On the Town in Hexham, UK

The great expectation of our travels is to know that we are in a place that 

is different from where we have came from. 

Sometimes it seems that  foreign destinations are being homogenized by mass merchandised fashion, the prevalence of personal technology, and  the encroachment of worldwide franchises such as McDonald's and Burger King. And since our last tour of the continent, KFC.

But it is still possible to find spots and see sights that are unique in all the world.

The courtyard of an abbey.

The quintessential English primrose, primula vulgaris, actually in an English garden.

Buildings commonly hundreds of years older than the oldest building in our town.

We don't have department store entrances like this.

Tchotchke by any other name is still  one man's trash or treasure, 

but it seems so much more alluring part way across the globe in a "charity shop". 

Bric a brac shelves are heavy in practically nonexistent categories at our thrift shops 

such as egg cups, toast racks, and tea serving paraphernalia. 

The Poundstretcher - a wildly more exotic version of 

the dollar store concept we are familiar with. 

The lentil soup is is not so unusual, but look closely at this lunch. When was the last time you saw a cold sausage with red onion chutney sandwich on the menu?

Lovely!