We arrived at London Heathrow early morning on 8 September and took a connecting flight to Newcastle upon Tyne, where we checked-in into Jesmond Park Hotel. The next couple of days was spent visiting Newcastle University where my daughter will be studying, and making ourselves familiar with the city.
Day 1 - 10 September 2015 (Thursday)
We had planned to rent a car for the day but the car rental company wanted to charge us 200 pounds per day (excluding extras) ,so we decided to abandon the idea. Instead we went to the bus stop and enquired about possible transportation to Alnwick. We were recommended to take the local bus X18 to Alnwick via Morpheth. The return ticket cost us 7 pound per pax.
The almost 2- hour ride took us past small villages, rolling hills and farms of harvested wheat and picturesque country -side. The town of Alnwick is small and quaint with small B&Bs and shops and cafes lining its streets. We stopped at a Thai restaurant, Thai Vibe to have lunch of rice and tom yam.
A short walk took us to the main attraction of the town, Alnwick Castle.Originally built in the Norman age as an imposing border fortress, from 1309 todate Alnwick Castle's story is intertwined with that of the Percy family. It is the second largest inhabited castle in the UK and has served as a military post,a teaching college,a refuge for evacuees and not least a family home.It has also been used as the set location for Harry Potter and more recently Downton Abbey.
We walked through the castle grounds, past well-kept lawns, the Gun Terrace and up several steps to the Percy Tenantry Museum and the Ramparts Walk. From this height we could see the River Aln in the distance.We then explored several staterooms which are opened to the public. The rooms are decorated with ornate ceilings, rich tapestry drapes, beautiful wall coverings and intricate furniture. One room is decorated fully with swords,guns and horns.
After completing the tour of the castle we walked back to Alnwick town, stopped for coffee at one of the cafes and took the next bus back to Newcastle.
Day 2 - 11 Sept ( Friday)
We took bus number X21 to Durham which is slightly over an hour from Newcastle. From the bus stop, we walked along a cobble-stone road lined with cafes and shops,across Framwelgate Bridge spanning over River Wear ,with a commanding view of Durham Castle on the hill. Up a slope the road opens up to the town square and market place. The square is picturesque with a church on one end and shops on other sides. There's a market hall selling all kinds of things from fruits and vegie to souvenirs. Flowers hanged from baskets above windows and were also displayed on cone-shaped stands. I couldn't help myself from taking a lot of pictures of them because they were so pretty.
From here we walked up a steep road to the top of the hill. Surrounding a lawn and square is The University of Durham on 2 sides, Durham Cathedral on one side and Durham Castle on the other. We didn't manage to go into the castle as the tickets for the day had been sold out. We just sat on a bench basking in the sun and enjoying the view of the beautiful cathedral with its Romanesque architecture and exquisite stained glass.
Soon we retraced our steps down hill and stopped for lunch of delicious fish and chips at Bell's cafe. Having satisfied our appetite our energy was revived for us to explore the various roads and lanes and other parts of the city.
At 4.04 pm we took the bus back to Newcastle.
Day 3- 12 Sept (Saturday)
Before coming to England, we had booked online the rental of a car. It's much cheaper to do it from Malaysia then to just walk in and rent,which we discovered here. So this morning we took a cab to the airport where the car was to be collected. With the availability of a car we were able to run some errands in the morning.
In late morning we drove to Tynemouth. As it was drizzling and cold, we decided to have lunch first. Lunch consisting of scampi,fish and chips and tuna steak was at Longsands Fish Kitchen. The food was really fresh and delicious.
After lunch the sun came up and it gave us the opportunity for a good walk around the Tynemouth Priory and Castle area,admiring the man-made structures and the natural beauty of the surrounding.
We resumed our scenic drive northwards past Cullercoats to Whitley Bay and St Mary's Island with its lighthouse which can be accessed only via a causeway during low tide. As the tide was high and the causeway was submerged by the sea we could only admire from afar.
As it was getting late we made our way back to the hotel in Jesmond.
Day 4 - 13 Sep ( Sunday)
On recommendation of the hotel staff we drove to Holy Island. The journey took us 1 hour 15 minutes from Newcastle along the A1. To cross over to the island from the mainland we had to cross a channel which is only passable at low tide.It is advisable to check the times the channel is open to cross to the island and the time to cross back, before embarking on the journey as during high tide the island is cut-off from the mainland. After passing marshland we parked at a public car park. From here we walked through the village Passing the remains of Lindisfarne Abbey to Lindisfarne Castle and spent some time enjoying the view and the fresh air.
We had to leave the island by 1.45 pm as the tide was expected to come in at that time. From there we drove further north to Berwick upon Tweed. It's a small walled city situated at the mouth of the river Tweed but didn't seem to have much to offer.Most of the shops were closed and we had to content with sandwiches for lunch.
From here we took the coastal road southwards and stopped at scenic spots along the way to admire the country side and view of the coast.At Warren Mill we stopped to watch birds flocking on the water.
Our next stop was Bamburgh which is the anxient capital of of the Kingdom of Northumbria. It is home to one of the finest castle of England, the Bamburgh Castle which is an imposing structure perched on a hilly basalt outcrop overlooking the sea.
Our drive along the coast took us to Alnmouth which is a small village at the mouth of the River Aln. We just passed through the village and on towards Amble Harbour Village, passing the Warkworth Castle, the river and marina. And from here back to Newcastle.
Day 5- 14 Sept (Monday)
After a leisurely breakfast we took a slow drive south to the coastal town of Whitby, home of the famous explorer and voyager, Captain James Cook. After slightly over an hour we arrived at the town amidst a drizzling and cold weather. The fishing town is bigger than I expected and was quite busy despite the rain. We walked abit but the rain hampered our walk so we decided to have an early lunch as Moon and Twopence. Lunch consisted of lobster and salad which was fresh and delicious.After lunch we walked around the harbour area with boats moored at the river mouth. Quaint houses and shops can be seen perched on slopes on either side of the river. From here we drove up the small hill where the Whitby Abbey was.
A short drive took us to Robin Hood's Bay which was notorious for smuggling in the 18th century. Some local legend seems to suggest that Robin Hood may have visited this place. After parking our car we walked to the edge of the cliff with a commanding view of the bay below.We then walked down a steep road to the old village with quaint little shops and cafes on both sides.Down at the water level we could see rolling farm land above the cliff. Our climb back up the slope was more strenuous but the walk was certainly worth it.
We proceeded to drive south-west towards York passing through the Yorkshire moors with blossoming heather giving a purple hue to the otherwise brown landscape. Arrived at our hotel Elmbank Hotel,The Mount, York ,which is an old and charming hotel with an open fireplace burning in the drawing room.
After checking-in and a short rest we took a walk along the road looking for a place to eat and found Jorvic Spice Restaurant where we partook nan, prawn masala and fish curry.
Day 6 - 15 September (Tuesday)
Woke up to a wet and cold day. We decided to take a taxi from the hotel to the York Minster. We walked in the drizzle around the awe-inspiring and breathtakingly grand York Minster which towered over the surrounding buildings. The Minster was started in the 13th century and was completed 250 years later.We entered the cathedral,partly to escape the rain and partly to admire the high ceiling and glorious stained glass windows which are reputed to contain more than half the medieval stained glass in England.
From here we walked to The Shambles, the oldest part of the city and the most famous medieval street in the country. We came here 22 years ago but coming here a second time didn't give us the wow effect as the first time. Nevertheless the place is still very interesting and quaint with its buildings with low ceiling and exposed beams. We walked in the rain,dodging into shops to look at souvenirs and to get a reprieve from the rain. A shop selling exotic teas gave free tea to sample, which was a welcome in that cold weather.
We located and managed to find Jamie Oliver's restaurant where we had a scrumptious lunch of prawn spaghetti, gnocchi, crab meat spaghetti for mains and pavlova and polenta cake for dessert.
After lunch we walked around a bit and then passed York Castle and from there took a taxi back to our hotel. After a short rest we drove to York Designer Outlet, thinking that with the wet and cold weather we might as well spent the time indoors.But as Murphy's law would have it, the sun was out and it was a lovely day.
Dinner that night was at the same Indian restaurant near our hotel.
Day 7 - 16 September (Wednesday)
After breakfast and checking out from the hotel, we drove to Knaresborough and stopped by the River Nidd for a stroll. The sun was out and families with kids were having picnic in the park.
We resumed our journey to Harrogate which is a relatively big city. We proceeded to the Valley Gardens where we strolled around admiring the beautiful flowers like begonia and dahlia of every shapes and colours.
From there we walked around the town a bit and stopped at Winter Gardens, Royal Bath for lunch of fish and chips.
Our journey continued towards the Lake District as we drove passed small towns and villages and uphill through heather-covered slopes and down the dales through the Yorkshire reserves on this beautiful sunny day.
When we arrived at the hotel Windermere Manor Hotel in Windermere, my cousins Ian and Susan were already waiting for us. After checking in we had tea in the hotel's drawing room catching up and making plans for the next 2 days that we would be spending together. Dinner that night was at the hotel.
Day 8 - 17 September (Thursday)
Our morning began with a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. We then drove to a ferry terminal where together with our cars we took the ferry across Lake Windermere, England's largest lake and one of its most popular. The weather was sunny and clear and the lake looked beautiful like a picture postcard.
Once we reached across the lake we drove past Esthwaite Water to Hawkshead where we went for a walk around the town which is famous for the author Beatrix Potter, the creator of Peter the Rabbit.
A scenic drive took us to Ambleside and Rydal. We found a spot for a picnic where we had our morning coffee. From here we passed narrow winding roads, at one point near Thirlmere we had to follow a herd of sheep. We reached Ashness Bridge which is an old narrow arched stone bridge over a small stream. From this point we could see the lakes Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite below.
The road became more narrow beyond this point as we climbed up to Watendlath, a small hamlet where we stopped for a lunch picnic and walked about a bit.
We made our way back downhill and stopped at Surprise View. The view from here looking down the cliff to the lake Derwent Water and the valley below was indeed a lovely surprise. We spent some time enjoying the breath-taking vista in front of us.
From here our drive was downhill to the valley below and we passed high mountains on both sides. We stopped for a while to feel the awesomeness of the mountains. Further downhill we passed Lake Buttermere and lake Crummock Water and also stopped to take in the beautiful view.
We continued our drive towards Keswick , Grasmere and Ambleside.We finally reached Windermere and stopped at Bowness for a walk along the waterfront and in the town area. We were here 22 years ago and noticed that not much about the place has changed. We went back to the hotel to freshen up and went out for dinner at Shirah Indian restaurant where cousin James and Lisa joined us all the way from Manchester.
Day 9 - 18 September (Friday)
After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we drove towards Penrith. We passed rolling hills and as we made our way uphill the mountains loomed around us. We stopped at Kirkstone pass to enjoy the misty view despite the freezing temperature.
It was a downhill drive after this past Patterdale. We stopped at Glenridding Village on Lake Ullswater and walked to the marina and steamer jetty where we had hot chocolate.
We continued our journey towards Penrith where we stopped at Acorn Bank farm Garden. We browsed around various parts of the garden including the herb garden and fruit garden. We had our lunch at the tea room.
It was time to say goodbye to Ian and Susan as we continued with our journey towards Haydon Bridge,Hexham. It was a scenic drive through rolling countryside and moorland. We stopped at the highest point of the Alston Moors to admire the panorama before us.
We arrived at our hotel Shaftoe's Bed and Breakfast at Haydon Bridge, Hexham where we had a rest before going out for a walk .
Day 10 - 19 September (Saturday)
After a leisurely breakfast we drove towards Newcastle passing through Wall looking for the Hadrian Wall. We realised that it would mean having to do quite a bit of walking so we gave up the idea as after 2 weeks of non-stop activities we were quite tired. When we reached Newcastle we went to our hotel the Ravensdene Lodge Hotel for checking in and a rest. Later we drove to Gateshead Centre for a walk-about and lunch.
Later we drove to the airport to send back the car. From the airport we took a train to Monument station and walked around the area for a while. Dinner was at Jamie Oliver's restaurant.
Day 11 onwards
We left Erin at her hotel for her to register into her university accommodation the next year while the rest of us took a flight to London and checked in into our hotel in Bayswater. We spent the next few days walking around the city and shopping at Oxford Street as well as our favourite departmental stores Harrods and Selfridges. We also enjoyed eating at Selfridges and Lobster and Burger. We also met cousin Anne for tea at Selfridges and later she joined us together with my other cousins Duncan, Joyce, Cameron and Geraldine who came to spend some time with us over Greek food at Santorini Restaurant.
After almost 3 weeks away from home it was time to say goodbye to England, until next time.
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