Hadrian's - west to east - out on the toon

We walked Hadrian's Wall west to east rather than, as many do, east to west.

There were a number of reasons:

Logical - the place now named Wallsend lies at the far east of the wall, near the mouth of the Tyne.

Practical - great transport links would get us home easily from Newcastle.

Emotional - the Tyneside conurbation was where Nigel was born, where we began our family, and where Nigel's mother still resides. Walking there felt like going home.

But on the Saturday evening, we also remembered that it was a great place to go out on the toon.  Pascoe had joined Nigel and me for the very end of our journey and from our hotel near the Baltic, we crossed the Tyne via the Millennium Bridge. We had a drink in a pop-up bar, then returned south of the river for an excellent Indian meal at Raval's.  After that, we strolled up to the bar of the Sage concert hall for a digestif mint tea.

Even in the morning, it was all still going on as runners for The Great North Run 10k assembled outside our hotel. 

What better place than Newcastle and Gateshead to celebrate the fact that in our sixtieth year we had walked Hadrian's wall? 

Kittiwakes nesting on the Tyne Bridge