Autumn break 2014

Alnwick Gardens

We spent a week of out October break in Northumberland, near to the coast. Met up with a couple of friends we hadnt seen for a few years, Alnwick Castle gardens

Alnwick Gardens

Visited a few little villages along that coast, doing a few geocaches in the areas, end of the day we had a walk around the foot of  Bamburgh Castle.

Had a full day on Lindisfarne, walking around most of it, again doing a few of the geocaches on there.

Boat huts

Had a whole day walking around the ground and house of Cragside, very interesting place with some installation art on show, connected with light.

Joseph Swan inverted the light bulb.

A quick visit to see the kids on Teesside and off home via Edinburgh We had a couple of night in Edinburgh, at our usual stopping off point, Mortonhall, however, it seem to have changed hands or at least the restaurant/bar on the site. Just not the same, food wasn't as good as before, we were even getting to know some of the staff after years of visiting. Dont think we will be going back, probably start using the Caravan Club site on the other side of the city, better site anyway, just no bar.

Will miss these guys at Mortonhall.

Khali cat has really taken to the camper van, well behaved and very much at home and I managed to keep up with the running.

Third year with the motorhome.

Skyscape

Well we have had the camper for 3 years now and still enjoying it. Friends of Carlotta get a silver medal from earthcache.com.
Easter and we took off to see the kids, stopping off a Kielder in Northumberland for a week, the site at Leaplish was quite nice, quiet to start with until the schools in England finished, then folks started to arrive. Highlights of the visit was a walk along Hadrians Wall and Skyscape, all made better with the good weather.
We arrived in pouring rain and that stayed with us for a few days, we did some  drive by caches and the weather started to clear a little allowing a bit of walking. Needed to get some supplies in, so went into Bellingham, seeing  the weather was looking better off into the distance we kept driving till we hit the sun around Hadrians wall, went for a good walk finding a number of caches.
The campsite was not too bad it had a restaurant and bar, beers were a bit limited and the food was nothing out the ordinary, good pub grub. Lots of bike trails in the area I think there is now a completed  one right around the reservoir, the largest manmade lake in northern Europe, the good weather stayed around.
Kielder has an Arts & Architecture initiative in the area, we visited a few pieces one of the most impressive was Skyscape, I had lots of fun photographing it.


Then off to see the kids for a couple of days. We took then on a geotrail around the village of Bishop Middleham, in the Land of the Prince Bishops, County Durham. One of the best geocaching day we have had due to the innovative nature of some of them, kids were a bit none plussed as they werent all big boxes of booty.


Then off back up to Aberdeen calling off at Edingburgh. Visited the exhibition of photographs by August Sander, before walking into town taking in a few DNF's from our last visit. Stayed at Silverknowles site within easy reach of South Queensferry a quaint little village then onto the sometimes an island of Cramond, made a video of our geocaching adventure, next day off home. Left April 3rd returned on the 16th and somewhere along the way I had a birthday.