Alnwick Castle

So I bought our tickets online and paid for parking online as well, but when we arrived in the town of Alnwick there was some construction going on and we couldn't find where we were supposed to park. Not a big deal, right? Well, Goofy had drank hot chocolate at breakfast and then a CapriSun in the car. He had to use the loo SO bad!  We tried to get him to go in the trees, but he just refuses.  We finally get to the right parking area and I take him and run for the entrance.  He has to go so bad though, he can't run, so I have to pick him up and carry him. Yeah, not so good for my recovering arm, but we get to the toilets and see a LONG line in the ladies room.  I'm thinking "No way!" I glance over at the men's and of course no one is there, but there is no way I can send a three-year-old in there by himself. Then, hallelujah, the handicapped toilet becomes available and we made it!  What a relief! 
Then we head into the Alnwick Gardens which is a really neat garden with loads of water displays.  We had fun running up the steps to the top and discovering different sprinklers.  The kids liked the front loaders, but it was a scramble to get ahold of one.

After the gardens, we headed over to the castle.  It was pretty. The kids were just so excited to see "Hogwarts."  And it was a bit surreal to stand in the field where Harry, Ron, and Hermione learned to fly on their broomsticks, to see the statues at the top of the castle and find the one the bludger went through when Harry was learning about quidditch, and to try to find where Neville must have gotten caught and fallen.  We saw a little "show" with Hagrid and Dumbledore.  Funny.  The best part for me was the pork sandwich we got at lunch. Oh my--sooo delicious!  They put stuffing and applesauce on it--yum!  Tink did end up getting a broomstick. Bucko got Voldemort's wand. Minnie got a necklace, and Goofy bought a sword.  He loves it too!  He kept holding it the whole way home and saying, "I wuv my sword" and then he would hug it and kiss it.  He did carry it around the castle and would pull it out of his belt loop and look like he would slash anyone who got in his way.  Too cute. 

We were only an hour from the Scotland border, so we had to drive up there.  We just stopped at the border for some pictures and then up to a town on the sea.  It was pretty and the kids loved chasing the waves, or rather, running from them.

We did enjoy our trip, though it was a bit bittersweet to think it was our last trip while living in the UK.  Who knows if we'll ever make it back, but we have definitely enjoyed it while we have lived here and look forward to the next adventure.