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England, UK 9th & last port, Newcastle upon Tyne 6/30/24

We booked a private tour and 2 other couples joined us.  One couple from NJ and the other from AZ.  We had a great time.  I always worry when it’s an intimate tour, what if we don’t get along - and we’re stuck in a van for 6 hours together.  That wasn’t the case.  Our tour guide & driver were great. 

It was a rainy day but it didn’t stop us.  We drove the Northumberland Coast to the Holy Island.

Pictured is Alnwick Castle, you’ve seen it in Harry Potter and Downton Abby.   The Duke & Duchess of Northumberland still live there.  We only drove by but seemed like a good place to visit the surrounding area and castle.

Next was Bamburgh Castle.  It was quite extensive and lots to see.  We got to tour the grounds & inside.  For fans of The Last Kingdom, it is filmed here and is based on this area.  The basis for the show, the Vikings are invading the Saxons.

Next was Lindisfarne Island aka the Holy Island.  This is part of a pilgrimage, similar to The Camino de Santiago.  See statues of the monks carrying a coffin?  That’s St Cuthbert (635- 687 AD) and the story goes the monks wanted to keep his body safe from…. You guessed it, Vikings.  So they carried his body from place to place until they found his final resting place in Durham, England.  I thought it was an poignant piece of art.

The Lisdisfarne Priory is from the 11th Century (ruins next to Church of St Mary Church). 

The Holy Island is only accessible during low tide.

Pictures located here:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/8663407@N07/i6502rH54L

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