Trip to Europe's Biggest Mall

It just so happens that we live very close to the (or one of the--depending on who you ask) largest malls in Europe. We took the train up to Newcastle this morning which the kids loved. It is a 10 minute ride to the first train stop in downtown Newcastle and then a very short--maybe 5 minute train ride to MetroCentre Mall. I was trying to find a picture of a map so you could see how enormous it actually is. The mall is color coded so you know where you are and there are map kiosks frequently so you can remember where you are or help you decide where you need to go. We were there for a little over 3 hours and we still didn't see everything. We didn't have a main shopping reason to go--we just thought it would be a fun Saturday excursion.

One thing we DID look at were strollers. Our stroller (or pushchair as they are called here) is now on its last leg--or wheel. I wish I could show you a video of the stroller wheels rolling. They are very wonky and look like they are about to fall off. The cobblestones and frequent curb checks haven't been very kind to the wheels. The stroller already had a lot of miles on it so we are now looking for a new one. We have discovered that strollers are EXPENSIVE here. It is very difficult to find a (new) stroller for less than 100 Pounds--which is $160 american dollars! We are shopping for a used one but are in of one pretty quickly since one of the wheels is about to fall off!

Here are some pictures of our journey:

Walking home from the train station

Fall colors on the streets of Durham

Downtown Newcastle (looks a little like Pittsburgh, eh?)

Pictures from the train

Another picture of Newcastle from the train.

Ewan on the train

Jon and our friend Jono, with his son Liam

Graham turning around giving me a "cheesy" smile on the train