Friday - just out and about
OK, chores day. We will be getting short of underwear and socks soon, so Liz has to spend a little time in the launderette. This site was deliberately chosen because it has such facilities. Whilst she organises that Brian has the task of emptying the van's chemical toilet. As we only use this for liquid waste it's not too onerous a chore, although this morning the chemical disposal point was a little walk away and the toilet particularly full!
Washing up and showers too, meant that the chores took most of the morning. Off to explore Berwick then. Note the weather is important in all of this and the sun is shining brightly so the plan is to walk the 1.25 mile circumnavigation of Berwick's walls. Alas, as soon as we walk the three quarter mile trip into town, partly over a long and ancient bridge across the Tweed, the weather suddenly turns cold and squally, not really suitable walking weather. So time to provision. Yesterday in Alnwick we picked up a bread "stottie", a flat, bottom of the oven loaf, today's baker provided dessert, a " bannock", a round, very fruit laden loaf. Very nice they both were too. The local butcher once again helped Brian in search of the perfect pork pie; a good attempt but not in the top 10 (unlike the one from Wigton two days ago which was excellent). We've neither tried a Scotch Pie yet, but Liz enjoyed the black pudding pie!
A local green, organic shop was the only place we could find a bottle of the locally brewed Bear Claw beer and also locally roasted coffee (both probably produced within sight of where the van is camped). Although that type of organic shop did mean somewhat extravagant pricing. A quick pop into a tiny micro-pub and then back to the van for an early afternoon, the weather was just too cold and unpredictable. On the walk back over the bridge we spotted a grey seal directly below us in the Tweed. Note to self, make sure you have the binoculars with you at all times.
Back to the van for 6, and a night in, we're planning an early start tomorrow. Yes, 7 am alarm call. Why? You'll have to wait until the next blog entry to find out!