Darling Durham

Last Tuesday I hopped on a train at Waverley Station (named after Sir Walter Scott's novel 'Waverley,' fun fact) and two hours later stepped out onto a platform in the lovely Durham, England. My postgrad friend Nadia attended Durham Uni as an undergrad and has been teasing us ballroom ladies with tales of its beauty for weeks -- so a group of us finally joined her for a mini holiday and spent a day romping around her old stomping grounds.

Nadia, our gorgeous tour guide :)

After grabbing lunch in a bustling cafe tucked away from the cobbled streets, the four of us spent three solid hours walking -- and I believe we saw every single corner of the town in that time! Durham's central medieval Cathedral, Castle, and river provided a breathtaking backdrop for our explorations -- and, of course, the autumnal glory was in full force here, as well!

A shot of the Castle, currently used as a dormitory! Lucky freshers!

The beautiful, beautiful Cathedral

Because Nadia only graduated last year, she still has lots of connections around campus -- so we were able to sneak into the Cathedral's library (below), one of the three remaining 'great Medieval halls' in the UK. Of course, I was in bibliophile heaven.

We met some of Nadia's Uni pals for cake and tea in the afternoon, swapping stories (and banoffee) and growing in friendship all the while. And I couldn't think of a more beautiful place to make new friends, fresh connections, and shared memories.

Our group! Me, Nadia, Rachel, and Harmony :)

As the sun set, we snuck into the Castle, where Uni students were having their tea (known to us Americans as 'dinner'). With four long banquet tables, soaring ceilings, and medieval parapheranalia lining the walls, I felt like I had stepped into Hogwarts's Great Hall to receive my daily owl post ;)

As darkness settled upon the city, the four of us found a tiny pub in which we shared drinks, stories, and lots of laughs before heading back to the train station and making our way to Edinburgh.

Thank you for everything, Nadia. I loved sharing your old place with you, and I would gladly spend hours beside you on a train, talking about anything and everything. Let's do it again some day.

xo