weegoddess and I (and her J) started the day off at the Continental Cafe again, then walked to the train station. From there we were off to Newcastle, from which we changed to the local commuter rail (the "Metro") to go to Tynemouth Abbey. Now, WG had told me that we were going to a ruined abbey ... but LO! what to my wondering eyes did appear at the Tynemouth station but a fleamarket! And not some little pile of tat or acres of cheap Chinese household goods but a wonderful mix of used books, craft stalls, baked goods, vintage and antiques, and of course the requisite piles of crap from China (but that was maybe 10% so not too much). I'm afraid she about entirely lost me to this place, but fortunately the incredibly sunny day we had kept pushing me on. Still, it was probably an hour before we left, and I did buy egg cups, some silverware I can take into work, a cross stitch book, AND a 40's era stacking cake plate which I got not just for 4 quid less than priced but with its friend the lonely non-stacking plate that matched thrown in to boot (because, you know, don't want to break up the family). Somehow this all fit into my bag...And we headed to the Tynemouth Priory/Abbey, which was really just down the street! It was on a headland on the edge of the sea, and really, just how cool is it ...
We were there for probably two hours, and I had a grand time poking around the huge site, which includes a large Victorian graveyard and a battery (gun emplacement) right on the edge of the cliff that had a remarkably well preserved artillery below it.
From there it was off for tea and such (because, you know, I'm on vacation in England, thus I must have 1) full English breakfast 2) tea and scones in the afternoon), then leisurely back to Durham, where some time after we got back (6:30 or so?) it came to light that there was a great exhaustion in the house and perhaps we would not go out to see Wolverine after all. Because, you know, we had chicken pie I'd bought at the market for dinner, and salad to go with, and some nice wine, and some sticky toffee pudding that's still waiting to make our acquaintance. And, er, at least two of us were bone tired. So no movie tonight. Instead I chatted with Mariko, J, and W on the phone (phone! how novel!), had dinner, and expect that soon I will get friendly with the yummy dessert. Ooh, and then write my Peer Gynt review. Better get on it!
