September 7, 2018 — Day 4 (Friday and Jean’s birthday)

Up at 6:30 racing the clock to beat the rising tide to Lindisfarne. We have to cross before 11:25 AM or the tide will cover the road until 5:00 PM and we'll lose most of the day. Zipped down to breakfast at 7:50 and they kindly opened ten minutes early. We got scrambled eggs on toast and quickly ate. Brushed teeth, packed the car and were off. Very slow traffic around Newcastle but on the whole, not a bad drive. There was rain on and off and we saw at least three rainbows. There is something very uplifting about a rainbow.

Got to the the Lindisfarne causeway safely at low tide and had no trouble driving across. We parked at our hotel much too early for check-in but we were welcomed with a pot of tea and a map with suggestions for sightseeing. Armed with umbrellas, we set off on foot. In heavy rain we decided the indoor Lindisfarne Centre would be a good idea and it was. They had exhibits going back to prehistory and some were interactive. I made a brass rubbing and that was fun. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

When we left, the rain had let up and the ticket lady suggested The Post Office for lunch. It is really a café beside the Post Office and very good. I got a lobster wrap and Ed a crab sandwich . . . both very nice. Then we walked over to our hotel and checked in to our gorgeous front room with a bay window and a four-poster bed. Such luxury . . . Click here for The Lindisfarne Hotel web site

After lunch, the rain had stopped so we quickly walked to The Priory where we got our museum tickets (free, we’re English Heritage members) and thence to the Priory ruins so I could get sunny pictures before the rain started again. It worked and we found the huge bronze statue of Saint Cuthbert by Fenwick Lawson that we’d seen carved in wood the day before in Durham. From The Priory we walked to St. Mary the Virgin’s Parish Church where we saw Lawson’s large elmwood sculpture “The Journey” of six monks carrying Saint Cuthbert’s casket. It was created with a chainsaw, larger than life and very powerful. (There is a bronze copy of it in Durham recently moved to the Cathedral Square.)

Next, back to the museum to go through the collection. Most interesting was an activity translating runes and since there was a key, it was easy. Going through a digitized Lindisfarne Gospel was more challenging because the touch screen didn’t work very well. It is beautiful but the digitized “Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry” at Chantilly was much easier to go through.

Left the museum after supporting the gift shop and walked to the Scriptorium which sadly was closed. Stopped in a very nice art gallery (Impressions), a Celtic jewelry shop and then a fudge shop where we did get some fudge. Next, walked to the Lindisfarne Mead store where we purchased a bottle and now pretty tired, walked back to our hotel for some rest before dinner. I transferred pictures and caught up my Journal.

We walked back to the Crown and Anchor where we had a six o’clock dinner reservation. The menu is on a large blackboard and Ed chose the fish pie while I opted for the rump of lamb that came with a crispy polenta, cauliflower mash with roasted seeds and roasted carrots. Another fabulous dinner. I’m thinking very seriously about revising my opinion of British cooking. Finished with vanilla and tablet ice cream that was excellent. A new find. I had forgotten we found tablet (tablette) in Scotland and we are very near the border. Yes! My favorite Caribbean treat in England.

Excellent day. I called our next-week landlord and he’s expecting us between three and four tomorrow.