<center>Stiletto Soul: A Cheeky Tour Around Durham</center>

Durham, UK

March 2, 2012

For all of those back home and those who want to know about Durham, stay tuned, for I will be giving a quick tour around the City. I will first start off from Ustinov, my place of residence, and make my way down to the City Center. Durham is a small, quaint town with less than 10 main roads. We will be making our way around a few of them during this tour. When we leave these Ustinov, we must first travel down South Road, pass the Botanic Gardens, and turn right on New Elvet.

South Road

New Elvet is the long road that goes toward the City Center. This walk is not a particular favorite for the lazier of the students who live in Ustinov and Josephine Butler because it takes close to 30 minutes to walk into town. Thank goodness for Howland's Park & Ride! They offer 1 pound fare for a full day's travel on the PR2 with your student ID. However, if you pick up the PR2 anywhere else in Durham, you must pay 1.70 regardless of having an ID. Sad days, I just found out that the fare for people without a student ID is increasing. What is this world coming to where you can't even use public transport without it costing an arm and a leg?

This is where the long journey into town begins.

Along New Elvet, you will pass two colleges before you get to the Science Site, which is also home to the Main Library. The two colleges along the way are Collingwood and Grey. For those that are future applicants, I suggest applying for Castle, or University College. You have to apply early because spots fill up quickly, but trust me, it will be worth it! Just watch Durham Cribs! For those who don't understand what I mean by 'colleges,' it is a system the UK uses to name what the US would call dormitories.

Collingwood College

Grey College

When you have reached the Science Site, you have made it halfway to the City Center. You will start to see signs for the Cathedral and more businesses alongside the road. The New Inn, a popular pub for watching rugby, will be just past the Science Site.

Science Site (I have lectures in the gray and blue building in the back)

A new bike rack by the Main Library

The crossing between the Science Site/Main Library and the New Inn

Once you have passed the New Inn you will not see another business for quite some time. You would have seen churches, cemeteries, accommodation, and primary schools before the next store.

St. Oswald Cemetery

After St. Oswald Cemetery, which by the way, you do not have to walk through, you keep walking down the street in front of the Durham Student Union (DSU). At this point, it is just a hop, skip, and a jump to the City Center.

Durham Student Union (Dunelm House)

When you pass the DSU, you will finally see life. Just down the hill is the City Center. To the right, on the picture just below, you will see a few shops. The Dunelm Food Store is quite useful if you need to pick up one or two groceries, and my most recent finding.... they have MOSCATO!

Before we take a stroll through the City Center, we will take a right down Elvet Crescent, the street just opposite the DSU, just before the Dunelm Food Store. Here, you will come across more accommodation, the Court Inn, Zen Thai Food, and St. Cuthbert's Catholic Parish.

Elvet Crescent accommodation

Weather Forcasting Stone outside of the Court Inn

We now come to Court Lane. It is called the Court Lane because the Durham Courthouse and Prison are just up the street. The Court Inn, probably named after the Courthouse as well, serves food and has a bar. This was the first restaurant that I ate at in Durham. I was with Cara and her father, Matt. We didn't understand how to order food in the UK and the waitstaff just looked at us without giving a clue as to what to do. But for everyone else, it is typical that you order your food at the bar, pay, and it will be brought to you. And don't plan on this being a quick meal, everywhere is really laid back. The Court Inn is also where I learned that the mustard in Europe is not the typical French's American Mustard. I call it wasabi mustard because that stuff is hot! It literally has the same effect as wasabi on sushi. In my humble opinion, it's gross.

Court Inn

Another place Cara, Matt and I ate was Zen Thai Food. This is just opposite the Court Inn on Court Lane. This place was delicious! They serve thai tapas. If you like spicy food, this is the place to go! You get an "American sized serving" and have a very helpful waitstaff.

Zen Thai Food

Just around the corner you will find St. Cuthbert's Catholic Parish. It is small, but serves the needs of the community. Catholicism isn't that big in the UK, and I had never more aware that I was Catholic than I did on Ash Wednesday. In New Mexico, just about everyone gets ashes and wears them around without really being bothered. Even if you are not Catholic, you have an idea of what's going on. Well, it became very obvious that there aren't many Catholics in Durham because not only was I stared at as I walked through town, but I was literally stopped by a few friends who asked me why I had black stuff on my forehead. Once I explained it was Ash Wednesday, they remembered that this was normal practice for Catholics and were chill after that. My two Chinese flatmates made me laugh because both of them, at different times, were afraid I had fallen or run into something and was hurt. It was hard to explain, but they were trying to relate. My flatmate from Jordan acted normal, but as she left the kitchen she said, "You have something on your face."

St. Cuthbert's Catholic Parish

Courtyard at St. Cuthbert's

When we have passed the Church, we will come to another street, Old Elvet. If you go right, you can reach the Visitor's Center and the Student Health Center. If you take a left, you will head straight into the City Center.

Old Elvet

Ok, so you are ill, it may be the flu but you are acting like it's the plague, and Mommy is not only in another country, but there is an ocean between you two, what do you do? You walk ten miles, up hill both ways to the University Health Center. The Health Center is in a cheeky location, so I will show you how to get there. If you go the opposite direction of the City Center on Old Elvet, you will come to a fork in the road, go left. The Health Center is just down the way, second building on your right. It may seem easy, but you wouldn't believe how many times I have been asked where this place is... and I know where it is because I have been there once or twenty times.

University Health Center

In England, you can't always get an appointment that day or that week, so you have to go in for their open surgery. I have a few tips for you if you plan on going to open surgery. Unless you just feel like saying hello to a medical professional, always say "No" when asked if you have any symptoms on the list. Because anybody can come to open surgery, they have a list at reception with common symptoms, if you say yes, you will only be seen by a nurse. Yes, the nurses are very kind, but they cannot change your health. Best to see a general practitioner. Regardless of who you see, be prepared to wait, for at least an hour. Take some homework or a book with you, you will likely be able to finish before you are called in. I have found that it is best to turn up a half-hour before open surgery begins, this way you only wait a half-hour.

Waiting room in the Health Center... you will know this place well

After you chill at the health center for a few hours, you are free to leave, and more often than not it will be to Boots to fill your prescription. One day, I was walking from the health center to the City Center and saw this electric car hooked up for charging. I was literally mind blown! Here I thought Durham was behind the times in many ways, but here is this car of the future just chillin there. I would also like you to note the size of this vehicle. This is actually a bigger sized car believe it or not. A lot of the cars here only have two doors. Check out the size of the trunk, and for my British folk, the boot. Seriously, what can you fit in there? A pint of milk?

An electric car hooked up to charge... thought it was cool.

We are now entering Durham City Center. We start out at the intersection of New Elvet and Old Elvet. There are multiple businesses that mark this spot such as Robinson's Housing, the Marriott, Patrick's Pizza, and Three Swans.

North view from Elvet Bridge

South view of Elvet Bridge

View along the River Wear

Bottom of the hill on Elvet Bridge

The infamous Klute... I have heard stories

Alongside the river is the Boathouse. I think it is one of the city's better bars. They have two big, bald bouncers that seem scary as you enter the bar, but they are rather hilarious if you just talk to them. Guess what? I worked there! Seriously... for all of two weekends! Yes, I was a bartender. I was doing a fantastic job, but because I didn't have a National Insurance number at the time, I couldn't legally work. It was difficult at times because I couldn't understand some customer's accents, but as long as I gave them alcohol, they were content. Now, if you know me, you know I don't drink often, but that's not to say I don't know my drinks. A good-looking-for-her-age woman asked for two jaeger bombs. So, I did exactly that. She kept saying to me that this wasn't correct, so I made various versions of the drink and she still wasn't having it. This woman had to call her friend over to explain the drink to me. I looked her straight in the eye and said, that's what this is. The woman had no clue what was in a jager bomb! I thought this was something people knew just like making PB&J! Guess not. There was a benefit to being American, I got tips for my accent!

The Boathouse

When I first got to Durham, I went for a run around the city with every intention of getting lost. This is my way of getting to know a place. Well, during that run, I found a Subway! I automatically felt at home. Turns out we also have a Starbucks and a Burger King!

We have a Subway!

Christoph, Akshay, and Andre at Burger King, having it their way!

Reverting back to my run, I did get lost! I was going up a street that looked the same as the one I came down on. I felt like something was wrong, so I went back to the place where I thought I went in the wrong direction. Right as I did so, a Howland's Park and Ride bus drove by, going up the next street over. Thank goodness! I just followed that bad boy back to Ustinov and I was good to go! I would like to say I was using my street smarts! Below is a picture from Elvet Bridge as you walk up to the City Center. Because of the cobblestone walkway, people try to have dibs on the flat, cement parts. Otherwise you are almost guaranteed to twist an ankle at least once.

The City Center is where you will find loads of life around Durham. This is where the local businesses, grocery stores, tea shops, and markets are located. You may also come across some weird things like the knight on a horse pictured below.

Spotted on my second day... Welcome to Durham!

Indoor Market

Inside the Indoor Market is a hair salon called Rebecca Jayne. I got my hair cut here by one of the stylists, Laura. She did a great job! The best part was, it was cheap! Well, cheaper than I am used to paying for a hair cut. It was 9 pounds for a dry cut. Then I gave her a 3 pound tip and she didn't know what to do! P.S. people usually don't tip in Europe.

When you live in Durham, you will shop at a few different stores, but let's be honest, the main one is TESCO. There is a big TESCO but it is another two miles or so away from the Center, so why go there? Plus, if you really needed something that wasn't available to you in the store, and don't want to walk to big TESCO, you have the option to order online. Yes people, I said order online. This country delivers groceries! Granted there is a small charge, but it makes it nice for those lazy, cold days that you don't want to be bothered with a 30 minute walk to TESCO plus the walk back.

TESCO! Woot! Woot!

All throughout Durham you will come across "Public Footpaths." I was thrown off by this at first because I am used to these "footpaths" being called "trails" in New Mexico. These footpaths are rather sneaky because some are hidden, some lead to a place you would never suspect, and others are through creepy alleys. This is one of the first footpaths I ventured through: