Father’s Day was a bit of a washout because K’s hay fever acted up. He’s always struggled with allergies come springtime, but this year it’s been intense. Keeping this in mind, we did not plan anything major at all. The kids gave him a couple of sweet cards, a note, and his favorite dessert, tiramisu, and we insisted on staying home and keeping him indoors.
We live in a very scenic and beautiful area, and springtime especially is wonderful. But the downside of that is too much pollen in the air, and poor K starts sneezing even if we crack open a window a wee bit. Makes it hellishly uncomfortable for everyone, as it’s also as hot as an oven indoors these days.
Anyway, after weeks of staying put at home, K had had enough. We were going out for a short drive out to the countryside, get some fresh air (even if it’s from within a mask), and have a bite to eat, and celebrate the glorious weather.
Knaresborough is a scenic little town not too far from us. K knew it quite well as he had done his driving test there, and he said it was a pretty place, even if no one outside of the immediate vicinity would have heard of it.
So off we went. We went on a day just after it had rained; it was cool, slightly windy, and perfect for a bit of a stroll, some window shopping, and a nice lunch.
The plan was to visit Knaresborough Castle, potter around there for a bit, get views of the viaduct and the river Nidd, then head down to the riverside and hang around in the waterfront, then, if time permits and if the place was accessible enough for my mom, make a visit to Mother Shipton’s Cave.
We weren’t able to do as much as we wanted because K’s allergies started up again, but we did have a nice half-day wandering around exploring the tiny vintage and antique shops there, and visiting Knaresborough Castle. The castle itself is a broken-down ruin, but the grounds are quite beautiful, and we took a ton of photos.
Afterward, we had lunch at Six Poor Folk – typical British pub food. We all chose versions of burgers and sandwiches. The best part about the food is that nothing was pre-cooked/frozen. Everything was made fresh, then and there on the premises, with excellent service. Set in one of Knaresborough’s oldest buildings, the structure dates back to 1480 and was once a hospital that could house six poor folk, hence the name of the restaurant.
After lunch, we drove down to the waterfront, but couldn’t spend time there as the open air and wind were really starting to aggravate K’s allergies, so we headed back home to chill and watch the World Cup matches.
Overall, a nice day, and a much-needed break from what has been an action-packed month with a lot of movement on some personal goals. We may be closing on a house! However, nothing’s final until the completion date, so I don’t want to talk much about it here until we actually receive the keys. But I am so excited, I can’t wait. More to come on our adventures in finding a house to buy. It’s been a roller-coaster, and needs a blog post of its own when the time is right to share more.
Fingers crossed everything continues at the same pace, and we can hopefully move in by August!
