10 Oct 2023

Went to Alnwick Gardens. Beautiful huge garden with different sections under the patronage of a Duchass someoneorother. Massive fountain in the middle. Poison garden was fun. Cherry orchard would be amazing in blossom season - it was pretty but, well just trees - but there were so many swing seats there obviously for people to sit on under the blossoms. I saw some shaggy mane mushrooms. The ornamental garden was beautiful; lovely walls, artfully espaliered things, flowers, butterflies, bumblebees. It made me think of the Secret Garden. The bamboo maze was awesome. Bamboo is a great thing to make a maze out of cause it grows so vertically and thickly. It swayed in the breeze and made lovely sounds and light variations. There was a pumpkin seat in the middle with had the following engraved into the floor along with a sort of map of the maze. “Omnia, hospites, vidistis. Vobis gratias agimus. Nunc, fortuito mingite" which roughly translates to: Visitors, you have seen everything. We thank you. Now happily piss off. The Serpentine Garden had all these amazing water sculptures that played with physics.

Drove to Bamburgh but got there too late to get into the castle. We parked and walked up the main street checking the pubs/bnbs to find a place to stay as there wasn't anything listed online except the wigwams which were holding as a last resort. We found a gorgeous little bnb and got the family suite on the top level. We walked around the castle with spectacular views out to the North Sea, a lovely beach and dunes, distant land looking like it was floating above the horizon. Ate at the Lord Crewe which was a bit fancy so we went all in and had 3 courses. I had a twice-baked souffle with candied walnuts, pickled grapes, and (greens... I forget) for entree and marilla had pigeon. I tried the pigeon. It was very dark meat and had a texture and flavour more like beef than any other bird I have tried. I didn't much like it. For main I had a fish pie that had mashed potato on top with steamed veggies. Marilla had cray. I had sticky toffee pudding and Marilla had lemon creme stuff with white chocolate and raspberries for dessert. I also had an awesome mocktail - a strawberry nojito.

We walked up the hill to our bnb, played a couple of games of a little game Marilla's friend invented: Mijnlieff. 

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9.92 km