The little things you see when you leave home.

A menu from our journey. Horseradish and apple ice cream turned out to be the surprise of the trip. It sounded awful but was light and delicious. We also agree that the scallops were the best we've ever tasted.

At the old Roman town of Vindolanda we meet a gardener who has seen three Water Rails down by the river. He stops what he's doing and takes the time to show us where the birds are hiding in the reeds. They are extremely shy creatures with a comical gait. The gardener says they only fly at night which seems improbable . At this time of the year the crowds have gone and we - and the Water Rails - have the place pretty much to ourselves.

By the museum a blonde woman and her teenage son stop to ask us if we can recommend somewhere to eat. She's rather stylishly dressed ( perhaps a tad too stylishly dressed for walking in Northumberland ) and in her mid forties. The son tall, rosy- cheeked by the wind and in his late teens. Unbidden the woman tells us that her husband passed away two weeks before the boy started his first semester at Northwestern. " He'd always been healthy ". Now they're coming to terms with the unexpected by walking Hadrians Wall. Something she and her husband had planned to do together. The decision to come here a spur of the moment thing that gives them time to gather their thoughts. They stop off at little country churches. She grieves and worries while the son works out all the practical things that need to be done. As they walk they discuss insurance, the mortgage, health care, unpaid bills, incomings and outgoings. The woman says the weather matches their moods - sunshine one minute, rain the next. 'Just like the dinners in the hotels ' adds the boy with what might just be a hint of a smile. Walking Hadrians Wall seems to be a good way of taking the weight - or at least some of it - off troubled shoulders.

Cartmel Priory was well worth visiting. It is huge , very old and welcomingly bright.

When we were there it was home to half a dozen well behaved dogs out with their owners. Some had opted for a doze in the warmth of the sunshine filtering through the windows by the book stall.

Neither of us can remember ever having seen this many dogs in a church. The old place is none the worse for having canine parishioners popping in and out.

Good question but this isn't the answer :https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/26/is-there-any-role-for-the-united-nations-in-trump-2-0/

Flawed (?) diamonds :https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/perplexing-diamonds-from-south-africa-mine-contain-almost-impossible-chemistry

The British Ambassador to Serbia :https://blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/edwardferguson/2024/12/03/renewing-old-ties-the-new-bishop-of-london/

Living in the present :https://amateurcriticism.substack.com/p/how-to-like-poetry