Newcastle

We have decided to come up to the start of Sam's walk by train up to Newcastle. First class tickets purchased at a £1 premium over standard a couple of months ago to travel in style. We mistakenly try to use the first class lounge at Kings Cross only to find our cheap first class tickets are not full first class tickets and can only be used on the train! We get on the train expecting there to be no seats with the numbers we reserved and an explanation that cheap tickets don't come with seats. Rob tries the internet to find it is as slow as when internet began. You search for a page and watch a timer for a couple of minutes until the page comes up. We gave up. Rob also tried to do his Citywire call where he waxes lyrical about the economy. After three tunnels in succession he rescheduled to the afternoon.
After a boring flat countryside all the way and a journey lasting three and a half hours we arrived in Newcastle to dark dark clouds. Rob is dismayed as I suggest using public transport to get to the hotel. He thinks I am joking. But it turns out to be easy and we take the Metro. Feels like a foreign country as we try to understand what people are saying. We get to the Hadrian Wall Hotel debating how much we have saved by using the metro. I reckoned a cab would be about £30 as the metro ride took 20 minutes. Rob plumped for £5 as we are so far north. The Hotel looks bleak on the outside and against the grey sky and I am sure Karen is happy she is not here. Inside it is clean and functional and we are immediately made to feel welcome by Anne with a lovely smile and offers of help. She tells us a taxi in to town costs between £7-10 to go in and probably £15 to come out. That is cheap and more than half of London prices. We have it explained to us that to take a cab in Newcastle you will normally be asked to pay a deposit up front.
This afternoon we decide to play online bridge to pass the time and distract the senses. Other hotel guests are amused as we discuss hands across the lounge and debate bids we should have tried. We were going to go in to Newcastle tonight but as we finished our bridge we looked out on torrential rain and heavy clouds. The thought of wet gear soaked before we start does not appeal. So Lee the cheerful chef cooks me a curry and chips and lamb shank for Rob and Ann serves up extra cold guinness to wash it down. The rest of the evening is filled with more bridge hands with Coronation Street on in the background and whiling away the hours on the internet. Looks like walking in the rain for the next three days.