Grassington and York

We'd only been back at home for a few days, when we were on our way to York. I'd initially intended to travel there on the Saturday morning, spend just one night in the city, then travel home again the day after. But I decided it would be really good to enjoy a full day there without the need to rush around. As luck would have it, I managed to find an inexpensive room in the Youth Hostel on the Friday evening, so I thought it would be great to extend our weekend by including stop offs at Grassington and Bolton Abbey. 

Ever since Lily and I watched All Creatures Great and Small, earlier this year, we really wanted to see the village where much of the filming took place. Grassington, in North Yorkshire, is magically transformed into the fictional village of Darrowby, especially for filming the series. We enjoyed a walk by the river, and then spent some time in the village square where we recognised many of the buildings, which were familiar to us from the show. 

'The Drovers Arms'

'Skeldale House'. I was slightly disappointed to discover that the house porch and pillars, which are so recognisable in the show, are not part of the building and are, in fact, made from fibreglass.

If you would like to learn more about this remarkable village transformation, then you can read about it here.

From Grassington we drove to Bolton Abbey. It had been years since my last visit here, and it seemed quite different to how I remembered it. Although, I'm certain it wouldn't have changed at all. Funny how our minds work at times. 

We explored the ruins, then walked through the woods and along the river to The Strid, a narrow section of the River Wharfe, which is noted for being one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, due to it's power and depth. Don't worry, we kept well back from the edge. The roar of the water was incredible.

On the way back to our car, Lily couldn't resist going over the stepping stones, again. I gave it a miss on this occasion, using the bridge, while Lily strode across with ease. 

After a busy day we were more than ready for our chippy tea and a good night's sleep. The extra night at the Youth Hostel had been a great idea, and it meant we were up early and ready for our day in York. 

The sun was shining, and we spent a lovely day sightseeing, with my daughter as our guide - as well as having lovely company, I had no need to concern myself with directions :) 

We were excited to walk the city walls, as on our previous visit here - during a very cold December- they had been closed due to the icy conditions! We took a walk around The Minster, ate our picnic lunch in the beautiful Museum Gardens, before marvelling at the extraordinary medieval buildings down The Shambles. In the evening we went for dinner at an Italian restaurant, which had been recommended to us. I had the Vegetable and Goats Cheese Lasagne, which was absolutely delicious, while Lily chose Pizza.

Back soon.

J. X

A Cottage by the Sea

 

It's only two weeks into our summer break and already I'm noticing signs of the seasons beginning to shift. The garden flowers are fading, blackberries are ripening in the hedgerows, and the elderberries won't be far behind. I try to avert my gaze, but there's no denying we'll be marching into late summer very soon. It also seems to be passing a lot quicker, this summer, simply because I've planned so much for us to do. Since my working hours increased earlier in the year, I don't have as much available free time in an evening, or on the weekends, which is the reason I've tried to squeeze as much as I can into these six weeks. Whether or not this is a good idea remains to be seen.

Way back in early spring, I'd asked Lily where she might like to go on holiday this summer. She had a little think about it, and decided on Wales. Her reasoning was that she'd been to England, Scotland and Ireland, but had never been to Wales. Immediately (after quickly reminding her of the difference between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland), I began searching online for somewhere that we could stay. And luckily, after establishing whether we wanted to be close to a lake or by the sea, I managed to find somewhere that looked perfect for us. And you can probably guess from the title of this post, that it was right by the shore. It was the most delightful little stone built cottage, with a lovely walled garden.

We had the best time there. The cottage was beautiful, and the owner, who lived right next door, was incredibly kind, and had the sweetest dog - always a bonus :)

On our first morning we visited South Stack Lighthouse. To reach the lighthouse we needed to climb down 400 steps, before crossing a small footbridge, which you can just about see in the above photograph. The view from the cliffs was incredible. It was so beautiful there, and although we were slightly disappointed to have missed the puffins - they leave in July - we did get to see some seals. 

Our next visit was to Newborough Forest and Gwddw Llanddwyn. It was the most gorgeous spot to spend the afternoon. Pine trees, sand dunes, and quiet little bays. I was in heaven.

Then, of course, we had to stop off here. I don't even attempt to pronounce it. 

The following morning we set off early to visit Aber Falls. Beautiful! We ate our picnic lunch right alongside...

...before spending the afternoon in Conwy. We enjoyed a walk on the town walls, as well as some ice cream :)

We spent our final day there at Porthdinllaen. It is owned by the National Trust, and to reach the village we needed to walk along the beach from Morfa Nefyn. The soft sand and pebble beaches are stunning, and of course, the further we walked, the quieter they became. I'd taken my binoculars, so we spent ages watching the seals from the headland. 

That same evening, after walking along the shore, I watched the sunset from the bench behind the cottage. Rather pleased that Lily chose to stay in a cottage by the sea.

Back soon. 

J. X

Summertime Joys

Here it is, at last! My favourite time of the year. The sun is shining, and it's time to relax and enjoy the summer. It is especially welcome this year, as these last few months have been quite challenging, while I've been getting used to my new role at work. It's all positive, though. My line manager is more than happy with my performance, and it also means that my hours will be far more settled when I return in September. Happy days! I just hope that I won't have forgotten what I'm doing by then :)

The past month has been incredibly busy, so this weekend it's been lovely to take my time when getting up each morning. I'm still awake at a ridiculously early hour, but it's so nice not having to rush around getting everything ready for the day ahead. I can ease gently into the morning and not need to worry about getting the washing hung out, making lunches, or wondering what we'll be eating for dinner that evening. All of these can simply wait a while. 

The house is gradually getting a much needed clean and tidy, but this has become a far easier task, having gotten rid of a lot of unnecessary clutter since the beginning of the year. There are still some items left to sort through, but the difference has been huge, and I'm sure that any time I spend cleaning must have halved. This is time which, for me, I am much happier to spend outdoors, especially at this time of year. 

The cats are notable by their absence.  The warm, sunny weather instantly has them seeking out the shade of the long field grass or a nearby tree. I've long since recognised that I'm not to worry (too much) when I don't see either of them for hours at a time. And I'm sure that will change again just as quickly, once the weather begins to turn. 

For the third year in a row, we celebrated the final day of school with a chippy tea down by the lake. It was a balmy summer evening, and unusually quiet there, down by the water's edge. I also took a flask with us so we could enjoy a drink (or two) of tea from our enamel mugs.

This weekend has been quite a contrast to last, which saw me walking up Helvellyn, over Striding Edge, on what was the warmest day of the year so far here. It might have been hot, but the conditions were perfect, and the views were absolutely stunning. Then later that evening I was on a boat, on Windermere celebrating with some friends. It's was the most beautiful evening for it, and watching the sun set behind the Langdale Pikes felt quite magical. 

The following day, we went swimming at the outdoor pool. It was the ideal way to cool off in the heat of the midday sun, and it was so good to see Lily regain some of her confidence in the water. 

During the week, I've been keeping busy with my new crochet project. My plan is to make a colourful, cosy blanket, large enough to go over my double bed. I've chosen the colours based on my new pillow cases. I just loved this design. And if you look closely you can see butterflies and bees among the flowers!

In the garden, this week, the sunflower has opened up. If ever there was a summer flower, this is it for me. My all time favourite. 

And there are more strawberries ripening,  much to Lily's delight. I'm ever hopeful that she might even try sharing them with me :)

At dusk, I'm often to be found sat on the back step, watching for bats against a pale pink sky. They put on quite the display. 

And on this occasion I had some company. 

Back soon. 

J. X