Off to Hogwarts

Mike and Ollie walking into Alnick Castle,
a.k.a. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Since we just finished reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling, a trip to Alnick castle was in order. Two of the Harry Potter movies were filmed here and it's only a 40-minute drive from our house. Perfect for a day trip.

Yesterday was surely the most beautiful, warmest day we've had since we've been here. It was 21 degrees (that's 70 for you Fahrenheit-folks) and the sun seemed extra bright. It could not have been a more perfect day. So we packed a picnic lunch and headed off to Alnwick (pronounced Ah-nik).

I'm cracking myself up because as I'm re-reading the last paragraphs, it sounds like this was a well-planned outing!

The truth is...

I didn't know what we would get into; I just knew that it was too nice to stay indoors. I pulled the kids out from in front of the TV and peeled Mike off the couch and said, "I packed a lunch. Let's go." (Not to make Mike sound like a big lazybutt; he just had a to-Paris-and-back-in-the-same-day trip on Friday for an important meeting with important people—read, stressful—and he was still recuperating.)

I was thinking we might drive up the coast a little and find a spot on the beach to eat lunch and then let the boys loose. So we're driving....driving...and Mike sees a sign that says, "ALNWICK, 22." And he suggested we go there. I love being spontaneous with Mike. He makes everything fun.

We had a great lunch at a little park that we just stumbled upon. It reminded me of Lake Benson in Garner actually. Just a nice small lake, with walking trails, and open fields. People walking their dogs. Kite fliers. Kids. Picnickers like us.

We ate near the lake and, for once, I hadn't forgotten to pack a single thing in the picnic bag...I even had a tablecloth and hand wipes. Sweet. That never happens! (Score on the hand wipes since we caught Ollie picking up swan poo.)

Everyone got something a little different for lunch. Ham and cheese with lettuce and mayo for Merrit. Ham and cheese plain for Mike. PB&J for Ollie. Chicken breast with lettuce, tomatoes, and pesto for me.

Dig in, boys.

Then back in the car for the last little bit of the drive. On our way to Alnwick, we passed Warkworth Castle. We will have to go back another time to see that one for sure. It is so crazy that around here you can throw a stick and hit a castle.

Alnick is the fourth of the castles we've seen. Mike commented that each castle is so different that you really can't compare and say, "This is the best one we've seen" or anything like that. But unlike the other castles we've seen, this is a lived-in castle. The current Duke and Duchess of Northumberland actually live here in the winter! We can only guess that whole sections of the castle must be entirely closed off, because it was enormous.

We weren't allowed to take photographs inside the castle on the tour through the state rooms. But if you've been to the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC then you have an idea of how it was decorated:

Silk wallpaper. Classical works of art. Gifts and souviners from around the world. Shelves of leather-bound books. Seating areas of antique furniture. Massive fireplaces. Chandeliers dripping with crystals. Persian rugs. Marble staircases. And since people still live here, framed photos of family members. That was sort of strange, actually. It's inconceivable to me that real people would live in such a place!

And to keep the kids interested, each room had a small furry owl hidden somewhere. If you have read any of the Harry Potter books, you know that wizards use owls to send messages back and forth to each other. Merrit had fun owl hunting.

Back outside, we enjoyed walking around the grounds and soaking up all the sunshine we could.

Both boys had fun rolling down the hill.

In the large grassy inner courtyard, called a bailey,
swordfighting lessons and miniature jousting courses
were set up for the kids.

The view of the River Aln from the ramparts walk.

The view through the arrow loop. Archers and crossbowmen fired
arrows through these narrow slits along the rampart walk.

Ollie watching sheep in the meadow below.

Love these boys! They are getting so big. 

Then again, "big" is relative.

Merrit took this picture of Mike and I. He's kinda handy to
have around!

My knights in shining armor.

A little fun for our homeschooling friends: All about castles at HowStuffWorks.com and Harry Potter lesson plan ideas. We miss all our homeschooling families and are always thinking about  you! It would be so fun to share some of these trips with you; at least, we hope you're enjoying our blog!