Pink Panther country is lovely …..
OK, poor joke but great mini break. We’ve just returned from a weekend exploring the Durham area in the North East of England and we had a brilliant time. For most of the weekend it was so hot that we could have fried eggs on the pavement; but when it rained, boy did it rain! But even that has its benefits …..
As we drove into Durham on the Friday afternoon, the skies opened and it began to pour with rain. At least we were dressed properly - but it looked like we were walking around a town where the biggest wedding in the world was going on. So many ladies dressed in posh frocks, high heels and hats - and all trying to scramble under umbrellas. It was only as we headed up the hill towards Durham Cathedral that the penny dropped. (We planned to visit it anyway, but a dry venue became urgently appealing.) It was Graduation Day and the ceremony was being held in the Cathedral. And what a beautiful venue. We watched a very small part of the proceedings and it was an added bonus to see everyone flocking around the cathedral in their colourful graduation robes.
If you do visit the Cathedral, make sure you first watch the short audio visual presentation in a small cinema just off the cloisters. It tells the tale of St Cuthbert, how and why Durham Cathedral was founded and points out some of the key pieces in the cathedral. It then makes much more sense when you look around the cathedral itself.
When the sun decided to shine again, we explored the little cobbled streets of Durham. There are some lovely, individual shops, little tea rooms and an inside market that specialises in crafts. It’s definitely well worth a wander around if you’re in the area but, be warned - wear sensible shoes! It’s very hilly, cobbled and I saw more than one young lady nearly come a cropper in her stilettoes!
Tags: Cathedral, Durham, North East