I have been scratching my head and wondering why…

We’ve settled in. For a short period we have our own home (as mentioned in the last blog). We can cook and decide when to wake up and eat breakfast, and we have the wonderful Edinburgh Fringe with a choice of 2830 shows.  It is a seriously mindboggling minefield of performing arts overload. When you know that your dollar is not a bottomless pit, and that you could just stay at home and watch live drama being played out in the form of Olympic sport for free… it’s hard. We have the choice of up to ten channels of live Olympics to choose from.

On our first full day here we took in four one hour shows; on our second day we took in five. Our bodies ache with age and our heads swirl trying to keep up with it all. The weather moves from seriously warm and sunny to wet, cold and dank. Every time you step out from a show you are greeted by someone clutching a fistful of leaflets, wanting to sell a show they believe in- “ two tickets for one” 

We may be having difficulty deciding what to see but spare a thought for the performer.  We shared a table at one of the venues one afternoon and two women were there discussing why they were not getting an audience.

“It’s just not what people come here for,”  says one.

 “It will come right. It’s publicity we need,” says the other.

 “People want laughs. It isn’t funny. We’ve chosen the wrong place.”  

etc etc. 

You’ve got to feel for the performer here. Yesterday in the pouring rain on the Royal Mile, they were still out there under their umbrellas performing and desperately trying sell their shows to whoever walked by.   

What has been helpful are the reviews. We saw Razing Eddie this way. You can google the title and you’ll see a full page of links about it. It was outstandingly scripted and well-acted too. Paul Levy’s review is worth a look just to get the low down.

We’ve seen some good shows just by chance as well. One was called The Fantasist performed by a Toulouse based company Theatre Temoin, who used physical theatre and puppetry to explore bipolar illness. This piece was strong, and looking at their website this morning, I can tell why. Check them out.

Sophie and her friend Elise have been staying over the weekend and we took them to Rhys Darby. Now Elise has gone, I get a chance to give my girl a feel for some of the edginess we have come to love about this festival. I can’t wait.

On to Edinbugh

Travelling is great but we are coming to realise that it can be quite stressful staying in hotels and being caught up with the timetables they impose.  We are in Edinburgh and for the first time we are feeling truly relaxed. This is mainly due to the fact that we can live for the next week slightly more normally as we have our own flat! It’s a spacious two bedroom place (come on Sophie get up here..), with a kitchen, full washing facilities, a bathroom with a bath and shower and we are paying a very reasonable price for the privilege. We’re also appreciating the fact we have a living room with a couch each we can stretch out on. Thanks to crashpadder.com (now airbnb) and especially Ron (the owner) who was there yesterday afternoon at Waverley Bridge with his car to pick us up after we had dropped our rental car off, had a bite to eat, picked up Fringe Festival tickets and organised our bus passes for the week.

Our drive down from Stirling was, as expected, very slow and not to plan. There’s a rule in Scotland, and probably throughout Britain, that all petrol stations now need a form of gutter for spillage. Consequently, we were not completely surprised, after navigating the current major road works around central Edinburgh, to find the station we had selected on the satnav had closed. People who live here are quick to point out that a new tram system has taken four years so far to build, the original contractors stopped work for a long period of time to renegotiate their contract, and now it’s costing many times more than budgeted.  Also, Waverley Railway Station is being remodelled and that is a long term, messy and a major disruption. As a consequence, the address where we to drop the car off didn’t exist and it was only by chance we found the small information booth where we were redirected by a rather frazzled woman with a map showing us where we were actually meant to go. I guess the biggest disappointment, when we finally were able to drop the car off, was discovering that our deposit will not be refunded for another 10 days. I can’t understand why a company with such a huge turnover of cars can’t just sort themselves out.

Anyhow, the rest of the day has been spent walking to the nearest supermarket and greengrocer and collecting food supplies for the next few days, cooking a meal, and watching the dramas of the Olympics unfold before our eyes using the choice of 17 live feeds through Sky Sport which has been provided to us as part of this accommodation package. If you ever want to come to Edinburgh, ask me how to get in touch with Ron. This is one of my good finds online.

   

Saturday and Sunday in Stirling

Saturday 28 July

We drove across the English-Scottish border some time before midday on Saturday and had our first glimpse of Scottish coastline some seconds later as our car continued to follow the undulating road. The shape and colour of some of the houses was changing to deep red and ochre.

Our host in a very spacious private b & b, Donald Cameron, was very welcoming and helpful in providing us with a map and directions to the sights of Stirling. “Everything is within walking distance so you won’t have any trouble…” and we didn’t. We decided that climbing to the Stirling Castle was a good idea as we’d see a bit of the town from there and get an overview of the place. We were glad we’d packed our coats as the showers of rain were coming down in spectacular fashion, and clearing as quickly as they’d arrived. Coats on…coats off…coats back on again.

I’ll leave the rest to the pictures:

 

We stayed until closing time then walked back down the hill to choose from the array of restaurant menus, a reasonably priced and delicious sounding meal.

Sunday 29 July

On paying for our ticket into Stirling Castle we were quickly talked into buying a three day pass to castles and monuments around Scotland. Consequently, visiting at least two places on Sunday, would make the purchase of the ticket worthwhile. We had a car, and visiting a bit of Scottish countryside was our plan for the day. Initially, I’d had the ambitious idea of driving between Stirling, Loch Ness and Inverness until it was pointed out to us that we would be spending a very long time in the car, and not much time actually exploring. So we changed the plan and headed first to catch a small ferry (actually a small motor boat) across the Lake of Menteith to the ruins of Inchmahome Priory. We arrived early and by the time we’d worked out how to summon a ferry, and returned to the car twice to add extra layers of clothing, another couple had arrived and we were finally ready to make the first journey across.

The priory was founded in 1258 by an Earl of Menteith, a landowner likely to founded the priory for the good of his own soul. It has had many distinguished royal visitors; Robert the Bruce came here three times in 1306, 1308 and 1310, probably for political motives, as the first abbot had sworn allegiance to Edward the I, the English King. The priory was also a refuge for Mary Queen of Scots, who stayed here in 1547. She was only four years old at the time, and stayed for three weeks, mainly for her own safety after the disastrous battle of Pinkie in September of that year.

Our second stop was Dumbarton Castle  which has the longest known recorded history as a site, dating back to the 5^th century. It’s placed on a volcanic rock overlooking the Firth of Clyde and Dumbarton. We climbed up and down many sets of steps to admire many different viewpoints as well as take in some of its history including a bloody Viking assault in 870AD. 

The castle was built in 1220, and has been a fortress against Norwegians, English and last used during the second world war. The castle’s geographical position, distanced from the political heartland of the country, reduced its importance somewhat, but it also made it a good postern, through which her rulers could come and go with comparative ease. David II (in 1333–4) and Mary Queen of Scots (in 1548) both sheltered here until ships could take them to France and safety.

Our good host had recommended we drive the West coast of Loch Lomond (and yes, the song has been in my head ever since). We stopped in and had a wander through the wee town of Luss and were amazed to see a few brave souls stepping out of the water in their togs, just as a small hint of sun appeared from behind the clouds. Such hardy souls, these Scots.

We ambled back to Stirling and caught the Falkirk Wheel in action. This connects the Forth and Clyde canal with the Union canal; a huge wheel which lifts a barge into the air 24 meters and places it perfectly in position, ready to continue its journey along the upper canal. It was opened in 2002, and replaced 11 locks which operated previously. It was well worth a visit and one of the main reasons why we had come to Stirling in the first place.

After stopping for a meal nearby, we made our way back to our accommodation and settled to another evening with the Olympics.

Alnwich Castle Gardens and Holy Island

It was great this morning to wake to blue sky. I was going to order kippers for breakfast (just to try them) but when I saw what S’s kipper looked like I decided a few mouthfuls would be fine.  For me, it tasted a bit like smoked eel but richer, as this was covered in melted butter.

After some discussion yesterday evening with the staff here about what we shouldn’t miss while in Northumberland, we decided to head to Alnwick (pronounced Annick) Castle gardens. We were rather surprised at the steep entry fee, but as we walked through the gates  and were greeted by a gorgeous fountain cascading its way down a hill in front of us, all was forgiven. Every now and then it would burst spouts of water in different directions, much to the delight of the many small children playing around it.

To one side, we were given a tour of the poison garden by a rather sinister guide who revealed tales of poisonous plants that through either eating, touching or smelling could kill. Many we recognised including one I had tried as a small child- deadly nightshade; but it was also interesting to hear that fifty apple pips chewed would contain enough arsenic to kill.

Around the corner was a zigzag path that in spring, would be stunning as it held tulip bulbs and hundreds of cherry trees. It was nice though just wandering up the hill and into a wooded area towards the ornamental  garden. This was a very formal garden with box hedging and plenty of variety in planting. There was variety in fact, wherever you went and surprises like the raspberry patch and the patch of white roses. One could spend hours here. Further on, was the rose garden then the serpentine garden filled with more modern-shaped fountains. 

The Tree Hut is also a gem with its boardwalks, staircases and swinging bridges.  Nestled up among the trees by the main gate, it also houses a small café and restaurant.

Our next stop was the Holy Island, only accessible at low tide. Once we’d paid for the parked the car, and feasted on our packed picnic lunch of cheeses, grapes, and crackers we walked all over this Island soaking in the expansive views across the estuary towards the extraordinarily perched Lindersfarne Castle and out to sea. 

 It wasn’t until we’d walked around the outside of the castle and looked back towards the main part of the island that we spotted the remains of the Abby which was equally spectacular. Thank goodness we have digital cameras nowadays as  together we must have taken a thousand pictures.

I suggested the Coastal route home as there were more castles to see. We were happy just to pass through Hudle bay, look out at the Farne Islands and admire the huge Bambugh Castle. 

We drove back into Alnwick and picked up some supplies, then headed back to Warkworth to settle down to Olympic madness on TV.

This morning we head to Stirling for a couple of nights and perhaps explore a bit of Scotland before we return the car in Edinburgh on Monday morning.

Warkworth

Our first task was to wish Sophie a Happy  26^th Birthday.  She was already on the train to work, but was happy to hear from us and looking forward to her time with us in Edinburgh next week.  Our second task was to eat yet another hotel breakfast and then we were happy to spend time catching up with Ems and Hamish on Skype.  It’s a dull day weather-wise, so after deliberating whether we’d take a walk or do the washing first, we decided the latter was a better plan. Warkworth doesn’t have a laundromat, so we had a short drive to another coastal town named Amble. We chatted to a couple holidaying from Leister while we let our washing do what it needed to do. Once we’d transferred the wet washing to the drier, we ventured over to an Illy café and had our first flat white since leaving NZ.  This afternoon we decided the rain wasn’t going to come (but took our jackets anyway) and headed out to take photos of Warkworth castle, and the environs. What a great walk it turned out to be. We found a path which led down to the river. We had a lovely amble alongside the river, it was very still and picturesque. We’ve decided this kind of peace is what we are enjoying most at this time. The path then led us up a hill and back beside a wheat field towards the castle. There’s something going on there today as there were heaps of cars. The castle is more or less in ruins, but there’s still a lot of great shapes and angles to photograph. 

Back around the other side of the castle we found a path which directed us towards the bridge. The path was bordered by an interesting array of stone and wooden walls, and behind these were interesting looking gardens.   The bridge had a plaque which told us it was more than 600 years old and probably replaced an even older bridge. We crossed it as we’d been told there was a path leading to a “must see” beach which turned off at the right hand end.  The path was actually a small road and apart from a few cars and few people walking dogs, there was very little activity on what turned out to be a very vast stretch of sand and water. There were still signs of concrete barricades left over from the war, and set to try and prevent the enemy from landing. I don’t think they would have much trouble now, as these are now almost completely buried and easily surmountable.

We walked back to the hotel and put our feet up for another few hours before dinner. I also made sure I got this blog up to date!

 

Travelling from York to Warkworth

Wednesday 25 July

We woke really early this morning, partly to get the shower first. We discovered quite late that two other guests were staying and there was just one shower and toilet in the bathroom upstairs (where we slept) and a bath and hand basin downstairs. This all made ablutions very interesting, when you think about it for a minute or two.

Gillian our host was still at work when we left (she does night shift) so we farewelled and thanked her husband (he was never named).

We decided to aim for a place named Castle Howard. I knew the gates wouldn’t open before 10, but I thought that maybe we would get a view from the road. Driving down a small country lane is interesting and this lane was no exception. It was narrow, and had tall hedgerows running beside it. As we came over hills we could see wonderful vistas including fields of wheat, barley and poppies. It was quite beautiful but nothing had prepared us for a huge monument with golden crown on top. On further investigation I found that this monument was restored in 2002 based on an original woodcut. Even in England it looked weirdly out of place and rather lonely.  A little further on was a wall with an entrance and exit we able to drive through. The wall was in very good condition and we took a number of photos for posterity. As expected, the gates to the Castle were closed, but because we had found these other two rather surprising erections, we were not disappointed.

We drove on through Hovingham, Helmsley, Kirbymorside, Pickering, Thornton-le-Dale, Snaiton, East Ayton, Seamer and on to Scarborough. I name all these places to recall which route we went. We might do it again one day.  We  stopped in Helmsley for a coffee, but nothing much happens there on a Wednesday morning before 9am. We were soon back in the car and heading for Scarborough. We took the route to towards the castle at the top of the hill, and parked beside Ann Bronte’s grave, then walked around the outside of the castle walls to take photos. We decided against paying to look through the castle ruins, and instead took a drive on to Whitby.

Whitby is a town worth visiting. Despite its movements towards being a popular tourist destination, it was reasonably priced and enjoyable to just walk around. We took a bus tour for 4 pounds each, which took us up to another set of castle ruins.  We were able to take some quick snaps, without paying another entrance fee, and headed back into the town centre for some fish and chips.  We sat next to 78 year old man who had visited New Zealand 6 times, He was very happy to tell us some of his life story including losing his beloved German Shepherd dog in February, and also swore by Whitby’s fish and chips. “You can’t come to Whitby without trying them.” I accept that but can’t quite picture what a haddock looks like, and my mouth still waters when I recall that fresh herring we tasted back in Delft market.

Our 3 pound parking ticket was about to expire, so we set our satellite navigator so it would take us towards Newbiggin-by-the Sea without driving through a toll tunnel. This section of our drive was longer than we thought it might be, and I think that because we didn’t sleep that well last night, driving was starting to tire us. We were please we’d had a look though. We had originally booked a caravan here, but the booking had fallen through. 

Newbiggin-by the sea is a seaside English town (as you might expect)  with a promenade which appears to reach the entire length of the bay. The bay itself looks tidal but standing on a jetty, somewhere in the centre of the bay, is a couple standing on a large cylindrical jetty. Well, you think it’s a real couple just taking in the sea air, until you realise they must be at least three metres high. It’s just one of those quirky things you see wherever you go and the English seaside appears to specialise in this.

We got a bit confused as to where exactly our hotel was and drove to Alnwick, only to find we were actually staying in Warkworth. There is a High Street in every town, after all.  It really didn’t matter, as distances are very small between towns. We had a meal in, and met a couple of sisters who were on a walking tour of this area. They made some suggestions of places we might like to walk to or visit. They also had a cute schnauzer they were walking with named Lucy. S thinks this might be our type of pup one day. It’s great that people here are able to bring their dogs into the bars- the bar last night got quite busy with people and their canine buddies. It was quite intriguing watching both humans and their pets interacting with one another.