It's beginning to feel like Christmas

Hubby and I took a little trip away to get into the festive spirit, nothing big I just wanted to be amongst the sights and smells of the festive season. 

I was browsing online for hotels and places with Christmas markets when a 2 nights for 1 offer popped up for Best Western Hotels and Bournemouth has a market. To top it off the train is direct from Coventry and our station has a train to there ..... and so all booked!

As seems to be the norm these days after a walk to our station we discoverer our train to Coventry was now a bus .... and would not be there in time for our Bournemouth train. The station office couldn't advise if our tickets would be accepted on a later train so we decided to take an Uber; great car, great driver, reasonable price and safely at the station in time. 

The Bournemouth train was a great journey, initially we faced backwards but the train changes direction at Reading so we were forward facing from there. I remember this happening when we took the train to Weymouth with the scouts in 1983, we took them to Guernsey for camp that year. 

Our journey passed through Leamington Spa, Banbury, Oxford, Reading, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton Airport, Southampton, arriving at Bournemouth. It was only 15/20 minutes between stations, so nice to see a different view of the countryside ... with our refreshments in hand (coffee, sandwiches and a glass of wine) 

We walked into Bournemouth as we had a while before check in, I was so surprised to find it very hilly. I thought it was flat like Weymouth or Brighton but the town centre sits on a Chine (a steep-sided gorge where the river flows to the sea) and our hotel was at the top of the very steep west cliff side of the town. 

But the climb was worth it, what a festive welcome and although an old hotel our room was huge, clean, comfy and had a sea view. To be honest we couldn't have stayed at the nearby Premier Inn for the price we paid, especially as breakfast was included.

The photo above shows how the road drops away to the sea. Our first evening we strolled down the hill, what a superb view of the Pier lit up and the lights beyond. From the Pier we walked through the gardens along the River Bourne to the Christmas market, the decorations were huge and very festive. 

Being a Monday it was fairly quiet which was perfect as we could get to all the stalls and had no trouble getting a table at the Slug and Lettuce for dinner with cocktails. We had a great night out, a lovely walk back through the gardens and a tiring walk up the hill.

The next morning after a delicious cooked to order breakfast, I had smoked haddock and poached egg, we decided to walk along the coast towards Boscombe Pier. In the daylight the views were even better, the smaller pier in the distance of the curved bay. We could also see the Isle of Wight and the Needles with its lighthouse, we should have brought our binoculars for a better view. 

Before setting off along the coast we walked to the end of Bournemouth Pier and back. There was a great Christmas Tree trail along the Pier with each tree having a Christmassy question with the answer at the next tree. From the end of the Pier we looked back towards our hotel, it's behind the white hotel and you can see the steep slope down.

Of course being on a pier and being by the sea means only one thing .... the 2p machines. I love a tipping point game, yes we never come away with big winnings but it's the game that gives the joy. Hubby did win a chew sweet!

It was lovely walking along the promenade road, often covered with sand, with the sea gently breaking on the shore. There were plenty of runners, dog walkers and even a few swimmers. There were rows and rows if beach huts, all closed now for winter, as was to my dismay the road train. 

The east cliffs towered above us, in some places the promenade was sectioned off due to landslides revealing the sandstone layers. We were so surprised to see a group of goats on the steep slopes, they seemed very happy munching away.

Boscombe was inland, again uphill and sadly it was very much like other town centres with many closed shops. We did find a lovely coffee shop before taking the bus back into Bournemouth. We decided not to venture back into town for dinner (the slope was too much after already walking 6 miles) and so had a pub meal in the Hop Inn just along from our hotel. Still being early when we got back we settled in the hotel bar with a very festive mulled wine and mini mince pie, perfect end to our day.

Our last morning started with another delicious breakfast and as our train home was late afternoon we left our cases with reception so we could explore the east of Bournemouth. I was not keen on doing more slopes so we walked along the cliff top route to Branksome which is actually in Poole district. 

The views were amazing, it was such a lovely sunny winter morning. To the west behind us is the coast to the west with Bournemouth Pier and the Isle of Wight in the distance. We were so lucky with the weather. 

To the east was Studland, we could just see Old Harry's Rocks sticking up at the edge of the coast. The weather did begin to change as we walked back, the sea noticeably changing from being still to being choppy with waves on the shore. 

As we walked back along the beach I knew we'd have to climb up to the hotel. Not enjoying the steep slopes we opted for the steps, oh my there were lots of them and a few stops to admire the view were very much needed. 

We had a lovely few days away, different experience not going in the car and using public transport. After collecting our cases from the hotel we walked back into Bournemouth for a meal before catching the bus to the station to get the train home. 

It was certainly beginning to feel like Christmas, a super early December getaway.

Durham

On our way from our holiday up north in October we stopped by in Durham. Making use of the park and ride located just off the M1 we were soon in the city which was surprisingly on a very steep hill.

The city was founded just before the turning of the first Millennium when Anglo Saxon monks settled here with the relics of St Cuthbert hiding from Viking raiders.

Durham is a busy student city with part of the University in the Castle a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Durham Cathedral is a place we've wanted to visit and it didn't disappoint, it's huge and looked amazing with natires autumn colours.

This Anglican Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Durham and is the Shrine of St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede. St Cuthbert, an early Christian monk, became Bishop of Lindisfarne on Holy Island. Bede who lived in the late 600s and early 700s was England's first historian, famous for The Ecclesiastical History of the English People which included the life of St Cuthbert.

A replica of the Sanctuary Knocker is quite a welcome on the Cathedral door. Safety and sanctuary is a focus in Christianity and in medieval times anyone who had committed a great offence could rap the knocker and would be given 37 days of sanctuary within the Cathedral.

The Galiee Chapel with it's beautiful arches was initially the Lady Chapel. It is at the far end of the Cathedral and was the area women were allowed within the monastery. In 1022 the relics of St Bede were brought from Jarrow, his tomb is now a place of pilgrimage.

The stone font with its intricate wooden casing stands at the start of the nave. It's quite a sight looking down the 150 metre long nave with it's vaulted ceiling towering 22 metres above. The space is so still, Durham Cathedral has a very calm atmosphere which is enhanced by its vast openness.

The resting place of Prince Bishop Thomas Hatfield is a stunningly colourful tomb, more so when the sun shines through the Cathedral windows. Prince Hatfield was a long serving Bishop holding office from 1345 until 1381.

Behind the Quire is St Cuthbert's Shrine, also a place of pilgrimage. St Cuthbert was buried on Lindisfarne but was moved in the 9th century to Dun Holm. In the mid 1500s King Henry VIII commissioned the Shrine to be dismantled but when uncovered the tomb contained an unconsumed body in priestly clothing instead of the expected dust and bones. This was seen as a sign of St Cuthbert's holiness and the tomb was reinterred.

The cloisters in Durham Cathedral give an inner view of the great towers, a different aspect of the vast building. The cloisters also lead to the Chapter House which was used as Professor McGonagall's classroom in the Harry Potter films. It was a little sad standing there as Dame Maggie Smith who played this magical teacher had passed away only a month earlier, there was certainly an added quietness and air of appreciation surrounding the Chapter House visitors, ourselves included.

We had a lovely visit to this amazing Cathedral that has played, and is still, an important part in Christian life.

Berwick upon Tweed

After our few days in Edinburgh we stayed in Berwick-upon-tweed along with our friends. Although the Haven site is quite large our caravans were nearby each other so not far to walk home after our evenings together.

Hubby and I visited Berwick-upon-tweed in 2021 when there were still restrictions so we were looking forward to revisiting. However we were still restricted as one day it poured down with winds over 65km, nice to watch the rough sea but not great for walking around. 

We did manage to walk the ramparts around the town. The bridges are quite a sight and as the tidal river Tweed was low there were herons on the shoreline. Each one on their own dotted along river edge, we wondered if each had their own patch.

 

Berwick-upon-tweed is a place often visited by L. S. Lowry. The famous matchstick people painter loved to holiday in Berwick-upon-tweed, The Lowry Trail around the town features many of his paintings.

We didn't follow the trail but did see this Lowry board on our rampart walk. The buildings are still quite similar today, just a few changes showing how life is different now - yellow lines and vehicles instead of people. 

In the centre of the town is Berwick Barracks, this was closed on our last visit. The Barracks were purpose built in the 18th century to protect the Border. Today the buildings house various museums about the history of Berwick-upon-tweed and the King's Own Scottish Borderers museum. It was interesting to visit this English Heritage property but wasn't wheelchair accessible so not suitable for one of our friends.

On our final day we drove inland and across the border back into Scotland to visit Coldstream. The museum there was really good with lots of information about the Coldstream Guards as well as the local area.

We stopped by the Union Chain Bridge on the way. Although construction of the Menai Bridge had begun the Union Chain Bridge was the first wrought iron suspension to be opened. In 1820 it was the longest vehicular Bridge with a span of 449 feet. The bridge was very much needed and although free today people were happy to pay the crossing toll as the alternative route was either 11 mile round trip via Berwick-upon-tweed or a 20 mile route via Coldstream.

Crossing today is on foot or one vehicle at a time. It is a narrow crossing and the suspension bridge does move up and down with the weight of a vehicle as it crosses, it looks quite drastic and I'm glad we drove across before I saw a crossing. It was a lovely location, the River Tweed was very full and fast flowing after all the rain.

We had a good time with our friends, we always do when away... good food and good wine. Although the weather was typically British our short stay in Berwick-upon-tweed was lovely, it is somewhere I would visit again.

Edinburgh

We previously visited Edinburgh in March 2022 spending a whole week exploring. This visit was a weekend with friends to see the highlights, although autumn we were very lucky with the weather.

We stayed in Leith at the Premier Inn, a bit of confusion as their parking is no longer free (no notification of change when we booked). It's a standard hotel but a great location as the new tram is only a few minutes walk away, as is HMY Britannia. 

As we had visited most places whilst our friends explored we went to The Georgian House now owned by the National Trust. They actually own three of the houses in the row including the house used by the First Minister of Scotland.

The house was an example of Georgian living, it wasn't a house owned by anyone in particular. There is currently an exhibition of design and clothing on the second floor, the dresses were beautiful.

The first floor had examples of Georgian living. The fabric and floor design in the bedroom was beautiful and as always I love a large set dining table and the promise of a good evening.

Below stairs was the kitchen, a huge room filled with shining mould. It must have been hot hard work but I would have loved to have been a chef in a kitchen such as this. 

In one of the pantries we found a lovely pewter set of measuring jugs, they look nicer than my glass Pyrex ones in our kitchen.

We had a super time with our friends especially revisiting Johnnie Walker Princes Street and enjoying a wee dram in the rooftop 1820 bar that overlooks the castle we visited earlier.

Leaving Edinburgh we headed to Berwick-upon-tweed for a caravan holiday. On the way we called again at Glenkinchie, a Johnnie Walker lowlands distillery. We had no time for a tour but did enjoy a coffee and browse through the shop.

It was lovely to be in Edinburgh again, a little steep in places for pushing our friend in her wheelchair but everywhere was sufficiently accessible especially HMY Britannia. We all had a great time, thank you Edinburgh.