Newcastle upon Tyne

After a long bus ride I made it to Newcastle. It was pouring rain there. I have a really good raincoat, but no umbrella with me, so I was expecting to get wet. I wasn't yet sure how waterproof my backpack is. Robin gave me directions from the bus station to where she worked. Unfortunately in the directions she forgot a turn so I ended up walking in the wrong direction in the heavy rain for about 5 minutes. It turns out my backpack is pretty waterproof.
Robin works at this American diner in Newcastle. I guess as an American she brings authenticity to the restaurant. One of the items on the menu was "Freedom Chips" which I found funny.
I went and wandered around town in the rain a bit while Robin was finishing her shift. I had been told that the women in Newcastle are famous for wearing the shortest skirts in all of England. I guess they don't come out in the rain. I went and walked down to the Quayside where there had been a tall ships race the day before, but today they were all gone. When the rain picked up again I popped into a pub to get a pint.
After Robin was done working we went back to her place. It was nice to be in a real house again after spending a week in more cramped quarters. I got to do laundry and sleep in a real bed too. What luxury.