The travelling gypsies

 Road trip day!!!!!

This morning saw us head out and carry on a new Hoppo family tradition.  We headed for the world's best hot chocolate.  Sue told us we had to try a hot chocolate from Uplands Roast in Edinburgh (after their trip last year) before we left, so we headed there this morning before packing up and trucking it to the car.  It was lucky that it was perfect hot chocolate weather this morning, drizzly and cool.

After hot chocolate, it was back to the apartment to pack up the Chinese laundry and move house again. This meant that we took all of our luggage downstairs and parked it in the foyer of the place we were staying, then both of us went for a walk back to the car to leave a kidney each for the parking. Lucky that the parking app didn't work properly despite a 30 min online chat when we first arrived in Edinburgh and a promise it would work when we left.  It didn't work so after another 10 min online chat while sitting at the exit gate of the carpark, the Scottish gods looked down on us and we only ended up paying for the one night and only needed for one of us to leave a kidney, more pints to come!  Clearly Carrie's kissing of the castles has finally paid off.

On our way to pick up the car (in the pissing rain) we happened to look up to rock face that sits just below Edinburgh Castle. We noticed there were workers hanging by ropes doing some maintenance work and we could hear angle grinders or something as well.  Im sure that would deemed safe at home. I guess if they wait for a dry day here they would never get any work done.

After the drive back to the apartment and loading of much luggage in the rain, we hit the road for York.  Our road trip was to take 4 hours.  We stopped for lunch in a nice little market town called Alnwick.  We managed to beat the pay and display and parked at the supermarket and went shopping there after lunch.  We found a quiet little local cafe and had a very tasty toasty and we were on our way.  Yes we saw a castle on the way in to town and we resisted  and didn't stop at it (we are now in England and our castle pass doesn't work down here). Even though Alnwick Castle (Northumberland) was used as a filming location in Harry Potter and also Downton Abbey, we had a long road trip ahead of us, so we just drove past, waved, and blew it a kiss from the car!

We arrived into York after 4pm, and managed to throw the luggage in the room and then found a car park close to the hotel to park for the next couple of days.  We then headed out to walk the York wall. Went to the York Roast Co (thanks Ander-roo(Andrew) for the hot tip.  Claire had roast beef served in and huge Yorkshire pudding with roasted veggies, stuffing and gravy and Carrie had roast pork with the same accompaniments as a wrap (Yorkshire pudding as the wrap).  Both were delicious.  We had a walk down the 'Shambles' which was the inspiration of  'Diagon Alley' (for Harry Potter fans). We then headed to a local pub for a couple of pints and pat another dog and watch de Minaur play some of the Qtr final in the US Open. Now back for a rest before another day of adventuring tomorrow.