Author: sweet surrender

A Half-Day Trip to Holy Island

November 8, 2023November 4, 2023 sweet surrender No Comments

Our first stop after entering England’s border from Scotland was Holy Island, also known as Lindisfarne. It was a half-day trip. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England. I was curious with how it is possible that you can drive to an island. Now that I’ve been there, I understand how it works. I didn’t do any research prior to the trip as I wasn’t the one planning. All I had to do was to get my parents and myself to Newcastle, England from Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia ;p

Expensive rescue!

The timing to reach there and to leave the island must be right. So you have to properly plan your journey there. You must check the tide times and weather carefully. Tide tables giving the safe crossing periods are published by Northumberland County Council. You don’t want to get stuck in the water, it’s not cheap to rescue you! It costs over £2,710 or more for sea rescue while £5,710 or more for air rescue.

Little Island with Small Population

Surprisingly, there were less than 200 people living on this island (27 March 2011 according to Wikipedia). When we were there, the place was filled with summer holiday tourists. It was a bright sunny windy day which was great to spend the summer here.

Only those with permits can drive in the town. Otherwise, you have to park at the designated public parking space and pay for your parking. Then, you will have to walk all the way to the main area where you will be greeted with scenic views. It’s a place for historical tourism and birding trip.

Historically Interesting

You will certainly be greeted with the view of Lindisfarne Castle when you’re there. How can you miss it? We did walk up to the castle but we didn’t go into the castle. This island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD. It was an important centre of Celtic Christianity under Saints Aidan, Cuthbert, Eadfrith, and Eadberht of Lindisfarne. From here, the Christian message flourished throughout the world.

Angel of the North

After the Holy Island, went to do a bit of shopping in Newcastle, and early dinner, we stopped at Angel of the North before heading home. It stands at 20m (66 ft) tall with a wingspan of 54m (177 ft). It is larger than that of a Boeing 757 aircraft. The sculpture is indeed huge! You can feel how big it is when you are under it. Amazing!

We were lucky to have good weather and nice sunset when we were there. The wind on top of the hill was very strong and chilly though. We took some photos and left.

So that’s the end of the day. We returned the rented van the next day.

Driving All the Way - England, Going Places

A Day in Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland

November 1, 2023November 1, 2023 sweet surrender No Comments

On the third day in Scotland, we went to Edinburgh Zoo. The zoo is formerly the Scottish National Zoological Park. The 82-acre non-profit zoo is located in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies on the south-facing slopes of Corstorphine Hill. You can get extensive view of the city from here.

The zoo is the largest zoo in Scotland with over 1000 animals from around the world in there. Many are rare and endangered. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the pandas in action. They were sleeping in the enclosure. The pandas are going back to China in December 2023. I didn’t get to take any photo of them as the glare of the glass made it impossible.

The following are photos from my camera that were not in my Instagram post. Enjoy!

Do make sure you wear comfortable shoes when you are here. It’s an up-hill and down-hill walk. You might need to go on a bit, just of a bit of rugged road. Aside from that, do have your windbreaker with you as it can get really windy up there. Also, having a cap on would be a good idea on a sunny day.

Entrance Fee

The entrance fee isn’t cheap after conversion. Well… Just don’t convert the currency hahaha! You know how weak our currency is.

We bought our tickets online as it is cheaper. Here’s the entrance fee when you book online on their website (correct at the time of publishing):
Adult (£22.50), children 3 to 15 years old (£14.25), concession (£20.45), children below 3 years old (free). Prices quoted are without donation.

If you are buying it at the door, it will be more expensive. Do check the zoo’s official website for the ticket prices and other details.

If you are driving, the parking will be charged £3.00 per vehicle.

I personally feel that it’s a nice place to visit for the young and old. Plenty to see and learn here. This is a great place to be added in your itinerary if you are in Edinburgh.

If you would like to visit Edinburgh Zoo, do allocated at least 6 hours here. There are so many to see and experience. It is no doubt a place for the whole family to spend time together. The zoo opens 7 days a week except on Christmas Day.

Food & Drinks

There are eateries in the zoo. Hence, there is no need to worry about not having food. You can also do a picnic there. We did bring some snack with us. We also bought some food from the kiosks. The kiosk, Ròst, that was located at the Dinosaurs! area at the hilltop has nice loaded fries. You can see the photo on my Instagram’s post above. However, the kiosks around the zoo are open subject to weather conditions and visitor numbers.

I have a video uploaded on my Youtube featuring the giraffe and common moorhen in actions in the zoo.

Thanks for reading this post. We headed back to England the next day.

Going Places, Land of Unicorn - Scotland

Half-Day in Edinburgh, Scotland

October 20, 2023October 12, 2023 sweet surrender No Comments

In the morning, we spent it at Seton Sands Holiday Park. In the afternoon, we drove to Edinburgh. It’s a 30-minute drive from the holiday park. Edinburgh is a windy and hilly city. The sun was very bright that day. Meanwhile, the wind was quite chilly at where we parked.

Calton Hill

Our first stop was Calton Hill. It’s a well-known and a must-visit tourist attraction in Edinburgh. Otherwise, your trip to Edinburgh won’t be complete. Furthermore, it’s a UNESCO Heritage Site. The wind was strong but it was not cold at all on the hill.

You can see the overview of Edinburgh city from here. The weather forecast said that it was going to rain. However, we were fortunate to have a fine weather. Do wear a cap or hat if you want to protect your head from the sun. Umbrella is not recommended. However, do make sure it’s securely fastened else it will surely fly away!

This popular landmark on Calton Hill has a rich history of its own just like all the other monuments or buildings there. This is called the National Monument of Scotland also known as “Athens of the North”. The structure is unfinished. It’s meant to commemorate Scots who had died in the Napoleonic Wars.

Next, this is the view of Arthur’s Seat from Calton Hill. It’s the highest point of the city. We were greeted by it when we arrived in Edinburgh. Arthur’s Seat can be seen from many locations in Edinburgh. We had a good view of it from where we parked. It’s an ancient volcano which was erupted 350 million years ago.

If you want to go for a hike, go ahead! If you are used to rugged terrains, this is a piece of cake. Just need a pair of comfortable walking shoes is all it takes. Of course, do bring some snacks and drinks with you. You’ll be rewarded with a great view of the city at the end of the hike.

A Walk through the Streets of Edinburgh

After the walk and taking photos at Calton Hill, we walked back down to go back to the street. There’s no need to rush. A leisurely walk is good enough. It’s a hilly city walk with many interesting centuries-old architectures to discover.

However, there were so many people in the city due to the festival. Certain sections were quite crowded. I could not admire the architectures with such amount of crowds. If you want to have a better look at the city’s architecture, it is best to come before or after the festival. When we were there, all we wanted was to get out of the crowded streets as fast as we could.

It was a sight of relief once we got out of the crowded streets. There was no crowd near the Edinburgh Castle. The castle itself has quite an impressive history of its own. You can go in for a visit but it’s not free. It is recommended to buy the ticket in advance as it tends to sell out to avoid disappointment. We did not visit it as we only had half a day to spare in Edinburgh.

Mussels for Dinner

We continued walking down the hill to go back to the city centre for dinner. Our early dinner was at Mussel Inn (61-65 Rose St, Edinburgh EH2 2NH, United Kingdom), an award-winning seafood restaurant in Edinburgh. We tried mussels in other parts of the UK/EU before. This is the best so far.

After the early dinner, we went for a walk in Primark. It was just opposite the restaurant. Then, it was time to go back and call it a day.

Food Porn, Going Places, Land of Unicorn - Scotland

4D3N at Haven Seton Sands Holiday Park

October 12, 2023October 19, 2023 sweet surrender 1 Comment

We went to Scotland for 4 days and 3 nights from 18-21 August. We stayed at Haven Seton Sands Holiday Park. It’s a different kind of holiday accommodation from what we would normally book. It’s not a hotel or inn or Airbnb or a typical resort. Instead, we were staying in a static caravan. This is definitely a very different experience.

The Caravan

It was summer and it was the summer holiday season so there were many many staying here. We rented one that could fit 8 of us (2 children and 6 adults). It’s a good thing we managed to secure one with a toilet and a bathroom with a toilet attached. Otherwise, it might cause a problem if someone needs the toilet while there’s someone in the bathroom.

We had to bring our own towels, soap & shampoo, hairdryer, kitchen towel, dishwashing liquid, hand soap, coffee & tea, water jug with filter from home as it’s not provided. We also brought our own toilet paper in case we ran out since there were so many of us. We cooked our own breakfast there. That’s why we brought some kitchen items with us. Therefore, do plan what you want to bring by contacting them otherwise there will be charges for those things or you might need to get them from the nearest supermarket.

By the way, no Wi-Fi was included. You’ll just have to use your own phone data or mobile internet. They use gas for heating and cooking.

We did visit some show caravan units. You can even invest in one or buy one for your own stay.

The Beach

The summer is not your typical summer. It was too windy and chilly for us hahaha! Don’t expect to wear a bikini or anything for the typical beach. No way to do that! Unless you are used to the strong cold wind from the sea *LOL* Look at the photos below. Seton Sands is not the white and sandy beach that you’re expecting. It is a rocky beach to the east of Port Seton, East Lothian, Scotland.

There are paid and free activities in the holiday park. However, you must book it in advance on their website. Be sure to turn up on time so that others won’t be waiting for you and delay everyone.

That’s pretty much about it. Overall stay here wasn’t too bad. Just be prepared to keep yourself warm because of the wind from the sea if you can’t stand the cold.

Going Places, Land of Unicorn - Scotland

A Day Trip to Durham

October 2, 2023September 24, 2023 sweet surrender No Comments

Arrived in Newcastle, UK

We arrived in Newcastle, UK on 14th August 2023 at noon. Then, it was about a one-hour drive to my sister’s place from Newcastle International Airport. We just stayed home to rest for 2 days.

Durham Day Trip

Then on the 4th day, 17th August, we went for a day trip to Durham after we got the van for 8 of us for the weekend. We started our journey around 10 a.m. It was about a half-hour drive. Not too far. Here’s the summary I made on Instagram Reel:

Before we started our walk in Durham, we had an early lunch at Zen Durham. Since it was still a working day and it was still too early for lunch, we managed to get a good seat inside. Here’s what we had there:

Overview of Durham’s Street

After lunch, we leisurely walked around the hilly city. The following are some views that greeted us during our walk:

Gaia at Durham Cathedral

The highlight of the day was the Gaia in Durham Cathedral. I’ve seen the Museum of the Moon at Borneo Cultures Museum by the same artist. Didn’t expect to see the other art installation by UK artist Luke Jerram in the UK. I did not plan the trip so it was a surprise for sure. So, I can proudly say that I’ve seen the moon and earth by Luke Jerram in two different countries in the same year less than 2 months apart.

Look at how big the building is!

There are many graves in the surrounding. It was quite cloudy when we were there and the vibes sure were quite different. It felt “dark”. However, with people around and the greeneries, the “darkness” wasn’t that “dark”.

Durham Markets

After visiting the cathedral, we went to Durham Markets. We just walked around and window-shopped. Since it wasn’t a weekend, it’s not that happening but still with a good crowd. I’m sure it will be packed on a weekend.

There you go. My day trip to Durham. Sure took me a long while to complete this post.

Next, to Scotland we go…

Driving All the Way - England, Going Places

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