Amsterdam

 

This year, I'd been determined to squeeze as much as possible into our summer break. And I think I've just about managed it. I can't quite think that this time, next week, I'm going to be sitting back at my desk. But for now, I'll try not to think about that. I'm in denial. And, so much for me getting any jobs done in the house, over the summer. It looks like the decorating will need to wait a while longer. 

Our journey to Amsterdam was as straightforward as it could be. A train ride, a flight, and then another train. And before we knew it, we found ourselves outside Centraal Station, in the middle of the most beautiful, bustling and vibrant city. 

We spent much of our first day there walking alongside the canals, admiring the architecture, and trying our very best to avoid the cyclists! I'm not great with directions at the best of times, and the many canals only added to my confusion. Still, it was a great way of exploring the city. Fortunately, we found our where we were staying quite easily. A cute little hotel, down a side street, right in the heart of the canal district. And most importantly, our room had the best coffee machine.

The next day, we enjoyed a short cruise along the canals on one of the many boat tours they have available. Our entertaining tour guide was really informative, and very amusing with his rather colourful, but tactfully worded, tales of the various services that Amsterdam has to offer. It was also really lovely to see the all the beautiful, narrow houses from a different perspective, and hear all about the city's 17th-century Golden Age.

By sharp contrast, in the afternoon, we visited the Anne Frank House, where we were able to visit the Secret Annex for ourselves. Before we reached the annex, we passed through various rooms in the museum, where we could learn all about the events leading up to the family going into hiding. An incredibly moving experience. 

The next morning, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast right beside the canal. A birthday treat for me. 

Then we took a short ferry trip across the water to North Amsterdam, where we caught the bus to Zaanse Schans, an open air museum where we got to experience the inside of a working windmill, sampled various cheeses, and watched some traditional clog making. Well, when in Holland... It was also where I enjoyed my first ever hot chocolate with rum. It won't be my last. 10/10 would recommend :)

On our last morning we enjoyed another leisurely breakfast, then went for walk along the canals nearer the centre, and much busier part of the city. We really did need to keep our wits about us. There were so many bicycles, trams and cars.

A few streets away from the hustle and bustle, we visited one of the historic canalside brown cafes to try a slice of their famous apple pie. The cafe originally openened in 1642, and is one of the oldest brown cafes in Amsterdam. I suspect it has changed very little since that time, as it looked steeped in history, Delft tiles and a LOT of dark brown wood. As for the apple pie - it was amazing!

Back soon. 

J. X

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