Where could I go for my beautiful honeymoon with the man I love?
When I was working as a travel agent in Italy, I organised several trips to exotic places around the world or to famous cities like Paris, New York, Sydney, and Roma.
But in the last five months, I started to work for my new amazing job, bought a new home, redecorated the interior of this house, and organised a new life with my new husband, whom I married just two weeks ago.
So I had little space to organise my honeymoon.
However, having worked as a travel agent for more than 25 years, I have been lucky to discover several places on our amazing planet, and as a rule, I never go back to see the same place.
Therefore, my new husband proposed a trip to the Yorkshire Dales in the northeast of England, not too far from Newcastle upon Tyne, where I live.
It was a short break at the end of a busy period, and this city break sounded interesting and relaxing.
We found a nearby hotel through Expedia.com called “The Chequers Inn,” just 10 minutes away from these beautiful rocks, and we booked a double bedroom for two nights.
Brimham Rocks
The site is known for its water- and weather-eroded rocks, which were formed over 325 million years ago and have assumed fantastic shapes. In the 18th and 19th centuries, antiquarians such as Hayman Rooke wondered whether they could have been at least partly carved by the druids. For up to two hundred years, some stones have carried fanciful names, such as Druid’s Idol, Druid’s Altar, and Druid’s Writing Desk.
They are very beautiful, especially under the light of the sun, to enjoy the contrast between the rocks and the shades of green surrounding them, but if you go with your kids, please keep an eye on them to avoid accidents that could be fatal.
On the same day, because the weather was quite good, we decided to go visit another tourist attraction not far from our hotel called Malham Cove.
Malham Cove
It is a huge, curving amphitheatre-shaped cliff formation of limestone rock.
The vertical face of the cliff is about 260 feet high. The top of the cove is a large area of deeply eroded limestone pavement, a strange pattern rarely seen in England. The majesty of Malham Cove looks out over the village of Malham and has been attracting visitors for centuries.
Malham is also a nice village where you can find the accommodation you prefer and spend a few days walking around, discovering the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales.
We decided to arrive at the top of the cove and had to climb several steps.
These steps are not difficult, but advise a good pair of shoes, a bottle of water, an umbrella, and even a hat if the sun comes out from behind the English clouds.
Once you arrive on top, you are welcomed by a beautiful view that also the famous artist David Hockney reproduced in his paintings when visiting the area.
After this long walk, we decided to visit a small city called Ripon.
Ripon is. a small city with a nice cathedral, even if it is not as spectacular as that of Canterbury, or the nearby town of York.
But there is no ticket to pay, and the interior of the cathedral deserves a visit.
At the end of our busy day, we decided to go back to our hotel and have dinner in the local pub, drinking good beer.
Unfortunately, the Chequers Inn pub does not have a great collection of real ales, so be ready to drink the more traditional local beers.
The following day, before heading home, we decided to stop to visit the beautiful Beninbrough Hall and gardens.
Beningbrough Hall.
It situated 6.2 miles from York, was built in 1716 by a York landowner. It is a large baroque mansion near the village of Beningbrough and overlooks the River Ouse.
It has baroque interiors, wooden stairs, wood carvings, and central corridors that run the length of the house. Externally, the house is a red-brick Baroque mansion with a grand drive running to the main frontage and a walled garden, The house is home to changing exhibitions in the first-floor art gallery and stories of the estate on the ground floor. It has a restaurant, shop, and garden shop, and was shortlisted in 2010 for the Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award.
The gardens are undergoing a redesign by garden designer Andy Sturgeon.
You can spend a couple of hours visiting this place, and even more, if you decide to have a break in the lovely restaurant facing the gardens.
At the end of our visit, a storm arrived, so we decided to drive home. A nice break of three days and two nights to charge our flat batteries.
Laura Bernardeschi Nelson artworld and travels 