[June 2026] After boarding a minibus in Alnwick, a town in Northumberland, England, on a tour, I fell fast asleep.
So, I don’t know what explanations were given, or if there were any, but when I woke up, we were arriving in Bamburgh.
We had been to Bamburgh before.
I asked my husband, “Did you see the sea along the way?” but he replied, “Huh, the sea?”
He had absolutely no idea that we had been there before.
So, after getting off the bus, we climbed a hill to a spot where we could see the sea.
Then, my husband sighed, “Oh, I see,” and remembered that he had been there five years ago.
Once he remembered, he remembered even the smallest details, which surprised me.
According to AI information, Bamburgh was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Northumberland in the 6th century.
The large castle, perched on a hill overlooking the sea, was built around the 12th century by the Normans on top of an existing fortress.
Although it was heavily damaged and fell into disrepair during the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, a wealthy man bought and restored it in the 19th century, resulting in its current magnificent appearance.
Like many other places, it seems to have been used as a filming location for various films.
Neither on this visit nor last time, we didn’t go inside the castle.
Instead, we enjoyed the desolate landscape typical of this region from the hilltop.
This reminds us of the British TV drama “Vera.”
“Vera” is a crime drama set in this area, and it’s a series that captivates viewers not only with its charming, plump female inspector but also with its stunning scenery.
I think we saw Bamburgh in the drama as well.
Incidentally, this drama is occasionally broadcast in Italy, but unfortunately, it’s dubbed in Italian.
We returned to the minibus and headed north back to Edinburgh, Scotland.
Along the way, we stopped for a few minutes at the border between Scotland and England.
Across the border, there were three Scottish flags, while on the English side, there were the Northumberland flag, the English flag, and the Union Jack.
The Union Jack is the flag of Great Britain, so it’s also the flag of Scotland, and the guide said, “I don’t know why it’s only on the other side.”
This somewhat inadequate guide’s family had moved from Yorkshire, England to Scotland during his grandparents’ time.
That means that he is a relatively recent Scotsman, but perhaps for the sake of his role as a guide, he spoke as if he were Scottish.
I thought this was a stark contrast to the Italians, who place the utmost importance on blood ties.
