So I had a final breakfast with my friends at Garland's Guest House and said farewell to Bill and Ian, what a great place to stay! I highly recommend it if you're ever in Edinburgh. Then it was off to the train station.
The train ride was beautiful, so much to see along the way. I lucked out at my assigned table seat, only one other person showed up! So we each had our own side of the table and room to stretch out and read. Turns out he was an optometrist going for a weekend in London, and for the first time, I met a non American, who, a. actually knew where Vermont is, and even better, b. has been to Vermont! We had a lovely chat about Vermont and the U.K., places we've been and life in general. Then we each got back to our reading.
My book is really great, it's quite emotional, I had a few tears while reading it, which is awkward in public.... but, what are you gonna do, when the writer does a great job you can't help it. The man in the story has finished his part of the story and the daughter has taken over. I guess I feel a particular connection to her side of the story because she's sailing across the world by herself. She's on an adventure, a journey to find her aunt. I'm on my own adventure, not sailing of course, but it's definitely been fun and challenging in its own way. I'm not freezing cold getting battered by the sea, but like her, I'm seeing the world and learning a lot, about the places I visit and myself. I'm at that stage in the book where I don't really want to put it down.
But, I diverge, I'm reading, getting misty eyed on a train sitting next to the optometrist and a couple of others. I don't think he minded, and the couple across from us was too busy having their picnic, complete with ice for their gin and tonics, and sliced limes! They were prepared!
The train pulled in to Newcastle and I said farewell to the optometrist. Newcastle is a cool little place. I dropped my stuff off at my hotel with the front desk man who was very entertaining! Then I headed out for the afternoon to see some of the city. Beautiful churches, fabulous architecture, of course they have great shops, but what I found really cool was the castle wall that is around parts of the city. It was built in the 13th century, to protect the city from invasions during times of conflict. Now, this wall and the towers, sit blended in to the city. It's really cool, your walking around with brand new sky scrapers, older buildings that have been converted into shops and restaurants, and then boom! Ancient fortress wall!
I also saw the Newcastle United football stadium and China town. I'm discovering more and more on this trip places I want to come back and visit and things I want to do the next time I come. I feel like that's the weird part of vacation, you're always planning the next one, but in this case, I'm very excited! It definitely won't be as long, I don't think I'll have the money for that, but I definitely have a list of things I want to do and places I want to spend more time in. Anybody up for an adventure? Grandmim and Granddad, we are definitely going to work on a Cornwall visit!! 👍🏻😊💕
Tomorrow I'm off to London and London's Kings Cross Station! Platform 9️⃣3/4 here I come!!
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