Travelling around

Glorious Scottish scenery

Anyone who has been following me on Facebook will know that we have now returned home from a mammoth, month-long trek around the UK. Over 6,000km later we are once more in our beloved Galicia. But what was our month away really like?

Galicia was hot and dry when we left in early September

As we drove off the ferry at Plymouth into a deluge, I wondered what changes we’d find here in the land of our birth. It was seven years since S had been ‘home’ and, other than a brief visit during a snow storm in 2017, I’d also not seen England for a while. Thinking back, I must be a weather goddess: rain, snow, hail, sleet seem to follow me every time I return. This year it rained every. single. time we had a long distance to travel!

The last time I visited UK was in 2017

The traffic was busier than we are used to in Galicia. Even in our local city of Lugo (pop. 75,000) there is rarely a traffic jam, and Galician motorways are clear and virtually traffic free. In England, the windscreen wipers were clattering madly against the frame.

“We must get those checked; they’re driving me mad.” I spat, in time to the racket.

Galicia, in September (better than a photo of the rain)!

We’d left Santander in Northern Spain twenty-four hours earlier on a deceptively cloudy day. The air temp was 36ºC; a fact I discovered when I opened the car door for some air whilst endlessly queuing for the ferry. Ouch!

Here, the car dash currently showed the temp as 14ºC as we made our stop-start way along the heaving M5 motorway.

Traffic was busy, but I fancied this transportation

“Where is everyone going? It’s middle of the afternoon, does no one work in an office anymore,” I groaned.

Once on the narrow roads to our destination… “It says it’s a A road, honest!”

I was taken by a fit of nerves, twitching and gasping every time a too-close car passed the passenger side of our left-hand drive Spanish car.

“That was close”

“I’m in the ditch here, look!”

“I know but you were really close to that car.”

I continued to gasp and pull my knees in (how would that have helped?) all through the trip. To be fair S was the same when I was in the driver’s seat – still hugging the ditch.

England was greener, and surprisingly picturesque

One of our first stops for coffee, bemused me totally. In Spain we have solo (a short espresso), cortado (the same with a dash of milk) americano or largo (a black coffee a tad bigger) or con leche (with milk).

In the Costa Coffee we were forced into on the motorway, the choice was overwhelming and frankly revolting at times.

“What is that?” I asked, pointing at a poster print of a large plastic cup with swirly cream and hundreds of thousands on top.

“I thought it was an ice cream,” said S, as I read ‘hazelnut caramel latte’.

I ordered Mum an americano.

“Small, medium or large?”

“Large please.”

I forgot to photograph the coffee... the swans are infinitely nicer though.

Because, in Spain a small would be a thimbleful, medium a coffee cup full, and large, possibly, just possibly, a teacup full.

As I stood waiting (they’d not last two days in Spain, taking this long to pour a coffee) I grinned at the man next to me. His coffee was in a pint mug covered in frothy cream and sprinkles. I was getting a real coffee.

No, I wasn’t

This was not a teacup…this was a receptacle suitable for bathing a baby in. The ceramic stoneware basin had two handles and was full of brown liquid. Poor Mum couldn’t even lift it and I had to drink my tea before pouring a small amount into the empty (normal sized) cup for her.

“Is it okay?” I asked tentatively

“No, it’s horrid and bitter,” replied Mum.

Oh well, lesson learned. Better stick to tea, which at least we Brits do well.

One of our first meals was made with home grown produce by our friend, Tony. Yum!

Food was far better than I remembered. Pub grub, especially, has moved on from scampi and chips and chicken in a basket. There was an amazing variety. The Lamb & Flag in Welney needs a shout out for one of the best Thai curries I’ve had, and there was a good selection of vegetarian and vegan options just about everywhere. The presentation was polished too, though the prices made my eyes water.

British food has come on in leaps and bounds

A beautifully presented single course was the price of a full, four course menú del día with bread, wine and water at home. Still, we were on holiday.

Even the lowly fish and chips now commands a high price, though the ones at Carlo’s in Alnwick would have been worth twice the twenty quid we parted with in some fancy restaurant. Mouth wateringly good, we scoffed the lot in our little bijou apartment.

Possibly the best fish and chips in the country

Our accommodations were pretty good. Our first was an AirB&B place in Banbury. I’d never booked one before and was more than delighted with our home for a couple of nights whilst we attended my nephew’s wonderful wedding ceremony just down the road.

Stunning wedding venue near Banbury

Our bijou apartment in the very centre of Alnwick was a value-busting £38 a night. Though I could roll straight out of bed into the bathroom, and hand S his dinner without leaving the stove, it could not have been more convenient nor comfortable. We had a lovely week, exploring the area and taking long walks along the Northumberland coast (see September’s blog for more photos of those).

Alnmouth on the Northumberland coast

Most of our beds were with friends and family. We had a wonderful time, and hope they will all take advantage and allow us to return the favour here in Galicia.

For luxury, our one-night stay at Tigh na Ligh, in Perthshire, was a treat and a half.

The beautiful Tigh na Ligh

This boutique type hotel has just six rooms and a wonderful personal service from Graham and Karen. Our breakfast next morning was the best of the trip with options including (but not exclusive to), full Scottish, porridge, eggs benedict, eggs and avocado, fruit and yoghurt, granola, toast and homemade jam. It was just as well Graham had kindly written out a couple of walking routes for us to take advantage of. We fair rolled out of the place.

Tign na Ligh breakfast and a British pint for S, in Newark

I do miss a real British pint in Spain. We are not lager lovers, preferring a good pint of real ale (or in my case, a half). I enjoyed the beers we had in Britain. The Ale Gate in Alnwick wins my award for best traditional pub, and the beers were perfectly kept. I was disappointed not to find a pint of mild on our travels, my beer of choice. S did – in the last pub we ventured into. It was served mouth tinglingly cold, though, so I’ve no idea what it tasted like.

Autumn is beautiful, even by the roadside

One thing I’d forgotten was how beautiful England can be in autumn.

As we drove along the motorway westwards, the road was lined with a plethora of trees in sunset gold, rich scarlet, autumn bronze and meadow green giving the metalled road a beauty out of keeping with the traffic on it.

A last wander along the seashore before boarding

As we boarded our ferry home to Santander, I mused on an enjoyable month away, and on all the autumn jobs which awaited me back home. More on those next time!

There's no place like home