Kilometres Walked : 11km

Saturday 15th April, 2023.

After a slow start we sipped our coffee whilst watching the city start to wake up. Not to many people are early risers in Amsterdam. Noticing a market being set up in the next square, we set off to investigate 🫒🧀🌷 And what mouthwatering delights we found😋

We delved back into the Art world next, heading to The Rijks Museum, most famous for it’s Rembrandt collection. With a beautiful big blue sky above us we wandered around the gardens first and enjoyed a coffee & sandwich whilst sitting in the sunshine watching the big kids play in the water feature 😆

‘The Nightwatch’ Rembrandt’s largest and very famous painting wasn’t quite what we expected. Whilst very large and slightly impressive, the feeling we got when we saw it was just like going to The Lourve and seeing ‘The Mona Lisa’. “Is that it” 😳 To top it off it is currently being restored, so there are huge glass walls surrounding it and the frame has been taken off. Anyway moving on. We then set off in search for the two Vermeer’s which are usually on permanent display only to discover that they had been removed for the Vermeer Exhibition in the next building ☹️ ( which has been sold out for weeks) There were some other lovely pieces in the gallery including several more Rembrandt’s. Whilst he isn’t really my cup of tea his attention to detail on some of his portraits is very good. I can’t say we were really into much more of the Art on display but luckily found the extra exhibits downstairs which included Armoury, Delft, China, Porcelain, Jewellery, Beautiful Detailed Cabinets and Timber Ships.

Kilometres Walked : 11

Friday 14th April, 2023.

Sensory overload. Who knew there were so many varieties of tulips out there in the world🌷 Keukenhof, the annual tulip festival in The Netherlands is an absolute must do. Yes the crowds are astronomical and at most times not rude ( just a few exceptions of course ) but the colours, varieties and the beautiful design of the gardens are just incredible. When the sun shines on those flowers it’s just completely wow🤩 The Hyacinth, which I think is now one of my favourite flowers were in abundance and amazing. The fragrance enveloped you as you wandered by.

After a lovely canal cruise in Lisse, the Keukenhof was a fabulous way to finish the day. You can never see to many flowers in my mind😊 Meandering through those flowers today though we overheard a fellow Aussie talking, after hearing that twang over the top of all the European accents I can totally understand why foreigners can’t really understand us all the time 😆 it’s funny how you don’t realise how we sound until your on the other side of the world 🇦🇺

Friday night, thousands of people, the sun is setting and we can watch it all from our window whilst enjoying a 🍺 & some 🫒

Kilometres walked : Monday – 2.7, Tuesday – 4.7, Wednesday – 13, Thursday – 11

Thursday 13th April, 2023.

Hello Amsterdam. The city of cheese 🧀 and bicycle’s 🚲. Oh and sex shops, marjiuana, quirky architecture, canals, houseboats and tulips🌷 ( and a million other tourists😆 ) After a few relaxing days with the family in England we have started the next leg of our adventure.

Arriving in Amsterdam was like meeting up with an old friend. Four years ago we packed in a crazy five nights here and now we are doing it all over again. Staying right in the centre of town in a cute little studio with typical narrow steep Amsterdam stairs, we were delighted to see our view out across the canal below. Settling in with a nice 🍷 we watched day turn to night.

Managing to score ourselves last minute tickets to The Van Gogh Museum, we raced around crazily this morning to get there for our allotted entry time. Walking in and gazing around, we then of course realised that we had been here last time but neither of us could remember a lot of it😆 This time we slowly took it all in and enjoyed three hours of admiring some of the most amazing artwork. ( along with thousands of other people😳 ) The Sunflowers were definitely my favourite. The intense colours that you see when your standing in front of it take your breath away. I also really loved his dark green undergrowth paintings with all the different shades and chunky textures 💚 He was a very talented man indeed.

From one Museum to the next, we found the Chess Museum a little further down the road which was actually very interesting. Particularly I guess since we both enjoy playing the game. ♟️

Amsterdam architecture, what can I say, it’s amazing, beautiful, quirky, wonky and stylish all at the same time😍

Kilometres walked : Saturday – 3.2, Sunday – 11km

Sunday 9th April, 2023.

Just a short Sunday stroll for Easter. With all the family piled into two cars with our sandwiches, thermos and a sneaky bar of dark ginger chocolate, we set off for our Easter ramble in Blanchland. Yet another very cute village in the country. Heading straight up onto the Misty moors we took our time on the gentle ascent taking in the scenery around us.

Mist hung low in the air as we weaved our way through fields of heather. Beautiful rusty colours were splashed across the hills surrounding us as we tried to navigate some soggy sections. There weren’t to many sheep in the fields today but we did have the Easter Bunny🐇 cross our path a few times.

Heading past farmhouses and rows of blossoms ready to burst, we found a spot to have a sandwich. Then onto follow a muddy path that snaked around along the river Derwent. With small pockets of forest and beautiful crystal clear water beside us we meandered back into the village.

Blanchland. Another tiny, adorable village in the countryside. Stone buildings, red doors, pretty flowers and the quintessential English Pub🍺

Another fabulous day out with all the family doing what we all love. 🥾🍺 Happy Easter.

Kilometres walked : Tuesday – 8.2, Wednesday – 10.6, Thursday – 9.9, Friday – 20km

Good Friday

7th April, 2023.

We thought we would get in early to walk off the Easter eggs😆 A little jaunt to the seaside. Just a short metro ride from Jesmond we started our adventure at Whitley Bay on the east coast of England. Setting off early with a big blue sky, by the time we arrived at the seaside the sun had disappeared🌥️ Donning our coats, gloves and beanies, we set off in search for a coffee. Valerie’s Tea House not only provided the coffee but also managed to feed our new scone addiction 👍

With warm bodies and full bellies we headed north for St Mary’s Lighthouse. Our timing was perfect with the low tide allowing us access to the little island that the light house is perched upon. Fat baby seals lolled about on the rocks and little children collected sea creatures from the rock pools. 🦭🦀🦑

Heading back south along the beach and the coastal track we walked back through Whitley Bay and on to Tynemouth. People and their dogs were out in droves enjoying the beach and the public holiday 🦮🐕‍🦺 And a few very brave people were even having a dip in the North Sea👙🩱(maybe I’ll jump in later in the year😳)

Arriving at Tynemouth, we hotfooted it straight to the pub for good old F&C. With the best seat in the house we watched more crazy people swim in the sea and scoffed down a huge plate of beer battered cod and thick chips and mushy peas 😋

Feeling extremely full but satisfied we waddled out of the pub in need of some more fresh air to help digest our lunch. We continued on past the ruined castle and priory to the 900 metre pier out to another small lighthouse.

Feeling a bit shattered after 20 kms and all that sea air (and probably the F&C) we mosied on back to Jesmond to put our feet up and have a sneaky🍷 ( oh, and a hot cross bun😊)

Kilometres Walked – Sunday – 4, Monday – 8.6

Monday 3rd April, 2023.

Finally four years later we found The Ribblehead Viaduct. On our last jaunt in 2019 our satnav took us on a wild goose chase trying to find the viaduct. I’m not sure exactly where we ended up but it certainly wasn’t at Ribblehead 😆 And what a day to find it. Big blue sky and sunglasses needed😎 Very impressive indeed. Parking up and going for a stroll around and underneath it, we stood there in awe at the sheer size of it. 24 stone arches rise above the moor 32 metres. So many people lost their lives during construction of the line that the railway paid for an expansion of the local graveyard. Beautiful rolling hills surround the structure making it easy to see why there were so many ramblers out and about. 🥾

Taking the long scenic drive back to West Burton we found another pretty little market town called Settle. There seems to be no end to pretty, historic villages in this beautiful part of the country. Lambs dotted in almost every field, daffodils reaching for the sky, dry stone walls dividing paddocks, narrow bridges and winding roads, bluebells starting to show themselves, mad March hares and beautiful stone cottages. The Yorkshire Dales are a perfect postcard😊

Saturday 1st April, 2023.

Kilometres Walked : 27 km

With blue sky trying to squeeze out from behind the grey clouds we began the first leg of our ramble to the tiny village of Horse House ( population 13 ) and it’s adorable little pub The Thwaite Arms. Bruce the Proprietor poured us our first pint of the day ( yes it was after 12pm ) and after about 12kms through lush green paddocks, heather laden moors and fields of sheep we definitely deserved it🍺

After our lovely refreshment Aunty & Uncle joined us on the next leg. Another few kms through the very green but boggy fields, over cute tiny bridges, down slippery slopes and right through the middle of a dairy farm. We arrived at the edge of Carlton with one last little paddock to cross, mmm I don’t think the horses are supposed to be in here. We’ll be fine we all said 🤪 What could go wrong? We all said 🐎 Well all I can say is we won’t be going through another paddock with horses again. Luckily three of us had walking sticks to help keep them at bay then we realised Aaron was still in the paddock without a stick. Jason threw his stick javelin style just like an Olympian and Aaron caught it just like an Olympian. We all just made it out unscathed ( I wish I had recorded it ). This pub stop was definitely going to be a two pint stop now🍺🍺

Two well deserved pints later we were off again to the third pub stop. The Fox at West Witten. More moors, more Grouse flitting about and of course even more lambs. Tiny little brand new ones💕 We were several kms in now so a sneaky stiff drink along with a couple of pints was definitely in order. Yet another very cute quintessential English pub. Timber beams, a copper bar, stone fireplaces and little tables all tucked in together.

And off we went again for the last leg back to the cottage. 27 kms, five pints and sneaky stiff drink later we arrived home just before dark and perfectly in time for a hearty dinner. Another fabulous ramble in The Dales with the family🥾😊

Sunday 2nd April

Kilometres walked : 6

A feast fit for a king! A proper English pub lunch today😋 Bright blue sky, a short stroll to the Street Head Inn, beautiful vistas the whole way, rolling green hills, lambs and more lambs, crystal clear streams, another dairy farm, daffodils reaching for the sky, new blooms waiting to burst open, yet another picturesque village and of course the cutest yet quintessential English Pub🍺

Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Turkey with all the yummy trimmings, chocolate & orange brownie for afters, great company, fantastic location. A slow waddle back to the cottage. Breathing in all that fresh air. Siesta time😴

Kilometres Walked : Thursday – 4.8, Friday – 11

Friday 31st, March, 2023.

All Creatures Great And Small. First stop, Grassington, Aka Darrowby. Such a captivating little village. Just like a postcard. Tall grey stone buildings lining the narrow laneways. Spring flowers brightening up every bend. Warm inviting coffee shops. The aroma of freshly baked scones😋 And yes you can see exactly why they filmed the tv series here, it’s oh so very picturesque. I can confirm the fruit scone we had with the lot was absolutely delicious. Mmm not sure how bad this habit is becoming? Four scones in the last three weeks ( with the lot! ) Oh well, ‘When in Rome’ they say.

Next stop, Skipton. Another historical market town but much bigger and busier. Catch up time with more family☕️ A short but sweet canal boat ride. A swan in disguise as a goose🦢Lovely lunch with the family. Meandering over cobblestone streets. A medieval Castle perched on the edge of the village.

Rolling green hills and Fells surrounding us on the drive. Blossoms brightly blooming. Waterfalls cascading down hillsides. A glut of twin lambs in almost every paddock. Blue sky trying to show itself. Narrow Stone Bridges in every village. It’s All Creatures great and Small alright.

Today

Slow and steady today. Stock up on supplies. Endless cups of coffee☕️ To much chocolate 🍫Netflix movies. Reading on the lounge📚 Watching the Tups🐏 Wandering around the village. A glass of wine and enjoy the view🍷

Kilometres walked : 19km

Floors climbed : 130

Wednesday 29th March, 2023.

Let’s just do a short walk today he said🤪 19 kms later and several very steep climbs, we made it back in one piece😩 The sun was definitely trying to poke its head through the clouds and it felt warmer than yesterday. ‘Okay’ I agreed, let’s go exploring 🥾 .

Making our way over the little bridge in West Burton next to Cauldren Falls we headed straight up towards Morpeth Scar. Muddy tracks and slippery rocks made the slog slow but the view from the top was well worth it. We could see straight over the village and around to Bolton Castle. Rolling green hills surrounded us and of course more lambs dotted the fields.🐑

Exploring the track to our left we kept on going for a few kilometres, high above the villages below. Dry stone walls divided paddocks, abandoned stone sheds and sheep were spread between them. Fluffy 🐇bunnies raced across the fields and pheasants chased each other.

Finding a non muddy path up through the paddocks to Black Scar, we started our ascent. Fields of thick moss replaced grass and the mist got thicker the higher we climbed. Slowly but surely we made it to the top. Wow! The mist and fog obscured our view slightly but it was still amazing. It was like the top of the scar had its own micro climate. And just on the other side of the dry stone wall was the moors with heather spreading out for miles.

Carefully making our way back the same way we had come, we tiredly trudged back into the village. With stiff legs we made it back to our favourite window seat along with a stiff drink🥃

Monday

Kilometres Walked : 7.1

We pack up our belongings and load up our little hire car ( thank god it is small so we can park it out the front of our cottage) and head for The Yorkshire Dales. With a big blue sky above us we wove our way through walled narrow lanes straight into James Herriot Country.

Leaving the many slate villages of the Lake District behind, we pass vibrant rolling green fields and The Pennines rise above us in the glorious sunshine. Stone cottages almost sit on the road. Single lane stone bridges cross over crisp clear water. Daffodils reach for the sun and hedgerows show signs of new spring growth.

Have we driven into a story book? Is that James in the field tending to the lambs? There’s no doubt that the sunshine and blue sky make everything appear even more beautiful and bright. Twin lambs are around every bend. We’ve lost count now. Their little wooly stumpy wobbly legs are just too cute.

West Burton appears around a long winding narrow lane way. We spot our first Mad March Hare in the field beside us. Stone cottages almost on top of one another line the village. Bluebells start to show themselves. The Reading Room envelopes us like an old friend. The view is just as magical as we remember. The two Tups out the back entertain us. Little birds flit around the shrubs and the sun is still shining. Going for a stroll around the village we see many more sets of twin lambs and even a set of black faced triplets. How very special and super adorable. With the Fells surrounding us and the sun starting to set we sit down and soak up the natural splendour.

Tuesday

Kilometres Walked : 3.7

Today has been a super slow day. Reading books, drinking endless cups of coffee and getting lost in the views over the fields. Imagining James and Helen living in the next village. Watching the Tups ( male sheep) Noticing ramblers go past in all their waterproofs. Spotting a pheasant and some large quails. Enjoying the grey drizzly day tucked up inside.