Saturday 17 August

Today is a travel day as we head up to Carlisle, ready to start our 5 day walk along Hadrian's Wall. We book a taxi to the station at Moreton-in-Marsh as breakfast only starts at 8.30am which does not leave enough time to catch the bus at 9.05am. The taxi arrives on time and we walk right up the platform to be sure we are ready to board Coach A on the Cross Country train to Worcester Foregate Street. Then on to the West Midland train for the 35 minutes to Birmingham New Street, a very big and busy station. The "Yellow Lounge" toilets are out of order so trying to get though the barriers and find another is a major hassle. The Virgin train looks very sleek, but is showing its age and the carriage is stifling, much too hot and no widows that open. It takes 3 hours to get to Carlisle but the landscape north of Lancaster looks beautiful.

Carlisle reminds Tony of Chester with all the red sandstone used in the construction of the older buildings. Howard Lodge B&B is only about 1km east of the station but we opt for a quick taxi ride due to the big suitcases. Travelling for nearly 2 months with varied climates and different activities means that we couldn't really pack light. Our hosts, Charlotte and Tony are real Scousers but very friendly and helpful.

It's Saturday night so we walk back to the town centre to see what the locals do on a night out. We visit the Griffin Hotel for a pint of Ruddles for Tony, then the Crescent Bar nearby, a happening place, and finally enjoy some Italian cuisine at Casa Romana. We see many interesting sights, some good, some not so much, walking around town in the long evening light this far north.