Day 5 Edinburgh to Durham

Today we traveled from Edinburgh to Durham. After breakfast we spent the morning shopping along Princes Street in Edinburgh. The boys were very excited to find a soccer shop in one of the malls and the credit cards were flying. I estimate there were at least thirty team jerseys (or "strips" as they are called here) purchased. I think Blake set the record with more than five. Before you rush out to put a hold on your credit cards, rest assured that the prices were low and the damage should be minimal. I was encouraged to see the boys buying gifts for parents and siblings as well.

After a pit stop at Burger King we hit the road to Durham. It's about a 140 mile drive from Edinburgh, across the English border, through Newcastle and on to Durham. The weather rained in the morning and miraculously cleared as we crossed the border into England - just as Mark predicted it would. Remarkably, it only rains when we travel - did we pay extra for the good weather? The team picture at the right was taken at the border crossing with the boys modeling their new strips.

Upon arriving in Durham we were dropped off at the bottom of the hill for the climb (with bags) up the hill to Durham Castle and the Norman Cathedral. From the brochure:

"The palatine city of Durham is dominated by its vast Norman Cathedral and the adjacent guardian kingdom of Northumbria in northern England. Standing side by side on their prominent hill-top site, encircled by the delightful wooded slopes of the incised meander of the River Wear, and overlooking the medieval city of Durham with its fascinating narrow streets, the Cathedral and Castle form one of the most exciting and impressive sites of beauty in Europe with numerous breath-taking and spectacular vistas, comparable with those of Avignon and Prague."

Put more simply by one of the boys, "This place looks like Diagon Alley."

We are staying in the dorm rooms of Durham University. The accommodations are what you would expect for a castle - odd shaped, drafty rooms with bars on the windows and peeling paint on the walls. The bathrooms are communal. Some of the boys are staying in the Keep which must be a climb of over 100 steps. For you concerned moms, we are hoping to use the laundry facilities during our stay.

After checking in to our rooms we had a late lunch/pre-game meal in the Great Hall. We did learn that we are sharing the castle with a girl's field hockey team ages 13 to 17. Yikes!