DAY 26 - SUNSHINE & WASHING DAY!

DURHAM TO DARLINGTON

Hooray! Another day of sunshine!  (I hope mum doesnt take it home with her at the end of the week?!)  We followed the same routine this morning with breakfast a la Bannatyne Health club cafe, and although i was very tempted by their amazing fresh fruit salad again, i  stuck with my good old Fruit and Fibre just because i should! (boring i know!) 

We sadly checked out of our lovely (fantastic value!) room and walked to the bus station covering 3 miles in the process as i got us a bit lost (well the GPS wasnt working on my iPhone and my internal GPS was on go slow!) Anyway, with 4 buses an hour to Darlington, there was always 'just another one about to arrive' so we caught the 9.27am Number 7 and took a lovely villages route to our destination. 

We managed to navigate our way to our next Bannatyne Hotel which is a wonderful hotel conversion of a beautiful building and quite different from our last night Banatyne experience although still a fantastic standard with very friendly and helpful staff.  Sadly the only downside is that the Health Club isnt right next door but it will add to our days mileage so a little blessing in disguise really!! We were also able to check straight in as our room was again all ready and we have a beautiful room overlooking the gardens...... Very nice.

Unfortunately i had a pile of washing that needed addressing today (well its better than blister talk again!) so we headed up the road, with our GPS and mileage being measured (!) along a pavement splattered in a BLOOD trail (?were we actually on the Murder Mystery tour of Darlington?!!!) to find Irene at The Launderette who helped me put my very small load of washing on in her massive big industrial washing machines which could have taken 4 times the amount!  A wash at the Launderette up here costs £3 in case you needed to know and only takes 1/2 hour at 40 degrees! (its an extra 80p if you dont bring your own washing powder but i have been carrying around my liquid gel washing capsule so it finally had its opportunity to be used!)

We asked for directions to the Tourist Information office and were directed in 2 different directions being told it was 6 of one and '3 by 2' the other way! (that must be a nothern saying but i like it!)  Anyway we nipped to the centre of town and looked over some maps but nothing really looked inspiring enough to commit ourselves to so we walked back to the Launderette and stopped for mum to initiate herself with her first Mocha Frappuccino Light and her own brainfreeze experience!  All caffeined up, we made it back to collect the clean washing in double quick time and then walled back to the room to hang it all up and drape it over everywhere to dry!

I decided to wander down road the mile or so to the Health Club while mum decided to have a mosey round the shops.  The gym was lovely and not too busy at 4pm so i worked out for an hour then swam and had a steam room before walking back to meet mum for dinner, via the railway station to check timetable for tomorrow (....and trainspot a few engines?!!??!).

We decided on Pizza Express as it was just round the corner and had our latest evening meal so far only finishing at 7.45pm! Another 'first' for mum trying a Leggaria pizza (this is a pizza with a salad in the middle for those of you who arent regulars at P.E!)  Very nice.....

And we were all back in time for 'Three in a Bed' (C4 TV programme - sorry nothing any more risque than that, i am away with my mum!!!!) and an evening watching my washing dry! (more anorak behaviour methinks??!!)  (P.S. I covered 11 miles today in one shape or another not counting my lengths swimming just in case anyone is still counting!?!!)