Well, we were past the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and travel options were still a bit limited but at least for now we can travel to most places in the UK.  So, Newcastle and Durham it was for a long weekend.  We got down to Newcastle on the Saturday afternoon, checked into our hotel and went for a wander down by the river.  It was a really nice walk down by the river and it was good to get a view of the iconic bridges that Newcastle is famous for. 

Afterwards we went out to enjoy a few drinks at Dat Bar and then to Fat Hippo for dinner where we got some amazing burgers.  It was pretty busy out and about the town and we seen first-hand the night life which Newcastle had a reputation for, it definitely had a party buzz.  The next day we went to Newcastle Castle which was pretty cool.  It was a bit strange with the one-way systems but good that places were open to visit again.  It was interesting to read about the unsurprisingly large number of skirmishes England had with Scotland at this castle over the centuries:P The top of the castle had some pretty nice views of the city.

After the castle we went down to the river where there is a market every other Sunday.  This was cool as it stretched a long way along the river with lots of different food options and a bunch of other stalls selling random nice things.  It was also really warm so we were happy to enjoy what would probably be one of the last shorts wearing days of the year. 

After getting some food we went to Pitcher and Piano for a drink which had nice views of the river and Gateshead Millenium Bridge.  For the rest of the day we had a nice time wandering leisurely through the town dropping into coffee shops and bars.

The next day we decided to take a day trip to Durham which we discovered was a really beautiful historic little town.  We spent the day again enjoying the sun, wandering around the town and visiting bars and restaurants.  We also visited the cathedral which was really big and impressive.  Also impressive, was the Lego model of the cathedral they had inside which was incredibly detailed. 

On our last day in Newcastle we went to Super Natural Cafe for breakfast (because breakfast at our Sleeperz Hotel was pretty terrible) and we both had amazing vegan cooked breakfasts.  The cafe itself was also really nice. 

We both had a nice time on our long weekend to Newcastle and Durham which were very different places.  Newcastle had an industrial and party vibe, whereas Durham had a much more quiet historic feel and it was nice to visit both and experience the contrast.