Rolling on Rails through the English Countryside

Rolling through the English countryside in Northern England, it felt like we were traveling through France. Those same undulating fields of wheat, lined with the tire tracks of the tractors, with cows and sheep dotting the low hillsides. Our day began in Newcastle, where we checked out some of the shops. We popped in to browse the jewelry, women’s clothing, and stylish handbags in little boutiques along a road lined with mostly brick buildings.

An up-and-coming neighborhood in Newcastle is called Ouseburn, which is where the bar called The Cluny is located that we enjoyed last night.  It’s also got nice bookstores, shops and even a farm. It’s also on the Grey Lady’s radar; we heard that the NY Times is interested in publishing a story soon in their “Surfacing” column about the place.

Traveling using a BritRail pass provides a nice perk. You get to sit in first class, and so when the drink cart comes by, we loaded up on coffees, teas, water, and biscuits. Oh, they also sell beer wine, and cocktails.

I don’t think England is appreciated for her beauty…the open fields we passed by were so pretty and as tidy and nice as anything on the continent. Now we’ve made it to Manchester where we’ll stay for two nights in this Hilton. Love a two-night stay, I can relax, unpack and feel at home.