Saturday 31 March 2012

Length and breadth

A fine start was made to my trip with a full English breakfast (including black pudding) at a cafe near my sister's house.  My parents popped down for the morning, and the sun kept shining!  Apparently it's not going to last, but then it never does.  I waved them goodbye soon after and pointed my Fiat Panda northwards.

The road was seven hours long, but the petrol crisis seems to have calmed down after a poor lady accidentally set herself on fire in her kitchen.  Still quite jet-lagged I sat in several long queues, but in one I was next to a bus that had wi-fi so could amuse myself as the traffic clogged.  I listened to an Adele CD that Emily lent me, and then there was an appropriate reading of The Waste Land on Radio 4.

I'm practically in the Arctic Circle now!  I caught up with the Weekses for a Pizza Express dinner (accompanied by American candy), and then with Mat and Alana and Alana's new dog Meg.


Family breakfast!


This is how every day should start.


I catch up on the latest news from Britain's most reliable paper.


Up in Durham.


This used to be my baby.  Now look!


The modern world arrives in the North East of England!


But the old world is still here too.


Another attempt at capturing a family photo of David, Harry and Charity.  The eldest is embarrassed by the rest, if you couldn't tell.


Even more reason to eat baked beans!


A gas station offer that caught my eye, although I'm not sure what California smells of.


Alana and Meg.


Mat obviously enjoys Alana's heavenly minestrone soup.