A Dull Woman's Van Life

We started Easter Sunday with a blast of exercise. Mark chose his bike for a trip out to Craster; I went for a run along the beach at Beadnell.

On the way back, I spotted some Ringed Plovers on a quiet beach. There are signs up warning of the nesting sites, but they were happy to let me watch them from the road above.

Further out to see, there were Gannets flying in flocks. Much too far out for a good shot (I can’t run with the big lens!) but you can see the distinctive markings. I was hoping they would start diving; the food attracts Minke Whales and Dolphins, but I was not that lucky today.

A juvenile herring gull was unlucky to drop its breakfast in the water.

From the top of the lime kilns, a dove bade me good morning as I was shaking half the beach out of my trainers; is he beautiful?

On Sunday afternoon, I took Pepper for a wander up the beach, taking my long lens just in case the dolphins showed up.. no luck again, but I was fortunate to see some nice shore birds. Far out on the rocks where a group of cormorants drying their wings. However they weee facing into the spray; is that the bird version of pissing in the wind?

Back at the van, Mark was firing up the BBQ for dinner. We had home made burgers and the crab claws from yesterday’s shopping trip; tossed in garlic butter. Unfortunately, too late we discovered we had forgotten the seafood kit we bought years ago, so Mark resorted to hitting them with the mallet we use for the windbreak. Nevertheless, they were wonderful.

We finished Sunday evening quietly watching the sunset, with some of the local ale for him, and an English rose tea for me. Pepper retired early.

Sunday it became clear we are both of the age where we opted for the scenic route home. Meandering around the coast and castles route to Newcastle, we stopped at Craster to have a look at Dunstanburgh castle.

We didn’t go into the Castle but instead opted to wander around the village, before heading back to the van via the Kipper Shop to pick up some local food for dinner – https://www.kipper.co.uk/store

The rain hit hard on the way home, but we have been blessed with cool, dry weather all weekend. I heartily recommend a visit to the North East. The scenery, Wildlife and food did not disappoint.