Recommended places in London/England Part2
Phil Taylor

This time I want to take you to the far northeast of England. Even in summer the weather can be "bracing" up here. In the dictionary it might say that this means "giving energy", but it's really the British way of saying "freezing cold and windy", so don't go here for swimming or sunbathing! The air is fresh and clean, there is a lot of history and the people and atmosphere are quite different from the South.

Whitby
Perhaps if you were on your way to Scotland, you could stop first in Whitby in North Yorkshire. Getting here is a little difficult by public transport, but that means that the town is very unspoiled. It's worth making the journey to be able to spend some time in this picturesque, old fishing town and walk through the narrow, cobbled streets. Whitby is famous for its special quality of light, which is the reason many artists come here. A popular place for painting or taking a picture is in front of a huge whale's jawbone on top of the West Cliff. On the East side of the river are a lot of antique shops and art galleries to browse around, as well as the usual shops, restaurants and of course, pubs!
There's also something a little mysterious about this town...you might feel it as you climb 199 ancient steps and visit the church and the ruined Abbey at the top - this is the place which inspired the famous Dracula story!

Alnwick
Keep going north from here, and you'll get to the most northerly county in England, Northumberland, and the town of Alnwick. The main reason to come here is to visit the castle. It's huge, beautiful and maybe a little familiar? That's because it was used as a location for the Harry Potter films!
After this comes Bamburgh, one of my favourite places in England. There's another very large and very beautiful castle here, which is illuminated at night and looks amazing. The best view of the castle is from the long, sandy beach and sand dunes. There's not a lot to do here, but having afternoon tea in a tearoom and then sitting on the beach on a summer evening could be a very memorable experience.

Lindisfarne
Last comes one of the most unique places to visit, Lindisfarne (also called Holy Island). It is a real island, linked to the mainland by a causeway which gets covered by the sea twice a day. Plan your trip carefully so you don't get stuck there, but don't worry if you do - there are some nice, cosy inns and hotels to stay in. Also on the beautiful, windy and slightly haunting island is another castle, a ruined Priory (where monks used to live) and a lot of very ancient religious history. To keep warm, you can try a free sample of one of the best souvenirs from the island, "Lindisfarne Mead". Mead is a very old style of wine made with honey and herbs, which was traditionally drunk for a month by newly married couples - this is where the word "honeymoon" comes from! You can buy mead and other traditional British wines, beers and cheeses at St Aidan's Winery.