Much of our route today followed St. Cuthbert’s Way, a trail named after the 7th-century monk, bishop, and hermit who is revered as the patron saint of Northumberland. We’re standing in front of a cave where legend says his coffin was temporarily hidden from Danish raiders in the 9th century.
Category: Living
Start of an Inn-to-Inn Hike
Two friends have joined us for a multi-day Inn-to-Inn hike in Northumberland, England. Tomorrow we’ll start out from the Black Bull Inn, Wooler, where we have rooms for the night.
No Leaks Here
Walked under the River Tyne where pedestrians and cyclists get separate tunnels. As a kid in the 1950’s, this was exciting especially after a friend of my dad’s told me they’d found a leek in the tunnel. Back then, shipyards lined the Tyne, and 20,000 people a day crossed here.
The Reckoning
Back in the 1950s, the store on the right sold knitting supplies, and the owners lived upstairs. When I was in grade school, the little girl who lived there invited me to her birthday party. At the party she selected who would be invited the following year. I didn’t make the list and was OK with that.
Lunch
Lightly sea-salted crisps for Dwight, sweet chili and red pepper crisps for me, washed down with 20-fluid-ounce beers. Earlier we had full English breakfasts. The rose is real.
MSP-LHR
Bulkhead seats, 2-across, in steerage. Life’s good. MSP–LHR (London).
Talking about Hiking
Reading materials were spread out at Rouge Urban Salon where Emily cut our hair today. But we didn’t talk about hair fashion; instead we talked about travel and hiking. Emily will soon be walking part of the Camino de Santiago starting in Lyon, France, and we’re about to hit the trails in England.
Not OK at the Bike Corral
Came back from a walk with a friend to find my bike locked to a bunch of other bikes. Walked around, alarming small groups with my question: “Did you come here in a bike group?” Eventually, I struck lucky with a group having lunch at Sea Salt. The leader was suitably apologetic.
Sweating the Small Stuff
I’ve been agonizing over best practices for attaching a LEGO drive chain to a carriage. Today, I was inspired by online instructions for a forklift truck that uses a chain to lift. I attached the chain to one link of a tank tread, and inserted the ends of the link into the holes of Technic beams. Easy!
Scoping Out a New Gig
The ESL teacher I assist is moving to a new job at this facility. It’s a joy working with her, so I’ve applied for a volunteer position in her new classroom. Today, I scoped out the building on Lake Street and determined it’s easily reached by bike or direct bus. (MPS is Minneapolis Public Schools.)