To Aberdeen by bicycle via Drum Castle

We cycled back from Banchory to Aberdeen yesterday and it was rather hellish. I thought I was going to die. We arrived home and I collapsed in a heap with a very sore butt and feeling sorry for myself. I've decided to give up cycling for good. Just kidding 🙂 We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at… Continue reading To Aberdeen by bicycle via Drum Castle

The Cairngorms

Today we left the city for the country and visited the majestic Cairngorms, the highest mountain range in Britain. It was spectacular and my wish for snow finally came true. The scenery was a mix of woodland, mountains, castles, villages, rivers and fields but I'll let my photos tell the story.   The rest of… Continue reading The Cairngorms

Winter sports are the best

We went to Newcastle for the afternoon. It started off badly: there was rain, the children wanted to go home and we had nothing planned other than to walk around in the rain for a couple of hours before going back to York. But then things changed. First we ran into someone famous: Then I… Continue reading Winter sports are the best

Bristol

We have come to Bristol for the weekend to see some friends. Bristol is a very cool city. Where Edinburgh is perhaps a little too perfect, Bristol is a little rough around the edges in an endearing sort of way. A bit like Glasgow. There's some good cycling infrastructure here too. Bristol is famous for… Continue reading Bristol

Geneva

Another day, another city, another sister. This time we're in Geneva visiting Ben's sister. I have never been all that fond of Geneva because it has somewhat of an exclusive feeling to it. It also seems to be full of banks and shops selling expensive watches. Something that they do very well here though is… Continue reading Geneva

How the richest 1% live

Global wealth has risen considerably over the last 10 years but this wealth is spread unevenly. The richest 1% have more than 46% of all global assets and the richest 10% have more than 86% of wealth. Here's a neat youtube video which graphically illustrates this inequality. So what do the 1% spend all they… Continue reading How the richest 1% live

York Minster with kids

We finally got around to venturing inside York Minster today with two small children in tow. Yes, it is beautiful and magnificent, but unlike other cathedrals we've been in, York Minster has hands-on activities for adults and children. There was this thing inside  (called an orb apparently) that looks a bit like a cancerous growth,… Continue reading York Minster with kids

Yorkshire Museum of Farming

We cycled to the Museum of Farming on Sunday. It was just outside York so a fair distance for me on the bike but easily manageable and very, very enjoyable. I feel truly alive at the moment with all this physical activity. The museum itself was a great deal more than just a museum. There… Continue reading Yorkshire Museum of Farming

Jorvik and the Vikings

York was once a thriving Viking city called Jorvik. Archaeologists in the 70s and 80s discovered the houses, workshops and backyards of these Vikings as they were 1000 years ago. They are now on display at the Jorvik Viking Centre in York. I took the kids there to have a look and it was fascinating… Continue reading Jorvik and the Vikings

We’ve got a bakfiets!

We have been very busy here. So busy in fact, that I've neglected my blog. But I have some great news to report today: we have wheels! Just two, completely carbon-neutral wheels. This is an original Dutch bakfiets, a second-hand one, built especially for lugging children and shopping around town and countryside. I have wanted… Continue reading We’ve got a bakfiets!