The Home of Mr & Mrs Whickham

Saturday dawned very early of us making the trip to Newcastle and it was a real true blue English morning, everything was wet and getting wetter. But there we walked to where the bus was picking us up, it wasn't a bad three hour trip to the city most of us slept, and with one coffee break we got there just in time to have the rain stop (for the most part). Though it was misting wetness it wasn't a cold day and our little group didn't mind so much so we started out walking in some direction. The first place we stopped was Castle Keep, it is an amazing castle that is from between 1168-78. Paying the small fee we went in to explore and explore we did. The hundreds of unforgiving stairs that led to the roof of the castle that we all moaned and groaned about were well worth it.

The view was amazing, and the little old man at the top taking pictures was even better. He took ours and than told us about the bridges (you can't see them from this picture) and how 47 years ago he proposed to his wife on this very spot. Oh it was so cute Maria and I decided to adopt him, in our heads of course but we loved him all the same. We than went to a series of art museums and walked around the amazing city. On our way to the Theater we turned a corner and there was an ally way covered in spay paint, no where else in the city had we seen tags, or street art but here it was everywhere. This section of city was sectioned off for this very purpose, and as we walked down the street we saw at least 10 or so artists at work.

After we were done looking at art and buildings the guys in the group were starving (I think they are always starving) so they led us to a cute little pizzeria restaurant were we all had our fill of lunch and rest, and don't you know it as we are sitting down to lunch the sun comes out! We quickly finished and almost ran into the rays of sunshine that had made it out from behind the clouds. All of our spirits lifted and smiles were on our faces. If only people in very sunny states new how much the sun means to us who live where most days it is gray and wet. So as the sun had decided to stay for a little bit we went on to explore more of the city. Past the Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas,

and through China street,

and it is here the the men in our group decided they wanted to take a tour of the stadium and drink at the pub and us ladies wanted to well in there words do what ladies do best, shop. Now at first we were teasing them back saying that isn't all us girls were good at but in the end shopping is what we did and what we did well.  With all three of us coming back with bags, and when we walked in to the pub to meet the guys at the meeting time oh how they teased. The bus home was long and uncomfortable but I needed the night chatting with the roomies and girls from down the street in our kitchen and starting to plan more trips for the rest of the semester. And that was that, the end of the wonderful trip to Newcastle.





Oh and for all you curious people if you do not understand the title of this post run down to the library and pick up a copy of Pride and Prejudice and read away.