The perfect place

It's been an outstanding day.  After lunch I continued on small roads or tracks, to Blyth which had a big, empty beach then a park crammed with kids - the school holidays have just begun.  Turning inland along the river I was led astray by a small riverside café in a portacabin.  The jolly Geordie owner told me he was building it up to be as good as Betty's tearoom in Harrogate, only better as he has a giant fan to keep you cool - pointing at the wind turbine just across the river.

The bridge across the river was a few miles inland, along a smooth track following the banks on both sides.  A sign proclaimed I was on the Coast and Castles cycle route, and I'm pretty sure I was in Northumberland by now. Next was Newbiggin Bay, a pretty ordinary town with a perfect semi-circular sandy beach.   Then on a track through a nature reserve, with sand dunes between me and the sea, and the low sun above a lake on the other side.  A stoat ran across the path a few metres in front of me, but didn't stop for a photo.  Sorry.

Then I found the perfect spot.  Back on the road again in Cresswell, a tiny seaside hamlet of golden stone cottages, my attention was first drawn by the ice cream shop.  Then I noticed a castle to my left.  Above me three swallow chicks peeped out of nests in the eaves. To my right a huge expanse of beach, where a few people with binoculars had just spotted a couple of whales in the bay.  They were too far away for me to see but the whole experience was magical. 

I wanted to linger, but had to move on.  I ambled into Amble, a small port advertising puffin-watching boat trips, and on to Warkworth which had a larger castle, before heading up to Alnwick and the youth hostel.   Alnwick's a big, historic town with a huge castle, home to the Duke of Northumberland.  I'd like to spend more time here but there's more of Northumberland to explore tomorrow.

Too many photos to include...