Passing through...

...Durham, on the train. For non locals, the street with the people/cars in the foreground and the castle and cathedral behind are separated from each other by the steep river Wear valley - a gorge, almost, with those big trees up its sides. It's a very striking setting; the topography is a bit reminiscent of Bern with the river looping round the central part of the old city.

The journey was fine as far as Grantham, when I got onto the platform to not quite hear an announcement about no trains to Nottingham until further notice - I picked up the dreaded words "replacement bus service", though. So that took a while. Turns out that there had been a landslip. I arrived just about in time to find my room and then meet up with colleagues. We went out for a nice pub meal along with delicious hoppy beer - rumour has it that the hall food is pretty poor, so we savoured it as perhaps the last decent thing we would eat for a week!

I seem to have internet access, though - so I can look at this every morning to start the day off well. How can you not smile back at him? :-)