This week we had the pleasure of hosting Ron's parents, as we showed them our new home for the first time. We had a week packed full of cool things to see and do together, starting as soon as they they arrived! We spent the Easter weekend touring around Newcastle and Tynemouth, and we also took them to some of our favorite local restaurants including The Broad Chare and The Forth (for Sunday Roast)!

Next we were off to Edinburgh to see the Edinburgh castle and Holyrood Palace, where Her Majesty the Queen lives during her trips to Scotland.

We were then off to the ancient Hadrian's Wall, which spans England west to east. The wall was built by the Romans starting in AD 122 to mark the northern frontier of the empire and keep out invaders from Scotland - so of course as a history buff, Ron loved it! We took a 6-mile hike west from the ruins of Housesteads Fort all the way to Milecastle, stopping to see the stunning views and castle fort remains along the way. 

Finally, we spent our last day exploring the beautiful, historic city of York. We visited the York Castle, the Castle Museum, the Shambles neighborhood, and the York Minster cathedral. For afternoon tea, we treated ourselves to a very posh meal at the famous Betty's Tearoom. Ron wasn't much of a fan of this, but I certainly felt like royalty!

When I heard that some of my girlfriends had planned a short weekend trip to Spain, with flights for only £10 each way, I was immediately onboard! It was a weekend that Ron had to be working anyway, so it was just the girls this time. Everyone else flew down on Friday, so I went separately on Saturday to meet up. I hadn't realized until I was at the airport alone just what a massive step in independence this was for me - I was flying alone to a foreign, non-English speaking country. Luckily I have a minor in Spanish, so I wasn't too nervous about finding my way if I got lost. After a very bumpy flight, I landed at the Palma de Mallorca aeropuerto (where there was strangely no customs checkpoint), and headed outside to hop on a city bus. It was probably about 60 degrees, which wasn't too warm, but was still a great improvement on the chilly temperatures of Newcastle. The bus went straight through the Palma city center, so I was able to see all the gorgeous architecture and the impressive marina.
​(All of these images can be enlarged by click)

When I found my group, the afternoon sun had risen to a gorgeous 70 degrees, and they were lounging at a beachside bar in Puerto Portals, with a seat and a frozen margarita waiting for me. I'd officially arrived in paradise! ​

After a few drinks we headed back to our rented apartment (which I had yet to see!) to get ready for a night on the town. 

The highlight of the night for me was having a random stranger pull me over and start salsa dancing in the bar - what an absolute blast! (I found out later that stranger was a Olympic bronze medalist in Rio!) We all had such a great night, and completely lost track of the time; by the time we got back to the apartment it was nearly 4 in the morning! Just enough time to rest up and get ready for another day out on the town. After a relaxed outdoor breakfast, we walked through town and rode a tour bus to see all the major sites.
(I also feel it necessary here to give credit to my sister, Michelle, for the lovely green blouse she gave me as a birthday gift!)

Sunday evening, we enjoyed one more dinner in town, then sadly had to pack all our things up for an early-morning departure. I brought home a festive refrigerator magnet to remember the fabulous weekend away... or perhaps to brag about my adventure to Ron :)