Northumberland

 One of my best friends Dian is receiving medical treatment and can't get insurance for trips overseas so at the end of May Alistair and I went with Dian to stay in Northumbria.  Here is our holiday cottage in Embleton which is part of the Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel..  We were in the middle cottage which had everything you needed and was presented to a very high standard.

When we arrived we set off to walk down to the beach as Alistair assured us it wouldn't rain. 

Here is the view of Dunstanburgh Castle on the way down the beach.  Dian and I smile for the camera but perhaps we should have paid more attention to the double rainbows behind us   ........ the return did not involve smiles due to wet jeans. 

The following day was bright and sunny for our visit to Alnwick Castle Gardens.  The water features were quite spectacular and fun to explore.

We all enjoyed this visit and had a very good lunch in the tree house.  We were seated next to a roaring log fire which the maitre d. said was the best seat in the house ....perhaps not on hot day though.

Outside were wobbly rope bridges where Alistair had great fun .... he met two older ladies on the next bridge and with a smile one of them told him to act his his age.

Dian and I also managed a good shop in the town of Alnwick so here we have two bag ladies at the end of a busy day.