June 3, Sunday, Alndyke Farm Cottages, Alnwick, Northumberland, England

June 3, Sunday, Alndyke Farm Cottages, Alnwick, Northumberland, England

By the way, we're holding back on posting photos until we can get to an internet connection that is a little less expensive than using our cell connections. We are hoping to have better luck at the library or go over to the owners B&B across the street and post pictures later. Really we don't take many photos on travel days anyway so...

It's a little cooler today but that hasn't chilled the enthusiasm of the sparrows having some kind of little birdie confab in the giant clemantis climbing up the side of the cottage. I think they're up to something but I haven't figured out what yet. That clemantis is spectacular and I wish I'd been here to see it in bloom. There are thousands of those little round thingies from the middle of the flowers still hanging on the vines though all the petals are now gone. In the front garden lining the fence around the lawn are cornflowers, hydrangea (which may bloom before we leave) and a number of other things which Meg knew the names of but were recorded in my dingy memory as "blehhni" and may as well have been gaelic as it ran right out the other ear. I should get that fixed...

We got a slow start today but finally wandered over hill and dale and into Alnwick. It's very different here than on Lewis. We're situated on a busy main road about a mile an a half outside of the town. The promotional photographs of the cottage were very carefully selected to not show either the busy main thoroughfare or the steel building next door with the Rottweiler (fluffy) chained to it using the same gauge of chain I use to keep the trailer from running away if the hitch comes apart. Fortunately fluffy stays on his side of the wall and we stay on ours. It's an agreeable arrangement - for us anyway. Fluffy seems a little cranky regardless.

Seriously though the cottage is lovely, thank you very much. Hannah is in a room with two twin beds that is facing out the back of the cottage. Meg and Terry have a four poster bed with a canopy and I'm tucked in the front with a double (no ghosts so far). The rooms are small and cozy with armoirs in each of the rooms to serve as closets. Two bathrooms, one upstairs with a tub/shower and a half bath in the downstairs which flushes like a champion for large deposits (I know, too much information). You have to understand that the toilets here have been a curious issue. They seem to move a lot of water but don't flush that effectively. Oh and today I got a shot at some of the traditional cheapo toilet paper in a lunch room in town. I've always heard about english toilet paper and now I've actually come across some. My first impression was that it was a roll of waxed paper and then I thought "No, that can't be". Well, it wasn't but it coulda been. Maybe you had to be there.

We haven't been quite as "out of water" here as we were in Lewis. I'm at least a little less self conscious about offending the locals here - so look out Alnwick!

So about the town of Alnwick...It's hilly, formerly a walled city you have to walk through where the gate was (hundred's of years ago) in order to enter the main section of town. If you look up in the section of the wall that is open to the single lane of traffic entering and leaving town you can see where the gate once dropped down to block entrance to the city. There are lots of narrow walkways between streets and buildings as well as the roads that criss cross the square (really more of a rhombus if you ask me). The shops that line the streets are a mix of really ugly plain shops and ones that are quaint with signs for solicitors, chemists, architects positioned among the B&B's and various purveyors of comestibles in the form of pubs, cafes and take-away places. There is even an auto parts store but to my great dismay they didn't have anything suitable to bring back for Steve. I did however talk to the taxi guy - Derek who has promised to load me up with old motorcycle books to take back with me. (So much for getting rid of luggage).

The homes that line the road into town are just what you would expect. Picturesque larger homes with gardens bursting at the seams with rhododendron, roses and other flowering plants. Meg referred to it as the floweriferiousness of the place (she swears it's a real word I'm a little suspicious but will give her the benefit of the doubt here in deference to her delicate condition - Meg stayed home with a sore back today). Roses climbing the fronts of the houses alongside ivy compete with pansies, daisies, and lilacs all scenting the air. Flowers of every size and color seem to spring up everywhere. Between the cracks in the walls are beautiful clumps of pink, yellow, and purple flowers. Even the trees are exploding. We've seen numerous trees sporting clusters of yellow flowers dripping like clusters of grapes. I think maybe it's something like wisteria though I've never seen any that was yellow. It's just beautiful and I've been sneezing ever since I arrived.

We walked past a large used bookstore on our way into town which we plan to explore in earnest once we get a chance. It's supposed to be the largest in England I think.

Most of the stores in town were closed so we browsed for awhile and Hannah examined the windows of each of the town hairdressing salons to see which ones were suitable for her latest coiffure experience.

Terry Hannah and I had lunch at a cafe in the square. Hannah had the quiche special, Terry ate a bean sandwich served open faced on white bread and I had a three cheese and pineapple pannini with a side salad. We were all happy with our choices and headed off to the grocery store before heading back home to taunt poor Meg with our adventures.

By the way I've been talking with those Mulletts (and the odd Rucker) about getting off their duffs and posting something here. I've been carrying this blog now for about a week and they're just falling down on the job. We're going to have issues if they don't get with the program. I swear if I have to......oh, I see now that Meg posted twice today. She's officially off the hook until tomorrow. Good job Meg. Terry and Hannah however....grrrrrr....