Mini Getaway

VALENTINES WEEKEND AWAY

Published on February 23, 2025 by simplycarinaxo14 Comments

Last weekend Luis and I packed up the car and headed up to Cresswell for a long weekend at our favourite caravan. We first came across this holiday let on Airbnb last year and enjoyed our time there so much that we keep returning. I think this was our fourth visit. The caravan is situated in the Cresswell Towers Holiday Park and is only about a 5-10 minute walk away from the beach. It’s really reasonably priced, always clean and well kept, and offers a quiet and relaxing spot for a seaside holiday. Note, we’ve only ever gone off season, so can’t speak for what it’s like during peak times.

Cresswell is about an hours drive for us so a good distance for a long weekend away. With my travel anxiety I don’t like being in the car too long, especially if we’re only going away for a couple of nights, so this is an easy enough drive for me to do. The first 30 mins are just up the A1 and then we tend to turn off at the Seaton Burn services, which although kinda dirty, rough and run down, are in a good location as a half way stop to settle my anxiety before we continue on through Cramlington, past Blyth and up to Cresswell.

We both still had to get some work done on Friday, but managed to finish a bit earlier and ended up leaving the house at about 4pm. Once we arrived we unpacked and before wrapping up warm and heading out for a short walk to the beach.

For Valentines dinner I made a vegan spaghetti bolognese which turned out yummy even though I forgot the herbs and spices at home. After dinner we cosied up and unpacked Patchwork, a new game we’d got for Christmas from our friends. I didn’t know what to expect but it turned out to be an easy to understand and really enjoyable 2 player game.

On Saturday we headed out to Amble for a mooch around the Marina. It was icy cold and rather miserable, but it was good to get out. We stopped off at the supermarket on our way back and got some pastries to enjoy with a coffee for once we got back to the caravan and settled down to another game of Patchwork.

On Sunday it rained on and off for most of the day and we enjoyed a cosy day inside. I read my book, Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi, spent a lot of the day crocheting, trying to finish my granny square cardigan and got stuck into trying to solve some Murdle logic puzzles with Luis which was good fun. It was a lovely relaxed day.

Check out was at 10am on Monday and so we got up early to start our day by heading out to watch the sunrise before having to pack up. It’s something we’ve been doing since our first visit. Although I always find the 10am checkouts somewhat stressful, starting the day by watching the sunrise is always so worth it. We really should make the effort more often to get up early to watch the sunrise – it’s always so beautiful – such a magical time.

Frozen after our early morning beach walk we headed back to the caravan to have breakfast and then pack up the car. It’s always sad having to leave the caravan – we’ll have to stay longer than a weekend one day, but it was another lush weekend away for Valentines. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend too.

A MINI GETAWAY IN NORTHUMBERLAND

Published on October 7, 2024October 7, 2024 by simplycarinaxoLeave a comment

The other week, my best friend Emily and I finally had our annual holiday together. We’ve been friends for over 20 years now, but as we sadly don’t live in the same city anymore, we don’t see each other as much as we’d like to. We try and make time for a little getaway together once a year. Our annual trips are a cherished break from our busy lives, allowing us to catch up on a deeper level and make lasting memories together.

Whilst planning this trip, my travel anxiety annoyingly acted up however, and so I didn’t feel up to going very far. With only two nights away planned though, it also made sense to opt for somewhere a little more local and not waste time traveling. And so, after browsing Airbnb, we came across a caravan listing in Northumberland. It looked like the perfect peaceful getaway for a couple of nights, just under an hour’s drive from Durham and nestled in a picturesque woodland spot.

We set off on a gloomy Sunday afternoon, the rain a steady backdrop to our journey. Hidden amidst fog-shrouded trees, we found our caravan and hastily unloaded the car. The heat was immediately put on, as well as the kettle of course, and we enjoyed the comforting warmth of a cup of tea as we unpacked and settled into our wee space for the next couple of days.

The rain eventually subsided, and we bundled up for a stroll and explore of the small caravan park we were staying at. We spotted lots of wild rabbits hopping about the grounds and allowed Emily’s daughter to burn off some energy in the small playground, before heading back to warm up again with some more tea.

After dinner we got Emily’s daughter ready for bed and then settled down to play a game together. We both love a good game and I was excited to introduce Emily to Fungi – one of my new favourite two person games. Unfortunately my relaxing evening was interrupted when sometime that evening I stood up from the couch and something in my back just went, giving way to extreme pain.

Although I managed to get to some sleep, I could still barely move on Monday morning and had to rely on a heavy dose of painkillers to cope. Not wanting to just sit around all day though, and hoping gentle movement would be beneficial, we ventured into the nearby woodland for a small walk before lunch. The misty, autumnal atmosphere was both kind of haunting and beautiful.

After lunch and a game of Qwirkle while Emily’s daughter napped, we decided to brave the rain for a little mooch around Hexham. We were fortunate to find a convenient parking spot and made our way to Hexham Abbey. The abbey was a beautiful place to visit; filled with intricate stonework and stained glass windows, it had a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. There was also an interactive museum wing, which offered a glimpse into the abbey’s history and allowed us all to have some fun dressing up.

Having spent over an hour at the Abbey we sadly didn’t have much time left to explore more of Hexham that day, but as Hexham also wasn’t new to either of us, it didn’t really matter too much. If you haven’t been to Hexham before though and are ever in the area, it really is a delightful place to spend an afternoon and well worth a visit.

On our final evening, we enjoyed a simple oven pizza and played another round of Fungi after Emily’s daughter went to bed. We also decided to get crafting later that evening and while Emily worked on her current knitting project, a miniature pumpkin, I finally started a little embroidery experiment for a potential Christmas gift idea. If it turns out well, I will hopefully be able to share the project with you in a future blog post.

Checkout on Tuesday morning was at 11am – which was a huge relief. I love a later checkout when I’m on holiday as it allows me to relax and avoid a stressful morning rush. With plenty of time to spare once we’d packed up, we could also still enjoy a final stroll through the woodland to take some photos of Emily’s latest knitwear project (the sage green t-shirt she is modelling below). I’m always admiring her knitting skills – I simply don’t have the patience! Emily creates the most gorgeous pieces, and has started documenting her craft online. If you’re interested in knitting be sure to follow her on Instagram here and YouTube here.

After departing at 11am, we decided to still make a stop off on our way home and went for a mooch and a coffee at my local Farmshop, Broomhouse Farm. A browse of the shop’s selection of fresh produce, homeware and artisan goods and quick hello to the animals before sitting down and sharing a scone, was the perfect way to conclude our short getaway.

It is always a shame when holidays and getaways are over so quickly; but then I suppose there is always next year to look forward to!

MINI GETAWAY – DESTINATION EDINBURGH

Published on December 8, 2017September 2, 2024 by simplycarinaxo8 Comments

Good evening beautiful souls,

I have been savouring my last two days off relaxing in gorgeous Edinburgh with my sister. For once I was lucky enough to find a really cheap first class ticket from Durham to Edinburgh and I enjoyed the finer things. Well, I tried to; I kinda messed up the first class thing never having been before and missed out on half of the breakfast I could have had. Oh well, I’ll know for next time. I still enjoyed my croissant and chamomile tea whilst gazing out at the ever-changing scenery and listening to the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

It was a peaceful journey up, and I arrived with plenty of time to have another cuppa in a cute cafe near Haymarket before going to find the German consulate to get myself a German passport. Once that was all sorted I got on the bus google maps told me would take me to my sisters, however here was me failing at my finest because I didn’t think to check in which direction I would have to get the bus and so of course I soon realised I was half way out of town going in the wrong direction. The bus driver made my day though when I told him what I’d done and he gave me a free day ticket before letting me off to catch a new bus in.the correct direction. So a good hour later I finally found my sister.

We spent the whole afternoon relaxing at hers, but it felt nice to just chill drink tea, eat good food and really catch up. We don’t get many chances to spend quality one on one time together so it’s always nice when we do.

Today after athe relaxed start to the day we wandered around Edinburgh almost freezing ourselves to death it was so icy. But it was lovely all the same as the sun was out. Once we got to the Christmas market we treated ourselves to some delicious mulled wine to warm us up. It was yummy, and I decided to keep the cute mugs too. I love walking through the Christmas markets, they always make you feel so festive. It’s good I didn’t have much cash on me either because there were so many cute stalls with beautiful goods, I’m always especially attracted to the handmade wooden things, from tree ornaments to bowls.

When we’d seen most of the market and with still over an hour to spare till my train home, we popped into costa so I could finish this blog post. I bought a large Americano and was thoroughly disappointed, it came in what looked like a soup bowl with two handles and did not taste grear either. I swear I am spoilt with coffee now aha, since getting used to good coffee, its difficult to not compare coffee to my dads nowadays. Anyway after a short but sweet stay, I am now on my way back to Durham, but sadly not in first class.

Here are just some photos from my brief time with my sister in Edinburgh, enjoy!

Hope you’ve all had a good week!

Love Carina xo

MINI GETAWAY – DESTINATION ALNMOUTH

Published on October 8, 2017September 2, 2024 by simplycarinaxo4 Comments

Good evening beautiful souls,

At the beginning of the week I was away in Alnmouth, a beautiful village on the seafront. It is my dads 50th this November and he’s celebrating early with his brothers, sister, their spouses and his mum who have all flown over from Germany so they can enjoy a weeks holiday together in Alnmouth. I could sadly only visit for three days as I had to work, but I did enjoy three days with my extended family. I took the train up on Monday and on Wednesday we all drove down back to Durham together so the family could see our hometown. Although short it was so lovely in Alnmouth; I am already missing it. Anyway the coastal scenery is just so beautiful there I just had to share some photographs with you.

On Monday we went to Bamburgh a short drive up the coast from Alnmouth, for a lovely walk at the beach, although it was so windy the sand whipped around our legs in a bit of a sandstorm.

The next morning the sun was rising over the beach and I enjoyed my breakfast with a view. The living room window had a lovely window seat looking out onto Alnmouth beach and it was the most peaceful breakfast I have had in a long time – breakfast goals on point!

After breakfast I went for a walk at the beach with my dad which was lovely as the sun continued to shine. The weather was just fab!

Later on in the day we went to the Alnwick Gardens where we had booked to eat lunch in the tree house in which is just so cute and quaint. The food was amazing and we all enjoyed ourselves. I sipped on my favourite Rose Lemonade, had a terrine for starters and pork belly with broccoli and apple mash for mains which was just scrumptious!

After our meal in the tree house I walked to Barter Books in Alnwick. It is one of the cutest bookshops I have ever been to. A large building filled with secondhand books, antiques and first editions. One can really spend half a day here browsing through all the books. If you are ever in Northumberland I totally recommend you take the time to visit this quaint bookshop. There is a little cafe for refreshments and chairs to sit and read in oh and there are some CD’s and DVD’s too, but only a small section. As far as I am aware you can also exchange books, as in if they don’t already have certain books you can trade them.

On Tuesday evening we continued family time and had a lovely night reflecting on the past by looking at old photos which was cute.

Well that sums up my mini getaway in Alnmouth; thanks for reading! Also I’d love to know if you have ever been in Bamburgh, Alnmouth or Alnwick, so please do let me know!

Love Carina xo