Been away...

I'm catching up with blog land after two weeks in Wales with very intermittent internet via my mobile phone. We had a wonderful fortnight of walking, visiting castles, gardens, fresh air and relaxation - wonderful!

 

There was quite a bit of food as well!!!

Thanks for looking and for all the lovely comments you left whilst I was away. I will try to catch up with you all very soon x

A little bit of our holiday

Wales in sunshine, just in case you didn't believe me! We spent a day at and around Caernarfon, including the castle and a boat trip along the Menai Strait.
For someone who isn't keen on heights I did pretty well that day! The views were spectacular from the tops of those towers.
Caernarfon Castle is one where you can lose people. There are 3 different levels and loads of spiral staircases up and down. If you were to split up you might not find each other again for days!
We finished the afternoon with an ice cream sitting by the river... bliss!

Day out in Derbyshire

This is Peveril Castle close to the small town of Castleton in Derbyshire.

We visited it today. The castle is high on the hill overlooking the town and with magnificent views towards Mam Tor, Hollins Cross and Black Tor, not to mention the breathtaking Cavedale. Up on the tops of the hills were a few patches of snow, but down in the Churchyard there were snowdrops - lots of them!

We also visited the Castleton Visitors centre and yes, we did finish off the afternoon in a tea shop!

A day in Lincoln

Today we had a lovely day out in Lincoln. We spent the morning looking round the Cathedral. Even on a dull day it is a spectacular sight. Meg took this photo as we arrived. Every corner seems to hold a hidden gem. We were drawn to one of the doorways in the west front which had some incredibly intricate carving to every column (not sure if that is the correct architectural term)

These are just a few of the photos we took just in one doorway!

The pillar that these two carvings were on had a different image in every panel. It was fascinating.

Inside the Cathedral was equally stunning. The stained glass is truly breathtaking.

I particularly enjoyed a quite moment in the cloister, which was like stepping back in time. There was such a sense of tranquility.


We had our lunch in the cathedral's own Cafe, which was extremely tasty and very good value. After lunch we went to the Castle, where we learned about the prison and took a stroll around the castle walls, including up the observatory tower. As someone who really doesn't like heights I was quite proud of myself! With the weather as it was the views were not at their best, but quite atmospheric, with the main Cathedral tower disappearing into the mist. The tower on the right looks all blurry and out of focus. It's sending my eyes all wierd!
We had an hour at the museum and rounded the day off with tea and cakes in a tea room on Steep Hill. Very Nice!