Newcastle revisited - part 1

My friend S and I did a nice weekend in Newcastle / North Umberland full of castles, hills and Roman ruins.  It was the most relaxing weekend I have had in the middle of busy season ever. 

We took the first class train up to Newcastle, which was really nice.  Free drinks and dinner in really great seats.  I could get used to that.  Then it was back to reality with a stay at the Premier Inn at the airport - everything is Premier but the price!

On Saturday we borrowed a car and headed up to North Umberland.  First stop was the ruins of Dunstanburgh castle on the coast (14th century).  It required a nice little hike through the sheep fields along the North Sea.  Apologies for the picture overload, but I couldn't pick a favourite!

View from the hike of the castle

Imagining the men posted watching the sea for intruders

What was left of a watch tower

Getting artistic with the iPhone

The weather was incredible - mid February, blue skies, cold but nice in the sun, and a flat sea.  Felt like hitting the lottery.

Who says accountants can't be artists?  Money shots....

View from the top of the castle overlooking the sea

Grainy, but you can see the snowcapped hills behind us.  We missed massive amounts of snow the previous weekend.

Invading sheep territory.  Such an idyllic and classic England picture 

Hello there....no zoom required!

Then it was off to Bamburgh castle a bit further north up the coast.

Cricket pitch just below the castle....it doesn't get more English than castles and cricket.

Backlit castle from the beach, which was nice to walk along.

Full view of the castle

After Bamburgh, the grand tour of the North took us to Holy Island, which was really cool.  The only way to get on the island is on a causeway that floods with the tides, so you have to time it just right.  We gave ourselves an hour on the island and then got off an hour before the tide would have stranded us.  The best site was the ruins of the priory on the island, dating back to the 7th century, one of the earliest known areas of Christian settlement in the UK.  It's a pilgrimage site for St Cuthbert...Sir Walter Scott wrote:

"For with the flow and ebb, its style
Varies from continent to isle;
Dry shod o'er sands, twice every day,
The pilgrims to the shrine find way;
Twice every day the waves efface
Of staves and sandalled feet the trace"

We could see the pilgrim route still used today, crossing when the tide is low.

Lindisfarne Castle in the distance

Ruins are the best to take pictures of....it's almost impossible to "ruin" the picture (I'm here all week, folks)

After a lunch overlooking the sea and Holy Island, it was off to the Scotland/England border.  It got considerably colder in the hills as you can see from my face and the snow.

Doing my best England try dance.  Swing Low...Sweet Chariot!  #carrythemhome

Civilised picture on the Scottish side

Snow everywhere

I was there!

 

The snow was beautiful.  A gorgeous day!

 

We ended the day in Newcastle with dinner at a great pub - food was just perfect after a full day of hiking and road tripping.  I navigated the entire day and didn't get us lost once using the atlas.  I did struggle with the left side of the road concept....I don't think I could ever drive here. 

 

Day 2 to follow!

January 2015

 

January was spent flying on Sunday nights to the Hague and back to London late on Friday.  Long month, but I did get to see snow!

 

 

 

Snow at Schiphol

De-icing the plane!

A snowy Amsterdam!

I also hit Silver on BA - huge milestone in my traveling career.  I'm closer now to Gold than I ever thought I'd be, but won't make it.  It's the little things in life....

Christmas in London

Christmas in London is one full month of parties, more parties, and merriment all around.  I spent the month (other than Strasbourg and a few trips to the Hague) basically in London which was a nice diversion from the constant on the go. 

 

 

Highlight of the Christmas party season was the social group party at work - me and friend N were having a good time.  I can't even remember the joke, but I'm sure it was funny at the time.

 I went to see White Christmas, because, of course you have to do that.

Friend S and I went for Christmas Afternoon Tea at Brown's hotel.  It was amazing - I've never been to such a fancy place - definitely once in a lifetime.

Other things....

1.  I saw The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.  Best show I've seen in London...I would pay to see it again (and probably will).  The sets were the best I've ever seen.  If you haven't read the book, you should.  And then see the show.
2.  I volunteered for Crisis Uk which had a day shelter set up about a mile from my house.  Crisis UK provides warm places for rough sleepers to spend the day, get 3 meals and advice on just about anything.  My first shift was on Christmas Eve.  I served tea and coffee, handed out clothes and played the bouncer role (a bit of a joke, but I did).  My second shift on Saturday after Christmas I washed dishes most of the time (Trinity cafeteria style).  I met some really nice people and would love to do it again.  The guests were all very interesting, but the volunteers were the best part.  I'm so glad I did it.
3.  We had a team party in the Hague at a great Italian restaurant - wonderful conversation!
4.  I braved Oxford street 2 days before Christmas.  Yes, I am crazy, but I did find what I was looking for.
5.  I made it home for New Year's and got to see all the family and T and S.  So great!!

Very cold fishing on the dike. 

Take the girl out of Texas, but can't take Texas out of the girl....

Dad was the winner - worth it?

We went for Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo.  I really want to go back next time to see the new African exhibit when it's not lit up.  The giraffes and the mountain lions were the best part...and the lights were really pretty.


I really wish I had written 3 months ago - I could have described a lot more from December.  I won't wait that long again!

Winederful Christmas - Saturday (Strasbourg)

 

On Saturday, I took a tour with Regioscope (another great RS recommendation) through the Alsace region.  The tour was perfect - 3 people and the guide.  It couldn't have been any more like a private tour, but without the private tour prices. 

 

 

Unfortunately I can't remember all the villages we went to, so the narration on the weekend may or may not be right.  That's the breaks when you wait 3 months to write about it.

 

 



That's a general map of the areas we went to.  I'm not sure which specific villages on the left we went to, but we started in Strasbourg and then lunch in Colmar and then a few other villages on the way back to Strasbourg.

 

We first skirted the outside of Colmar and came upon the pretty lady above.  I've never seen the US Statute of Liberty, but I can now say I've seen Colmar's version. The guide provided really interesting insights into the region - there are quite a few Alsace nationalists.  The region has it's own language.  It's only spoken in the home amongst the older generation.  The region is neither French or German...it picks some interesting parts from both. It sided with the Germans in WWII.  After the war, Paris relocated parts of the government to Strasbourg to enforce French language and dilute some of the German influence.  It worked.

First village above.  Gorgeous little alley ways with beautiful shops and cafes.  Interesting mixture of German and French architecture.

Gorgeous church in the centre of town.

Christmas market in the centre

Loads of fruit cakes in the first market

 

Christmas tree made of skis in Colmar at the second stop

Canals in Colmar with beautiful German houses with French influences.  Cannot ask for a more beautiful view for lunch.

Artisan Christmas Market in Colmar - France is the best at encouraging local producers for the markets.  At each one, a certain number of stands had to sell only locally crafted products (and not the stuff made in China).  The gingerbread above was being iced right in front of the crowd...and the smell, oh the smell.

 

 

Colmar is a much larger city than the villages we went to in the morning and the afternoon, but after staying in Strasbourg, I think I would recommend to people to stay in Colmar and side trip to Strasbourg.  Colmar is much more pedestrian friendly and the views are beautiful.



All the Christmas markets after Colmar were in the grape fields.  All of the mulled wine (Ghuelwein) was made from local vintages and they had tasting booths at just about every corner.  I'm planning to go back for a summer tour through the vineyards - the area has amazing variety and wonderful places to sample.

 

 

View from the vineyard of one of the villages we went to.

 

After the tour, it was back to Strasbourg for a bit more wandering around and to grab a few Christmas gifts.  The whole main shopping street in Strasbourg changed colours as you walk down it. 

So that's the painting I got for my apartment to go with my sorta French theme.  I love the distressed look and I met the painter, which I'm a sucker for.

And I got a vase to go with my French themes.


Sunday was spent wandering the markets in the morning and then headed off to Basel airport for the flight back.  Winederful!!!