First up is Alnwick! A glorious town filled with lots of gloriousness that is glorious! For example! Barter Books! A famous used bookstore in an old railway station, it even has an adorable cafe set into many small rooms wafting the smell of coffee and freshly grilled sandwiches, mingling with the intoxicating smell of old pages and dust within the maze of towering shelves and people relaxing in chairs and at tables. Lovely Barter Books.
Some selected pictures of the town of Alnwick.
Alnwick Castle! Where they filmed some of the earlier Harry Potter movies, recent scenes in Downton Abbey and where the Percy family lives half of the year. Husband and I didn't go into the castle this year, just the grounds (which I love love love!). My brother and his girlfriend went in, though, and they loved it. It's amazing to see part of a castle where people actually live, and boy they live....gloriously!
Next up, still in Alnwick, is one of my favorites of the North East, Alnwick Garden! The first picture is a replica of one I took last spring, when the vine was in bloom with little purple flowers. I love this archway! Next we have the bamboo maze, which I was in love with and went through twice, the rose garden where we smelled dozens of different roses and it was magnificent, and of course, my favorite, the poison garden. There was also a spot, without picture, where we sat on a bench shaped like an S, so we were on opposite sides but able to look at one another. There were little silver hands on our arm rests and when we placed on our own hands on them (and held hands) the small enclave of flowers and trees, filled with the sound of bells. We gasped, giggled and kissed. Magical!
Next up is Hadrian's Wall! The Wall! The Sycamore Gap! The Magic!
