Fun with Larry and Linda part 1

Bret's parents arrived in Newcastle last Wednesday, and we had them running up and down the Northeast. Here's what we did:

Wednesday:
After an exhausting 5 million hour flight, Linda and Larry (hereon after referred to as LL) arrived in the sunny, yes sunny, city of Newcastle. In order to ensure that they did not sneak any naps, Bret walked around with them all over Newcastle. I was at work, so I couldn't join in the fun. But I met up with the crew for dinner at the Slug and Lettuce where LL ordered traditional British fare: Linda fish pie and Larry steak pie. Bret and I, having already sampled Brit gastronomical goodness, opted for Duck and Lasagne.

Thursday:
Another day of work for me, while LL and Bret headed into the quaint city of Durham. From what I heard, the weather was in the 70s, and the sun was shining bright. Bret told me that in the Spring, Durham gets really 'cutified' with all the flowers and outdoor sitting areas. While they walked, Bret continued the education that he had started the previous day. Linda wrote down all the unusual words: toilet (not restroom), swede (not turnip), way out (not exit). They had a traditional pub lunch, walked around some more, and then came back on the train to Newcastle. I joined them for a delicious dinner at The Big Mussel where Bret had mussels for the starter, while we had the crab and 'cado, and Linda and I had Salmon, while Bret and Larry had chorizo stew.

Friday:
Finally, I get to enjoy the gorgeous days because I opted to take 'holidays' on Friday and Monday and party with LL. Though the weather was beautiful, we decided that going to the Metrocentre was a must-do. Bret and Larry went to the bookshops, so that Linda and I could hit the clothing stores. We started at the department store House of Fraser, where I got a bohemian hot pink blouse for just 10 quid! Then we hit the high street shops, but we found Zara's to be the best one at the moment. However, the gorgeous floral tops were a bit over my temp salary budget, and so I just got a cute shirt for 6 quid.
For lunch, we remet the gents for a tasty meal in the Debenhams food court. Most of us had the lamb shank (so good, fell right off the bone), and Linda had the Leak/ham/chicken pie (also very good). Exhausted from all the shopping, we headed back into city centre to check out the Grainger Market. Bret and I tried some winkles from the seafood section (they're little snails), which we thought were quite delish. We have discovered that they sell these funny little critters in all the outdoor markets, so next time, I'll definitely grab a batch. For dinner, I cooked a lentil soup with butternut squash and some creamy pasta with asparagus and ham. We finished off the evening with a challenging game of Carcassone.