A week in Northumberland

Saturday: Up with the birds. En route. Late lunch at Kirkharle Courtyard, where Capability Brown was born.
Sunday: Off to Holy Island/Lindisfarne. Very serene. Northumberland is very agrarian; lots of golden crops and sheep. Found inspiration for a quilt.
Monday: Wallington house and garden. Both wonderful. Very floriferous with a constant background hum of bees. Flowering African lilies, to my delight.
Tuesday: Alnwick castle and garden. Prefered Lindisfarne castle. The gardens are different, with many water features. Barter Books, the largest secondhand book store in the country.
Wednesday: Lindisfarne Priory, an exhibition of the Lindisfarne gospels that included two quilts, one replicating a 'carpet page' from the gospel. The castle garden, re-created from the plan laid down by Gertrude Jekyll. Many bees. Howick garden and arboretum, with more flowering African lilies, and the smartest tea room I have seen, Bath Pump room tea room excepted.
Thursday: Cragside. Wonderful house and vast garden. The biggest rockery I have ever seen. Beach barbeque that evening.
Friday: Bamburgh castle. Archaeological dig in the grounds. Many wonderful things here. Not sure whether I like Bamburgh or Lindisfarne castle better.
Saturday: An hour in the quilt shop I found. Many temptations, and I emerged with a few treats. Two lovely local ladies who let me feel what it's like to play on a longarm quilting machine! Tricky, but I think I could grasp it. (Thinks of spending all those Euros and winces) En route. Lunch at Fountains Abbey.
Sunday (Today): Back to the domestic round. Preparing for dinner guests.