Just The Two of Us

Anniversaries can be landmine days. Like birthdays, Christmas and Valentines Day businesses have made it their business to tell you how these days should be celebrated. “Show your love with a diamond” or “nothing says I love you like a car in the driveway with a big bow on top”. The message is clear; if you don't deliver the goods you can kiss your relationship goodbye.

While I would never say no to a car or a diamond (I’m not crazy), John and I decided that while we are on this journey we are forgoing exchanging gifts on these traditional days. Instead we are making the experiences the gifts. In addition, if one of us sees something on our journeys that we really want we get it. It is sort of like a deferred gift from a designated holiday.

Anyway this year our 30th wedding anniversary fell here in the countryside of Northern England. They do have really nice 4 and 5 star dining restaurants but not in the villages near us. And a fancy dinner I can have in the States. So when John asked me (as he usually does) how I wanted to spend our anniversary I knew right away. I wanted to go on a picnic.

On the morning of June 20 we packed a backpack with cheese, bread and bubbly and drove down to Lake Coniston. At the launch we were advised to take the taxi boat that both toured the lake and made stops along the bank. We got off at a lovely but less popular location and hiked up the bank to the path. We found a bench overlooking the lake and enjoyed our al fresco celebration. No gifts, No cards, No waiters. Just us together on our day.

The Wall in the North

The Wall in the North is a reality. Now before you Game of Thrones fans get too excited, I am not talking about that wall. But in many ways it is similar. I am talking about Hadrian's Wall. Built in the 1st century by Emperor Hadrian to protect the Roman Empire from the wild Picts of the north. This wall ran 73 miles,across England from the North Sea to the Irish Sea (or at least very close to these waters).Small forts and watchtowers were included in the design to occur every mile to prevent raids on settlements of Roman citizens.

While the wall did not prevent raids, it was effective at establishing the presence of Rome in the North. The citizens who lived there discovered that the most effective way to deal with the Picts was economically, not militarily. As the Empire declined, the wall became a gateway for goods to flow from one group to another, helping everyone to survive in the harsh climate.

With the fall of Rome the soldiers and others who lived there stayed. They intermarried with the Picts and the Britons and established farms and villages. Much of the building material came from the wall itself. Many of the stones were used centuries later in the building of Carlisle Castle and the surrounding town.

The wall today is easily accessible from many locations although some of it does run through private land. We chose Housteads because they had an Interpretive visitor center.http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/housesteads-roman-fort-hadrians-wall/

There are also guided and unguided walks along the wall if you just want to see the beautiful if somewhat untamed countryside.

If These Walls Could Talk

Another day, Another castle. People have asked me if I get tired of seeing so many castles. I don't understand the question. Each one is as different as flowers in a garden So it is with castles in Britain. There are similarities yet each has its own story to tell.

Carlisle Castle in Cumbria was built to protect England’s borders from the threat of invasion from the north. But not from the Scots as you might think, from the Picts who predated the Scots. And who did the building? Why the Romans of course.

More of a garrison and fort then a castle the foundation was laid in the first century AD to protect the Empire in the North. Although the fall of Rome left the site in ruins it was re established in 685. The Castle was reinforced in 1092 and continued to be expanded and strengthened to withstand attacks from the English when the Scots who controlled it and attacks from the Scots when the castle was in English hands. It even withstood an English on English attack during the War of the Roses.

Along the Ramparts

William Wallace, Richard III, Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie were all here as conquerors, defenders or prisoners.Some of the most intriguing stories however come not from the famous but the anonymous. Were the carvings in the walls of keep done by prisoners as first believed or merely the work of bored guards? In the dungeon below, indentations in the limestone walls show how desperate prisoners literally licked the walls for water, surviving long enough to be executed or sent to the West Indies as slaves. Was this, as many believe, the place where the lyrics were written to the well known song Loch Lomond?

So many stories. The same and yet different stories of struggle and sacrifice, hardship and hope, victorious and vanquished.

Another castle? Yes please!

carvings in the keep

Potter's World

Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Mrs. Tiggy -Winkle, Mr. McGregor. No these are not the new teachers at Hogwarts. These Potter characters are the creation of Beatrix Potter. Benjamin Bunny, Jemima PuddleDuck and of course Peter Rabbit can be found throughout England's Lake District.
While many of the towns and villages have shops that feature “Officially Licensed” Peter Rabbit gift items, we went in search of a less retail based experience with the animals of the stories. We considered the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction in Bowness-on-Windermere http://www.hop-skip-jump.com/ which may have been good if we had young children. Instead we chose to visit Hill Top, the actual home of Beatrix Potter. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hill-top/features/beatrixs-hill-top-house
The road to Hill Top was narrow and curvy as with so many roads in the district. Also, as with the

Vines at the entrance

other roads, the trees, farms and views of the lakes was spectacular. A limited number of people are allowed in the house at a time so we had an opportunity to explore the garden. This was an actual farm so although there are herbs and flowers in the garden there is not a created home for fictional characters.

 The house itself is filled with excerpts from Potters letters and sketches of her characters in every room. Many of the items are displayed in a rotation so guests can see different things during subsequent visits. Original drawings and illustrations can also be seen at the Beatrix Potter gallery in the village of Hawkshead, a short distance from Hill Top. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beatrix-potter-gallery-and-hawkshead 

notes from a distorted window

Time prevented us from visiting it so we drove the curvy road back to our home for the week. And guess who was waiting in our garden? A Peter Rabbit of our own.

The Lovliest Spot That Man Hath Ever Found

If you are a lover of poetry or English Literature, this is the place for you. I am talking about the Lake District. It is also the place if you love walking through field and fell, hiking up mountains or fishing in rivers and lakes.

The title of this post comes from Lake District poet, William Wordsworth. He and his contemporaries including Coleridge and Scott often wrote of or were inspired by the natural beauty of the region. It is truly an outdoor lovers paradise. Miles of trails through fields and over hills, along the lakes and rivers run throughout the region. Just be sure to shut the gate as you cross through pastures of grazing sheep.

For the truly ambitious hike up Old Man Coniston, just over three miles up on somewhat rugged terrain.https://www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_2.html At least that is what we heard. We chose to pass on this one as it would take a full day and there was so much to see in only a week. We did do some hikes through beautiful forests and walks through charming villages.

Whether you come here on a literary pilgrimage or just to stop and literally smell the roses, there are not many places lovelier than England’s Lake District.

“You may leave the Lake District, but once you’ve been, it’ll never leave you…”
                                                                                                                           Anonymous

A Good Walk Spoiled

If you are a golfer, (or married to one),no trip to Scotland would be complete without a visit to some of the country’s most famous courses. Just over an hour drive from Edinburgh are Carnoustie and St Andrews, sites of many British Open Championships. Sorry, I meant THE OPEN.

Scottish courses can be very different from those in the United States. I had seen the rugged landscape before, both on television and on other courses we visited this trip. But Carnoustie seemed almost desolate. If not for the greens and the flags and the golfers it could have been any one of a number of moors overlooking the ocean.. We were surprised and delighted to discover that the course

Pot Bunkers

was open to anyone wanting to go for a walk as long as we stayed on the path and listened for the call of  FORE. There were others walking the these paths, some with their dogs and others cutting through to climb down the cliff to the beach. Of the four courses here I am not sure which one we walked but after days in the city it was nice to be away from buildings and traffic noises.https://www.carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk/

On to St Andrews, known as the “Birthplace of Golf”. The town itself reminded us of Carmel, California. Upscale boutique shops and restaurants filled small streets and alleys located off the main thoroughfare. We stopped for lunch at Forgans http://www.forgans.co.uk/st-andrews/ a very cool restaurant (it had a reading room in the dining area). Butternut Squash

literary lunch

Wellington and Duck Confit Shepherd's Pie, my taste buds are happy just writing about you.

St Andrews is actually seven courses with the Old Course being the most famous. https://www.standrews.com/ While this one is not accessible to non players there were quite a few people like us driving up to look at the course from the walkway along the border. Although there were some running out on the course during play to quickly snap a selfie on Swilken Bridge at the 18th Tee most spectators left the links to the golfers. Near the Old Pavillion is West Sands where the beach scene from Chariots of Fire was filmed.

Can you hear the theme song?

                 

     As always, too soon it was time to leave. A good walk spoiled? Not if you walked here.

Jewel of the North

As with many cities, Edinburgh is comprised of a cluster of hills. The most prominent of these is Castle Rock, the location of Edinburgh Castle. https://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/. There has been a castle on this site since the 12th century. Its political and military importance give it the distinction of being the most besieged place in Great Britain.

Although no monarch has lived there since 1633 the royal palace is filled with items from the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, including the chamber where she gave birth to her son James who would later become King of England as well as Scotland.

The castle is also the home to the Crown Jewels of Scotland. The crown, scepter and sword, survived Oliver Cromwell and his destruction of all symbols of the monarchy only to be locked away again with the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament in 1707. It was not until the author, Sir Walter Scott, was given permission to look for the items in 1818 were they returned to the people of Scotland and displayed at the castle.
                                                                                                                                                                    Like most of the Scottish castles we visited, this one pays tribute to the military. Within the walls of the castle is the Scottish National War Memorial, the Scottish National War Museum and the regimental museum for the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, also known as the Scots Greys. The

highlight of this museum was seeing the French Eagle, https://www.military-history.org/articles/napoleonic/royal-scots-greys.htm and the life sized statue of a soldier with his grey horse.  

The role of this castle in all things military include Mons Meg, a state of the art artillery piece from the 15th century and the Half Moon Battery whose cannons are set to fire upon anyone approaching the castle. We also went into the dungeon where prisoners of war were kept in the 1700’s.

This was a great castle to visit if you have limited time in Scotland. The exhibits provide a look into the vast history of Scotland in one location. For us it brought together the pieces and parts we had discovered during our three weeks in the country. It is easy to understand why Scotland is a jewel to be acquired (if you can).

City of Stories

Edinburgh-city of Kings and Criminals, Authors and Adventurers. It is very much a modern city with a history that will not be forgotten.

Sir Walter Scott monument

If my friends who love literature visited Edinburgh I am not sure they would ever leave. This is truly a city of stories and storytellers. It is in fact UNESCO’s first city of Literature http://www.cityofliterature.com/the-literary-city/read/edinburgh-city-literature-starter-10/10-edinburgh-literary-statues/ Statues and monuments are located throughout the city to honor authors such writers as Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as writers of philosophy and economics David Hume and Adam Smith. Although she does not yet have a statue, the Elephant House one of the pubs where J.K.Rowlings penned her Harry Potter books has a large sign proclaiming it to be the “Birthplace of Harry Potter”.

A small museum off the the Royal Mile-the main drag of the old city- The Writers Museum celebrates the work of three of Edinburgh's famous sons; Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns. https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/writers-museum It is located in a house in Lady Stairs Close. Lady Stair and her family are believed to be part of the inspiration for Scott’s novel, Bride of Lammermore.

A visit to Grassmarket provides plenty of other inspiration for tales to be told. From Half Hangit Maggie http://www.the-grassmarket.com/history/maggie-dickson.html to the collection of cadaver “volunteers” at the White Hart Inn The colorful history of this part of town will inspire anyone. Pull up a seat at the Last Drop Pub, across the square from the gallows ( I love a good pun ) and learn about some of the infamous citizens of Edinburgh including serial killers Burke and Hare http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/burke.html and the real Jekyll and Hyde, Deacon Brodie http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-31018496.

Site of the Gallows

Stories of “Murder Most Foul” are not confined to the poorer sections of town. At Holyroodhouse Palace, the official residence of the British Monarch in Scotland, https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse/highlights-of-the-palace-of-holyroodhouse#/#mqos bloodstains are said to be still visible from 1566. It was in the oldest part of the palace where David Rizzio, the private secretary of Mary Queen of Scots, was stabbed to death by her husband Lord Darnley and other Scottish nobles. The mystery around the death of Lord Darnely himself, although not at the palace, is just another chapter of Royals behaving badly. https://www.historicmysteries.com/murder-lord-darnley/ .

the Palace gardens

Not all of the stories are based on murder and mystery. One of the most endearing stories is that of Greyfriars Bobby a skye terrier who stayed by the grave of his owner for 18 years. A memorial bronze statue of Bobby stands at the entrance to the cemetery. The dog himself is buried just outside the border but as close as possible to his owners grave. But this may be the greatest story of all. Recent research seems to prove that this tale was a publicity stunt to get people to visit Edinburgh. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2021906/Greyfriars-Bobby-hoax-Dog-kept-vigil-masters-grave-publicity-stunt.html Whether truth or fiction it is still, like so many others, a tale well told in a City of Stories.

Mans best friend