Bye Bye Oban

 After 2 Months, Bye-Bye Oban!

Even the sheep wanted to say goodbye. Just kidding!  Once again as I stop and just look across a field, all the sheep stop and stare at me.  They were rooted to their spots and didn't come any closer. This was on my travels yesterday getting to know my current location a bit.  

Oban was good to me.  Even though during November I caught a flu (thought it was COVID) and was pretty sick just around 2 weeks. As the weather turned even worse (torrential rains, blowing, etc.) it was not a bad thing to stay warm & cosy inside the flat.  I then caught a cold. November was not my best travel month!

But on to a new location through the New Year's.  I have headed back to England and will be staying on a working farm in a sweet little cottage in Northumberland on the east coast close to the North Sea. 

The drive from Oban was my most eventful so far. And I thought the drive up to Mey & John 'O Groats was exciting!  But the wind and rain was fierce. The windshield wipers could not work fast enough and the wind moved the car on the road it was so strong.  Plus there was snow. The temp stayed between 33°-35°. I was mostly concerned if it dipped lower, that my tires and traction would become an issue. But most drivers slowed WAY down. And we were fortunate that the road just stayed wet.

Little did i know until arrival, that huge storm systems came through. across Scotland and England.  Bamburgh, and surrounding communities of Chathill, Seahouses, Embleton, & Alnwick, etc. were hit by the heaviest storm in years - named storm Arwen.  When I arrived it was raining and blowing so hard that I unpacked the car in shifts because I kept getting so soaked (inside the cottage too).  Here is some of the tree damage I came across the next day.

 

I have been procrastinating terribly on this issue of Tales. I am not traveling around like the first part of my journey so I don't feel that there is a lot to report. Plus, lots of attractions are closed down now for these winter months. So in the next couple of months I may only post once every 3 weeks or so

Currently, I am staying  on a working farm located in Chathill -  east Northumberland, England.  It is so very quiet here compared to what it was like in Oban.

Here are some shots taken of my cottage and then a sunset (all in the same night) which had the most magnificent colors and cloud formations.

The farm grows beans, oats, & wheat.

I was pretty amazed that evening!

And the great names for businesses I find keep on coming! Some of them are just so....so great.

I found a wonderful antique shop in Alnwick. Alnwick is about 9 miles but takes anywhere from 20-30 minutes due to heavy traffic on a 2-way motorway. The owners of the shop make their own products such as lights out of blow torches and brownie cameras.  Also lampshades and pillows out of really wonderful fabrics are made. Here are a few pics from my shopping trip there.

I also discovered a store called Proudlock House & Home, that carried everything from hardware, furniture, housewares, antiques, lighting, and linens.  It was in this old building with 4 levels and a lot of fun to explore. It so reminded of Ozark Americana in Anchorage. Really fun stuff that was reasonably priced. One of the reasons I wanted to travel here was to explore shopping like this.

My favorite way to explore outside of cities is by getting in the car and just seeing where the road takes me. The biggest benefit being that there is no time table and the ability to come across things that are surprising. I drove down the road from Seahouses (4 miles through the twisty countryside from Chathill) and came across Bamburgh Castle. The castle also has a Christmas exhibition that I'll be visiting on Christmas Eve. Through some investigation, apparently the castle was used as Hogwarts school in the first two Harry Potter movies and the Christmas location in Downton Abbey. It was very stormy that day.

I came across another rainbow over a nearby farm and a lonely tree.

I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas. I'll be posting again after the New Year's as I am headed to a murder mystery weekend in the Cotswolds. Have a very safe and a wonderful time with your families/friends. I did want to share my little tree with everyone!

xxoo-meg