I don’t like Harry Potter. There we go, the secret’s out.
That’s why I was contemplating whether to go to the trip marketed as paradise for HP fans. That’s why I thanked the universe, when I saw that it was sold out. Less decision-making for me! However, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I wanted to go by myself but the connections from NCL to Alnwick were not the best, and the photos of the castle looked so good! So checking the website again, just in case, I thanked the universe again – someone must’ve cancelled, because all of sudden it was available. So I waited no more and bought the ticket the very minute, two days before the trip. So spontaneous, who is she?
This time I lucked out on the weather (->the other time<-) – even though it was March, it was 15°C (almost summer in the UK, eh) and sunny the whole day. So if this post isn’t a weather rant, let’s focus on the place, shall we?
The most important part of the trip was Alnwick castle (that is definitely not pronounced as you would think, it’s more like “Annick”. Wouldn’t be my first choice, but it seems the locals do care a lot about this). This castle is absolutely huge, in fact, it’s the second largest inhabited castle in the UK. Read that again. Yes, it is inhabited, real people actually live there to this day. At least in winter. But we’ll get to this a bit later. Another reason why this castle is popular is because it’s a filming location of many different films and TV series. Too bad I’m not really into any of that. Luckily, I enjoyed it nonetheless.
One of the first activities was just a walking tour with our guide for the day when we learnt about the history and some random fun facts, that I don’t really remember anymore, sorry. This was followed by a tour of the castle itself, which was really, really cool, but, unfortunately, we couldn’t take pictures inside, since, well, it’s somebody’s home, specifically, the Percy’s family. I find it unbelievable that people live in places with such a long and rich history, from the money with such a long history. And on top of that, they still keep butlers. I just cannot comprehend. It feels like a different world, like a time capsule, history in modern times. And to be honest, it makes me a bit uncomfortable. But, if I envy them something, it’s not the only piece of furniture from Louis XIV’s era nor the priceless table, it’s the library! It was astonishing! Such a large collection of beautiful old books displayed on golden shelves. And I think I saw a beanbag in the corner. So just imagine! Not only do you get transported to the past, but also to a magical world from any of the books, provided you can read Latin or French and your magical world is subject-specific. But still!
After that, I spent my lunch break taking millions of photos of the castle and daffodils that were just blooming. You might have notices, but I love flowers and yellow. And with the castle in distance – chef’s kiss. The last activity in the castle was a broomstick training! Yes, I became a witch and learnt how to ride a broomstick while making weird noises, because that is an essential part of flying. The more you know, right? But it was quite fun and I could’ve won the race, but my broomstick teacher decided not to let me. Oh well. (I realise this doesn’t really make much sense, so if you ever have the chance to experience it yourself, just go for it!)
The next thing in our agenda was a tree house. However, there was a wedding there, so we couldn’t enter. Instead, we just spent a looong time in one of the largest second-hand bookshops in the UK and you know what? I did not complain. Though I didn’t buy anything, it was just good vibes and books and a little train that ran around the shelves.
One could even say it was a *magical* trip. Right? Get it? Because… yeah, okay, okay, sorry, I’ll go…
