Here to Stay.....maybe...

Hi everybody! It's about time I got started on my holiday photos don'tcha think? I'm going to stay put for awhile (maybe) so that means getting caught up on previous events like Annie's and my BIG HIKE and my journey to PEI. ( Annie's blog - Northernlivingallowance)

Thanks to the weather today (rainy) I cancelled my hike this morning and am taking the opportunity to get sorted out a bit. So here's a few photos from the day before the hike started. We stayed in Newcastle upon Tyne 2 nights so we could explore the city a little, neither of us having been there before.

*Annie is now a pro at taking selfies :)  (though let's work on eliminating the extra chins!!) We had nice weather and enjoyed a river cruise complete with tea, flapjacks and shortbread! There was also an outdoor market along the riverfront where Annie found a unique gift for her cousin. The fact that she managed to transport it across England in one piece is rather amazing!

While Annie completed her purchase I goofed around with my phone taking pix of the unique mirrors and mosaics - I found I could get some interesting affects!

It was like the hall of mirrors at the fair!

Newcastle has successfully (I think) recreated itself from being a major exporter of coal (think 19thc dank, dark and dirty!) to being a modern city full of public sculptures and weird and wonderful architecture like this duodenal-looking centre for the arts. Newcastle provides many products needed by off-shore oil platforms (so they haven't quite gotten out of the fossil fuel business!)

Just one of many amazing sculptures - everyday objects (past and present) dipped in pewter coloured paint?

The Millenium Bridge that has a walking/biking etc part that raises up as high as the other portion to let ships through.

Annie! - look over here!

Annie!

ANNIE!

Oh, there you are!

Fortune teller complete with gypsy wagon :)

 Cakes, everywhere cakes!! We got some sliced lemon cake and she threw in an extra piece! :) Bless you! We scavenged for every pack of cookies, yogurts, fruit and cake that we could put our hands on during our hike for much needed energy (read "sugar" :p ).

There are lots of excellent examples of older architecture...

...some really lovely bits...

...some looking sort of squeezed in.

Whaddya mean I'm sweeping the wrong hallway??

Awesome ethnic brass band playing some lively toe-tapping music at a second outdoor market in an older part of the city!

La piece de resistance! I haven't had a hamburger in 10 years!!

So I thought I'd get the one  covered in macaroni and cheese!! Storing up carbs for tomorrow's hike! Yeah, right - I'm sure I'm still carrying that around on my hips!  It was as scrumptious as it looks!

We had a nice room at the Premier Hotel and got a good sleep.  Good thing.  On Monday morning, Sept. 21st, REALITY quickly set in...