Berwick and Knitted Square

9 April

The train ride to Berwick-upon-Tweed was 4 hours and there were a couple of stops. I was surprised that we only stopped for about 2 minutes at each stop. That hardly seems like enough time for people to get off and on. On the train ride I worked on knitting my London square, which was a bit difficult with how close Daron and I were sitting. After the last stop before Berwick I moved to an empty row and got quite a bit done. Arriving to Berwick we headed straight to the BnB (Alannah House) as it was after our check-in time. Yes the reason Daron chose this BnB was because of the name, and it was a fantastic stay! We got settled and headed to dinner. The first pub we went to had stopped serving food hours earlier. We went to Leaping Salmon and Daron started ordering a drink before asking if they were still serving food. I asked and they were for another 45 mins. I got mac and cheese loaded crisps, root and bean pie, and my first European Fanta (it is my favorite drink) of the trip!

Fanta and Beer, Alanna and Daron

Mac and Cheese Chips

Been and Root Pie

Handmade Tissue Box Cover

This was in our room at Alannah House. It reminds me of a napkin holder my Mom's Grandma made. I didn't get to ask about it and they had 4 others in the dining room.

10 April

We had breakfast at the BnB, we had placed our orders the night before. This was was our first proper breakfast across the pond as Daron and I don't eat breakfast very much. It was delicious! Fruit cup, sausage, hashbrowns, mushrooms, poached egg made in house. After breakfast we headed out to walk around the city. Berwick changed hands 13 times in a 200 year period between England and Scotland around 1300 and 1500. It was extremely fortified and developed each time it was captured. A lot of the fortifications and structures from that time are still intact. Painter LS Lowry visited Berwick frequently and a few if his paintings are of the landscape in Berwick. There is a trail you can follow to see the paintings and the landscape that was painted. We didn't do the whole trail, but part of it was out to a lighthouse which we did do.

View of the Ocean (on the right is the lighthouse)

Lighthouse and Bay View

Train Bridge

This train bridge was built in 1847 to 1850, and little reinforcement has been needed since despite trains getting heavier. This is the train bridge we came in on. The plaque talked a little about how to build the foundation it took almost 2 years of using steam power to drill piles into the ground for 30 or 40 feet to hit rock and sometimes the top of the piles would catch on fire due to the friction at the top!

London Afghan Square

The London Afghan square is complete! It is 6.5" by 6.5". I have purchased the next skein in Edinburgh. I went to the wool shop in Berwick but it wasn't open while we were there.

Up next is our time in Edinburgh!