Blogs from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 2

For the last few years during the Summer, Mum and I would take a trip to London. This year I had planned something a little different: a trip to Newcastle. I’m a big fan of FRIENDS, the T.V show, and Friends Fest was being held in Newcastle during the time I was home. As neither of us had been to Newcastle and with FriendsFest on, I thought it would be a something different to our usual trip. Mum had no idea I was coming home let alone that I had planned a trip away. The day after I landed back home I took Mum out for an afternoon tea and gave her the tickets then. The flight was early morning, I drove us to the airport and an just over an hour later we were landing ... read more

Woolly says – The sky was dark and gloomy as our bus took us towards the centre of Newcastle, although I had done some research I had found little to go on, so unbeknown to the women it was going to be more of a stroll rather than a mission to find. I hummed happily to myself as we waited at another set of lights……. 'cause the fog on the Tyne is all mine, all mine, the fog on the Tyne is all mine, the fog on the Tyne is all mine, all mine, the fog on the Tyne is all mine’ The band Lindisfarne might be more famous for other tracks but this one was very catchy. I’m not sure that the other passengers were enjoying it quite as much as my small friend, but ... read more

Have been having Hotel Ennuie ...was in such a funk that I had difficulty being positive about the whole Newcastle experience. And that at a $325.09 - 189GBP price tag for four nights of sleep on s lousy mattress! The pic on line is extremely deceptive. The entrance to the place is smaller than my toilet at home. Going up the stairs over thick dark blue carpet loaded with spots and who knows how many years of street dust and dirt gives the place a weighted feeling. The darkness continues. The reception desk lies past the hotel lounge and bar... won't find me in there....dark dark dark. The receptionist is a lively young thing friendly, lovely and helpful. The luggage can be stored in the room behind the desk. THE CONDITION OF THIS PLACE, was to ... read more

I had ordered breakfast at the inn and I was very impressed to see that they had taken my message about being a vegan seriously and bought some soya milk. So I had a lovely full English vegan breakfast. The staff were very friendly and I had a quick chat with the lady about Sweden and travelling before I left in my taxi. So the Shoes in Durham is a good place to stay if you're ever in the area. The short train ride to Newcastle (about 20 mins) took me past Antony Gormley's sculpture The Angel of the North, which you can see clearly from the train when passing Gateshead. I was supposed to be taking it very easy due to still feeling ill but I just had to go down to the riverside to ... read more

Staying in a guesthouse in Jesmond, by Northumberland's cricket ground, on the north side of Newcastle. Friday night we ate nearby at a superb and reasonably priced Italian restaurant Mescalzone (courtesy of my friend Jane's previous internet research). Saturday we walked into town and spent the day wandering about on foot and on a bus tour. Some of the city is beautiful, with a lot of Georgian architecture, some elegant streets plunging down to the Tyne, with high road or rail bridges peeping through and parts of the Norman castle still preserved. The Quayside by the Tyne is an excellent place with great views of the four bridges, but rather quiet as people were driven away by the rain. Over the Millennium Bridge to the Baltic building, which has five floors of art exhibitions and good ... read more

Tomorrow at the first spit of sparrow fart (as we used to say) we go off. Flying via Heathrow to St Petersburg. Having learnt Russian at school, so long ago, I have always yearned to go, but somehow never made the leap. Now we're off. Really I'm just trying this new blogging site after lots of problems with previous . So here we go....... read more