Blogs from Durham County, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Hi Guys I would be really gratful if anyone could give me any ideas of what to do in Niagra? We are going to the falls but what else is there to do? We are a family of 2 Adults and 2 kids ages 13 and 11!!! I have heard the Canadian side is really nice but the US side is a bit of a dump? We will be at the US side!... read more

Now I’ve been home a week I thought it apt to take a moment to reflect on the last incredible 7 months, as well as fill you in on my last couple of weeks in Peru. I snuck home early, as an unexpected Christmas present for my parents, and have enjoyed a week of gluttony – scoffing all the food I’ve been missing for the last 7 months. During my last two weeks in Peru I managed a series of disasters that I’d miraculously avoided in the seven months prior; namely spraining my ankle and having my purse stolen. I was lucky to have only cash in my purse, although spraining my ankle was a little more disappointing as I managed to do it only 5 minutes into a 2 day hike into the world’s deepest ... read more

When creating a blog entry, the first thing I have to do is select a location from a list via: Continent >> Country >> County >> City/Town. It just took me an unusually long time to figure out which county Durham is in. Look up if you don't yet understand why that's funny. Sigh. But that's not the UK/US Mix-Up of the Week. This is: 1. "Toilet" is the popular UK term for "bathroom" or "restroom". Easy to figure out, no problems there. 2. There are signs in most of the bathrooms saying the water from the tap is drinkable. Makes sense. Good system. Except sometimes we have an exchange like this: Me: Are there any water fountains anywhere? Coursemate: I don't think so, but you can get some water from the toilet. Me: ... *few ... read more

The sun was out after yesterday's dreary rain. Alnwick Castle would have been a good choice that day; unfortunately, by the time we set off, it was nearly 11 in the morning. As I was driving, I calculated that an hour an half drive and a stop for lunch would give us hardly enough time to see the castle. So I changed course mid-trip and reset the GPS for the city of Durham instead. Durham was a bit of a shorter drive so we arrived at noon. We parked at the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre's multi-storey garage, which was a 5-minute walk to the centre of town. The town centre was lined with shops of every kind, including a shop with tanks of little fish that would eat away the dead skin off your feet. Frankly, ... read more

Ok so now i'm jobless, carless and hopefully soon to be homeless! Done all the rounds of goodbyes, had the leaving do's, the house is packed in boxes, the rucksack weighs in at 12kg for the two of us, so just the last minute stuff to do and we will be off!... read more

74 Miles Today has probably been the hardest day of all!!!! Battling with high winds against me with lots of ups and downs. I crossed Hadrian's Wall at a spot I recognised from when I walked it with Mary in 2009 . Equally spectacular views to Scotland but very different. The struggle in my journey was only tempered by the dramatic open moorland scenery. The heights were very wuthering! I had my first fall off the bike-whilst being preoccupied by being buzzed by a curlew and the distraction caused me to go into a rough at the side of the road and with a gust of wind I was blown over! No harm done and I eventually came to a very nice hostel at Langdon Beck. I am really looking forward to a day off on ... read more

Went to Durham Castle and Cathedral, plus beautiful walk along river.... read more