Lindisfarne, Bamburgh and Coldstream

Whilst on our break in Berwick-upon-Tweed we had two days out and about. Usually we'd do more travelling to see the area we're in but the purpose of this break was to have a rest in new surroundings. Added to which many places were closed due to the restrictions so even a pub lunch was out of the question (or was it?)

Watching the weather we picked a day with reasonably good visability to visit Lindisfarne (Holy Island). It was an early start as Holy Island is accessible via a causeway that can only be crossed at low tide. The crossing time for our trip north was early morning until just after lunch. It was quite surreal to drive over a wet road that you knew had been under water just a few hours earlier.

The island is National Trust and English Heritage but only the outside spaces were open and free to all to wander. We first strolled through the village to Lindisfarne Priory, now a ruin. There is much religious history on Hily Island, the first monastery dating back to 634. It would have be good to learn more so I'm sure we'll return one day when the visitor centre is again open. 

The views from the island were amazing, it's easy to see how you could be caught by the incoming tides. At low tide you can see masses of sand which are flooded at high tide; the tall obelisks given guidance to the safe channels.

After the Proiry we walked to the other side of the island to Lindisfarne Castle, again currently closed. It sits high on an outcrop of stone and can be seen for miles around. It was built in the mid 1500s and used stone from the then not used Priory.

It was quite a steep walk up but amazing views from the top. As well as the Castle there is a Lime Kiln built onto the rock. With the wind blowing in off the se if felt quite a remote place, hard to imagine living there in ancient times. 

The other side of the estuary is Bamburgh with it's castle sitting high on another outcrop of rock; it too can be seen from afar. It loomed ahead as we drove up to it, quite an impressive building. 

The castle belongs to the Armstrong Family, and has been since Victorian times although there has been a fort here since 420. The house is currently closed but the grounds were open and the one way route to the gift shop gave a glimpse of a few rooms. The Normans built the first castle which is still evident today with its typical square structure.

From Bamburgh Castle we could see Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands. This group of islands is a Nature Reserve for sea birds, visible using the camera's zoom, they made the rocks look white.

The Monday of our holiday was a significant day for Scotland; their indoor hospitality restrictions were lifted although no alcohol could be served indoors. Coldstream sits just across the River Tweed and therefore in Scotland. It's a place I wanted to visit as my grandfather served in the Coldstream Guards. Unfortunately the museum was still closed but we did make the most of our trip across the border and had our first pub lunch in over a year (I was shielding last summer when restrictions eased for a while). 

On our way to Coldstream we spotted an interesting bridge and decided to stop to find out more. It was Twizel Bridge that played a significant part in the Battle of Flodden. I still don't quite understand which side (English or Scottish) came from where, I need to do a bit more reading. 

We also discovered Twizel Castle, now a ruin in a field reached by a steep footpath .... and a stile! 

The final part of our trip upstream was a brief stop at the site of Flodden's battle. It is said to be the most preserved battlefield but that's all it is ... a field. Our visit was brief as dark clouds loomed; a quick short uphill walk to the memorial and a dash back to the car, just before the downpour.

Our two days out were as always full of discoveries but there was far more to see. I'm sure Hubby and I will return to Berwick-upon-Tweed to discover more about the history of this northern part of England.

Berwick-upon-Tweed - our first 2021 holiday

With life slowly returning to how it used to be Hubby and I decided to have a week in Berwick-upon-Tweed. 

Much as we love our house we both needed a change of scene, but why did we go north to Berwick?

Northumberland has been on Hubby's to visit list for a while and we thought it would be quieter than going to the south. I am still nervous in shops and busy places, using my hand gel all the time, even if touching handrails and doors.

Our journey looked a long one on the map, nearly 230 miles predicted to take over 4 hours. With check in at our Haven caravan being 1-2pm we set off bright and early. In actual fact the M1 was not as busy as expected and a much nicer journey than going north on the M6.

Berwick is a lovely town with the River Tweed separating it from Tweedmouth. Three bridges cross this wide tidal water: the oldest is currently closed as it's being repaired. The Royal Tweed Bridge is the road bridge, concrete in construction with four spans it's quite impressive, however not as impressive as the Royal Border Bridge.

This superb railbridge has 28 spans and sits at 121ft above the river. It was designed by Robert Stephenson and opened in 1850 by Queen Victoria. It was quite surreal to see the modern LNER trains crossing this nearly 200 year old structure, I would love to have seen a steam train travel over it before electric pylons, oh for a time machine!

We did an enormous amount of walking over the week, far more than I expected; 35 miles in total over the week. Considering on November 2nd 2020 my limit was the end of our cul-de-sac I am delighted to now be out and about, my new walking boots make a huge difference. 

Having somewhere new to explore certainly helps and Berwick had so much open space including ramparts that surrounded the town. Each route around the town gave a different view: inland over the rail bridge, towards the sea over the road bridge, eastwards towards the lighthouse, and out across the North Sea. One of my favourite views, and rest stops, was in the Castle Gardens looking over the River Tweed going  upstream. Although all these views around the town are superb the walks did involve a lot of steep slopes and/or steps, this view was from the top of a very steep slope.

Just 2.5 miles from the Scottish border Berwick has changed hands many times, being Scottish or English at various times in history. There is much military evidence all around; the town walls are Medieval, the ramparts date back to Elizabethan times and the Town Hall is Georgian. The hexagonal Bell Tower is part of the walls built by Edward I and the first Britiah barracks were built in the 1700s. We couldn't visit the Barracks and Main Guard as it isn't re-opening until mid May.

The views when walking the ramparts are amazing and we were very lucky that our first few days had clear blue skies. The path all the way round has plenty of benches for anyone wanting to sit a while (me); being quite high up we could see as far as Lindisfarne and Bamburgh. Surprisingly we saw very few ships, not even small fishing vessels. 

The Haven Caravan Park was an ideal location, close enough to walk to town but also close to the start of many coastal walks as it reached as far as the cliff top. Either side of the site was a golf course so plenty of greenery all around. At low tide it was amazing to see the seabed rock formations appearing, I have not seen circular ones before.

On our final day we walked into town and out towards the lighthouse. The 43ft red and white lighthouse is at the end of the pier. Although located on the Berwick side of the estuary it was built in the 19th century to protect Tweedmouth, a trading port but has no passenger boats. It was a blustery walk but the right choice as we had blue sky whilst the town was hit by a sudden downpour.

I will be writing two other blogs about our time in the north covering our trips out, this one has been just about Berwick-upon-Tweed itself. It was just the holiday we needed, a very gentle pace of doing new things but not rushing around to see lots of places. 

We found a lovely pub, The Pilot Inn, on the way to town and enjoyed our first pint in (outside) a pub since last summer. After a walk to Tweedmouth we tried some local seafood accompanied by a rose wine from Majestic (yes there is a Majestic in Berwick). 

Whilst away we were given the heads up by our daughter that Costa were celebrating their 50th and had ground coffee and pods on offer at 50p - seriously! Of course we headed straight into town to make the most of the offer, any excuse for a coffee.

On our last night we walked slightly out of town for a final pint at Meadow House. A tricky walk as it involved firstly crossing the golf course (proper footpath) and then the main A1 with no crossing, the cars and lorries do appear quite quickly. 

Thank you Berwick-upon-Tweed and Haven for a lovely, very much needed, holiday. We hope to visit again one day as there is so much more to see and do. 

A big big boost

Yesterday Hubby and I drove a few miles into the nearby countryside. We parked at Sutton Cheney wharf and took a stroll along the canal ... a try out for my new boots!

I'd had to wait until the shops reopened as I wanted to try them on before buying. Friday we were in town for my second vaccination so took the opportunity, they are so comfy. 

Our walk was 3.8km starting along the canal then up and over the bridge to walk some of the Battle of Bosworth Battlefield site and back through Ambion wood to the wharf. There were plenty of others out walking, with and without four legged friends. Everyone stepped aside with a cheery 'good morning'. 

It was so nice to be out and about; an added bonus was we saw some baby Moorhens, I had never seen babies before, so cute! 

It was so lovely to be out in the spring sunshine, it does make you feel good .... and today I feel even better as Mr Postie delivered the best letter ever. 

A few weeks ago I had a follow up scan for my breast cancer, it is awful waiting for results and this was the first scan since my operation last April. I'm sure the whole UK heard my scream .... no abnormality seen .... it's gone, and it was in writing. 

Oh my, what a weight lifted, the last 18 months of yuk yuk yuk have worked. 

I feel so so happy and so so grateful to everyone at George Eliot Hospital and University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, they are amazing! 

Hubby and I opened a bottle of Chapel Down Sparkling Bacchus this afternoon to celebrate, we have saved a little for this evening. We have also celebrated with a glass of Bond Street Distillery Signature Gin, part of a gift from our son which I was saving for when it was all over .... and today it is! 

I am still smiling from today's news, and I think the robin was smiling too. I know who was visiting and his watchful eye has helped me throughout ... thank you Dad 😘

Aldi wine ... with friends

Over the last year we have enjoyed meeting our friends on a video call every Saturday. With life a bit 'off' our regular quiz nights and wine tastings have been very much needed by both of us. 

We had a great Wine Tasting Night in January and a Virtual Cocktail Night in February - both super fun. We all live quite close so swapping the mini bottles is not a problem, in fact it made a nice drive out at times, if only 10 minutes! 

However swapping wines in this way is not possible with our friends who live near London but we did want to do a virtual wine night. Problem solved, we both have an Aldi store nearby so arranged to meet one morning by phone in our own stores. It was quite surreal to be standing looking at the wines talking to our friends 100 miles away and choosing the same wines to try. 

One that caught all our eyes was a white Malbec, I have enjoyed many Malbec wines but never a white wine.

Argentinian White Malbec at £6.99 is a good wine for summer days. As with a red Malbec it has red berries but has a lighter flavour with hints of strawberries and floral blossom. 

 

Our red choice was French, from the southern Mediterranean coast very close to the Spanish border, and made from a grape grown in both couthries - Grenache Noir. 

Pierre Jaurant G has a medium body with plenty of fruit. The wine was slightly tannic even though we had decanted our bottle a few hours earlier, but was fruity with a good finish. It was nice to find a bottle of just Grenache, especially at £6.49

It was a lovely evening chatting by video with our friends and sharing the same wine, something we have enjoyed in person in the past and will hopefully be able to do again in the not too distant future.

It's been a while since we shopped in Aldi, there were many new wines in store which of course tempted us into buying a few to try. We chose four whites and six reds, including the tasting two. 

Our whites were Stellenbosch Chardonnay Reserve,  Pierre Jaurant French Vermentino and Mimo Moutinho Portuguese Loureiro. 

I am looking forward to tasting all of these as they are all new to me, not just being from Aldi but the grape or region. I have had South African Chardonnay but not a Stellenbosch Reserve; likewise with the Vermentino, a grape I have tasted but not from France. The Portuguese Loureiro is one I am especially looking forward to as it's from the Vinho Verde region and a new grape to me.     

The reds were a combination of wines we have enjoyed, wines other people have recommended and new wines that caught our eye. 

Portuguese Douro is one we both enjoy and is great value at £5.49. 

The labelling on the Coteaux de Beziers really stood out, especially as we have enjoyed many holidays in the area and have visited Beziers many times. Listed as Pierre Jaurant French Red Blend it is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot wine.

It's a good job we picked up an Original Series Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon as it's no longer available. Another label that caught our eye was Cambalala South African Pinotage, it's a grape Hubby enjoys and is looking forward to tasting. 

Our final red was on the recommendation of a member of Cuvée Reserve, a wine forum for sharing everything about wine. I'm keen to try this  Specially Selected Uruguayan Tannat, I'm not sure what we'll be pairing it with so there's an opportunity to study both my wine and recipe books.

All in all a good Aldi visit, we picked great wines to enjoy with our friends and had a lovely evening, and we have some lovely new wines to try .... cheers.

A nod to St Patrick's Day

I have no Irish blood, we have never been to Ireland and as far as I know I have 

no Irish connections .... so why am I celebrating St Patrick's Day? 

Well I'm not really, I just take any excuse to bake something different.

This year I've made my first Soda Bread ... the verdict will be at the dinner table later! 

I've also baked Irish Barmbrack which is a whisky based fruit loaf. I can vouch that it is 

delicious as Hubby and I had a slice with our afternoon cuppa whilst watching the 

Irish winners at the Cheltenham Festival. 

I will of course be having a glass of Guinness later, it would be rude not to.

☘ Happy St Patrick's Day ☘

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿  Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

March 1st brings two events: the start of spring and St David's Day. I love theming our food and drink to special occasions and celebrated days so of course this morning I have baked some Welsh Cakes.

From today, until Easter, I have daffodils in the house in my Grandma's vase. They are so cheerful and bright, it's lovely seeing them on the mantle next to my Welsh dragon. 

Last week we had a short drive to Malt Kiln Farm Shop. They have a great cheese counter with varieties from all over the UK including my favourite Welsh cheese, Perl Las meaning Blue Pearl. 

They also have a good butchery and for tonight's dinner we opted for Lamb Pinwheels.

We do have a bottle of Welsh wine in our cellar but our White Castle Siegerrebe won't be opened tonight, mainly because it's a white wine and as it's a new wine to us we'd like to share it, it will be summer before it's opened. Here it is last summer next to the delicious White Castle Regent and our super size dragon. 

We will however be enjoying a small glass of Penderyn whisky. We have a variety to choose from: 

Maderia        Celt        Myth         Legend 

Whether you are celebrating St David's Day or just the fact that spring has arrived, stay safe, stay well... hopefully it will not be long before we can celebrate with family and friends.