Tynemouth on the fast track!

Saturday, June 28th

So as I have posted on facebook, our converter for the computers was broken which is also when I realized that quick updates on Facebook are actually the way to go when I am wanting to keep family and friends updated on our trip. Pictures go straight from my phone and it’s all right there.

However, nobody wants to read paragraphs and details about each day on Facebook which is why I am blogging.

Our first day in Tynemouth started with a full English breakfast at the Grand Hotel dining room with Aaron and Lynne Johnson. Aaron is the pastor at North Shields Evangelical church which is where we attended (when we weren’t traveling all around Europe and the UK) while we lived in Tynemouth for a year back in 2003. We had a great time catching up and Lynne shared a bit more about the volunteer work she is doing in a new archeological dig just down the road from the hotel. Of course we wanted to check that out but we had a few other things to do first.

We went to the Tynemouth market that is open on Saturdays and Sundays at the Metro Station. This was a fun place for us to go as a family in 2003. The kids could find fun toys and trinkets for a small price. We were looking for fun and interesting things to bring back with us. Cam found a beautiful on brass microscope that truly was fabulous, but it was 175 pounds so it had to stay there. We spent quite a bit of time looking at old records. I found some tiles that we will use in our new backsplash for the kitchen…..which may have to wait another year considering that these trips always cost more that you think they will.

 It was great fun to walk on the Front Street in Tynemouth and notice how it’s changed. There were fancier cars and fancier people than we remembered. The new restaurants, pubs and coffee shops were all very nice and the Co-op (small grocery store) had only changed just a little. Cam also got to walk around his old school, Kings School, Tynemouth.

As I’m writing this I can hardly believe how much we have done but there is more! We got to go see the archeological dig that Lynne is a volunteer with! A real life dig of a medieval leprosy hospital that was found only 6 inches under the ground after all of this time. She told us so much that I can barely remember. We were allowed to take pictures of everything except “Lanky Larry” the very tall (over 6 feet) skeleton of a soldier. Hearing how they determine that someone is a soldier or had leprosy etc.. is fascinating! They have made this area open to the public and are doing demonstrations of pottery and wooden spoon making as well as spinning wool. We spent about an hour there and I could have stayed longer!

There are more pictures but they are taking a long time to download. More will come later!

Wool spinning demonstration. They also made some fantastic bread and wooden spoons!

Lynne, my favorite "archeologist"!

We met my friend, Lisa, in the Grand Hotel lounge where she showered us with gifts, many for Cam since he is turning 18 which is similar to turning 21 in America. She bought his a Budweiser beer in a bottleJ and a bottle opener keychain. It was pretty fun! She booked a table at Davanti’s restaurant at Tynemouth station and it was fantastic!!! Cam had a glass of red wine and seemed to like it. Too bad he won’t be able to drink any for 3 more years when he gets back. Lisa is a great friend and although we don’t talk much, we always have a great catch up when we can. Her kids were at Kings when mine were there and her daughter and Hailey were friends as well as her son and Cam. She was really the only one to really reach out and befriend me while I was there.

With Lisa at Davanits and Tynemouth Station

After dinner we had a coffee in the lounge back at the hotel and soon after I went to sleep. Sleep has been rough as I haven’t been sleeping well, but I know that in Rome and Florence we will be on an “anything goes” schedule which will be helpful.

I apologize for any typos and for the boring reading, but I know that my mom and a few others will enjoy reading the goings on with our trip. I am certain I will go back and edit and some point, but for now I publish!

Cheers!