The British certainly seem to know how to do autumn up in style. It is raining and cool, and the air is clean, and it is not even officially Autumn yet. We seem to have forgotten how to do that in Canada.

We are done our walk along Hadrians wall path, and have spent the night in Newcastle on Tyne. We have train booked for Liverpool this morning. As the name suggests, Newcastle is on the Tyne river, and though it is hard to see from this picture, there are 5 bridges crossing the Tyne here. The one in the foreground is a foot bridge.

Newcastle apparently developed around a Roman settlement called Pons Aelius. It then took the name, Monkchester. It was finally named Newcastle on Tyne after a castle built by William the conquerors oldest son Robert Curthose. Newcastle was one of the world’s largest ship building centres during the Industrial Revolution.

Newcastle still maintains its medieval street layout, so it was nice to be walking vs driving. Who knows the medieval right of way?

The very tall statue here is for Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey and prime minister of UK from 1830-1834. His term was famed for the great reform act of 1832, an act that reorganized the voting system increasing number of those eligible to vote. (But not women)😔😮

Apparently, the lesser known fact is that the tea, Earl Grey tea was named after him.

Not to belabour the point, but this IS a very tall statue, so we figured it MUST be a pretty important person

Here is us just before we finished the hike. We did the last day backwards so that we could find accommodation. Instead of walking east from Newcastle to Wallsend to end hike , we took bus to Wallsend and walked back

On our way to Liverpool now

Janet Ken and Josh.