Bamburgh and the Holy Island

The day after our adventures in Alnwick, we decided to head up and see the Bamburgh Castle. It's one of the largest inhabited castles in the country and sits right on the Northumberland coastline. Sean had fun running around getting pictures of the castle from all angles, and he definitely got some good ones!

Here are a few shots from outside the castle walls...

Some shots from inside the grounds...

The beach on the east side of the castle...

After we were done at the Bamburgh Castle we drove a few miles into Seahouses where we got the most delicious fish and chips we've ever had! It's definitely a place I'll want to go back to. Once we filled our bellies, we headed further up the coast to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. You can only drive to and from the island when the tide is low because the road gets covered with water during high tide.

The Lindisfarne Castle...

The old Priory...

Alnwick

Since Beckham was born right before Sean's summer break we weren't able to do quite as much travelling as we would have tried otherwise, but we decided we should at least try to get out and see the sights close to us. So the weekend before we flew home we rented a car and did a couple of fun day trips.

The first day, we drove up to Alnwick where we started the day by visiting the Alnwick Castle. For all of you Harry Potter buffs out there, Alnwick Castle is otherwise known as the "Harry Potter Castle" as it is used as Hogwarts in the films. (Neither Sean nor I have ever read the books, and we've only seen maybe 2 of the movies, but we thought we could make at least a few people back home jealous by going :).

Outside the castle walls...

They actually had a couple of workers there dressed up with little broomsticks that they would pass out to the little kids and "teach them to fly"...

A view from inside the grounds...

Beckham with his daddy on his 2-month birthday...

After we were done at the castle, we made our way over to the Alnwick Gardens, which are absolutely beautiful! The few pictures we have on here can't do the gardens justice and I would highly recommend a trip to visit them for anyone who has the chance.

The Gardens were filled with all sorts of different fountains, many of which the kids can run through and play in (adults too, I suppose)...

They also had a restaurant that was built like a large treehouse (called the Treehouse) which was pretty fun to see...

Mr. Smiles

Beckham has recently decided that it's ok to smile when he's wide awake, and not just when he's starting to fall asleep. We love it!!!

Durham

On Saturday there was a Regatta down in Durham so we decided to head down and check it out for a bit. Durham is just about a 15 minute train ride from us so it was a nice, quick day trip. There is also a really pretty cathedral and castle that we went and saw.

Durham Castle...

(unfortunately the castle was closed for a private event, so we weren't able to go inside)

Views of both the castle and cathedral...

Durham Cathedral...

Parts of Harry Potter were filmed in this square...

It was a fun day trip, and definitely something we'll have to do again! Sean got some great pics!!!

London!

While my mom was still in town, we took the train down to London to get Beckham registered as a U.S. citizen and to get his passport so that he can fly home to Utah with us in a couple of weeks. Since we had to go down there anyway, we decided to make a trip out of it and stayed for a few days to do some sight-seeing. The first day, after our appointment at the U.S. Embassy, we took a double-decker bus tour to get an overview of all the big sights. The next couple of days we were able to go back and spend more time at our favorite places.

Beckham just became an official U.S. citizen...

St. Paul's Cathedral (where Princess Di and Prince Charles were married)...

The Tower of London...

The Tower Bridge...

Big Ben...

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament...

Our second day we took one of these boats down to Greenwich and spent a few hours there...

The Royal Naval Academy (part of Pirates 4 was filmed here)...

The National Maritime Museum...

Buckingham Palace...

Changing of the Guards...

Westminster Abbey (where Prince William and Kate were married)...

There was a free organ concert in Westminster Abbey on Sunday evening which we went to. It was a much easier way of getting a look inside the Abbey than having to stand in line for hours, then having to pay to get in!!!

Visitors!

When Beckham was 10 days old, he started receiving visitors from back home. First, my sister Anamae came for about a week, and was a BIG help!!! Sean was busy getting ready for finals so she came just in time. I was able to get some much needed sleep while Beckham hung out with his auntie :)

A couple of days before Anamae headed home, my parents came into town. My dad was only able to stay for a few days, but my mom stayed for another 2 weeks after he headed home. It was so much fun to be able to see my sister and parents! Beckham can't wait to see them again and meet his other grandparents and aunts and uncles in just a couple of weeks!

Anamae and Beckham...

Grandpa making the most of his limited time with Beckham...

Obviously, Beckham likes to sleep when he is being held...

A trip out to the coast while everyone was still here! Sean came and met us for some yummy fish and chips at Marshall's after he finished one of his finals...