So So Cal

Monday, April 13, 2015

The First Couple Of Days

I arrived in Durham on Saturday afternoon; I checked into the hotel and unpacked all of my stuff.

Then I decided to take a walk around the city for a bite to eat and perhaps a beverage.
What I did not know, was that Saturday parties start early.
I went to one of the pubs nearby, a one where I happen to like the grub. 
It was about 4:30 when I got there an it was obvious that some people had been there since it opened at 11:00 AM.
There was no way I was going to get a table and something to eat, the place was standing room only and that was elbow to elbow.
So off I went to another place nearby, plenty of room as it was more of a cafe than a pub.
They had Stella which ws pretty good, I ordered the French sandwich Croque Monsieur , it was more like that's a crock Monsieur, but at least the soup was good.
     
It never ceases to amaze me that I'm there with my pea coat, scarf and gloves. The locals are wearing tank tops, or backless, frontless, topless, bottomless dresses.
And most them seriously in the bag by 5:00 PM.



On one side of the street, the party girls.

On the side the City Pikemen or whatever.


I was freezing my butt of so I headed back to the hotel.

The bar in the hotel was jammed with geriatrics very politely waiting in line for a drink.


I stood behind this guy who would have waited in line for the Guillotine.
Eventually, I had to just butt in otherwise the bar would have been closed before I ever got a beer.

On Sunday lunchtime I met up with my cousin Elizabeth and the family for lunch at a pub called the Rosedene in Sunderland, man it's a long time since I was in that pub.

On Sunday evening I met up with Richard the UK biker from the Durham area and we went to a pub (do you see a theme here) I had not been in before, the Angel, it was kind of a funky place. Some strangely dressed kids, but also some who were way more formally dressed than I was.
Go figure.




Still being pretty jetlagged and off the pace, I was awake some of the night and looked out of the window.



Reminded me of that old song, 
"She stood on the bridge at midnight throwing snowballs at the moon..."

I'm off to Birmingham tomorrow to the National Motorcycle Museum.

More after that visit.

No comments: