As much as I sometimes have to resist the urge for every trip I take to be a foreign one, I do love getting to explore new corners of the UK. The landscape is so diverse depending on where you go, but one thing I particularly love is how distinct so many cities of our cities are too. Maybe that’s something quite lovely about exploring your own country; you notice the accents, the dialect, the idiosyncrasies, the smaller details than it is possible to notice in a country that isn’t your own where everything is new. Exploring your native country, you get to appreciate all of this alongside the landmarks and the adventures.
A few weeks ago, I took a trip up to Newcastle for a little weekend away. I treated myself to a whole Friday off work (since I’d been the Rum Shack launch the previous night!) and, in the afternoon, Pete and I made the two-hour journey north from Leeds to Newcastle. I’ll be sharing more about the amazing vegetarian food Newcastle has to offer and a day trip I took from Newcastle up to Northumberland soon, but here are some of my highlights and ways to explore Newcastle itself:
Walk the Quayside
One of the most recognisable parts of the city, the quayside runs along the banks of the River Tyne. To the north it is home to plenty of bars, cafés and restaurants and to the south, across the water in Gateshead, are the Baltic Centre and The Sage concert hall and music center. The Tyne is spanned by a web of bridges including the pedestrianised Millennium Bridge. Each summer from the end of May until late September, the Quayside Seaside pops up with sand, deck chairs, palm trees and a definite sense of summer.
The Quayside is perfect for a daytime or early evening walk to take in the atmosphere of the city and, though it gets a bit rowdier as the evening progresses, we did take a stroll along to catch the Millennium Bridge tilting. Moonlight seems to suit The Sage building well too, with its silver panels taking on a blue glow. If you pop down on a Sunday between 9am and 4pm, you’ll catch the Quayside Market with independent stalls selling various handicrafts and edible treats.
Baltic Centre
Over on the south bank of the Tyne is the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. Housed in an converted flour mill, the Baltic Centre features an ever-changing roster of contemporary art exhibits. In place of permanent fixtures you’ll find four gallery spaces, alongside two viewing platforms with great views over the river and city, cafés, and a surprisingly good gift shop – the kind that sells things cool stuff from independent designers you might actually want buy rather than tat that you wouldn’t.
The balcony viewing point on the fourth floor is especially interesting to pay a visit to the kittiwakes. If you can shut your nose off to the smell for a little while, a good chunk of the Quayside’s 700 pairs call this their home with their nests lining every inch available along the edges of the old mill.
Escape Newcastle
In case you haven’t heard of them before, in an escape game you are locked in a room with one hour to get out through finding clues, solving puzzles, and working out codes to unlock the next step.
Having been to an escape game in Budapest and a couple in Leeds, Pete and I were keen to check out Newcastle’s offering. Taking on the Da Vinci Room, it was a challenge with just two of us but we escaped and made it out with just a minute or two to spare.
Getting around: Newcastle Metro connects Newcastle Airport, the central train station, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Shields and more, making it super easy to get around. Otherwise, much of the city center is easily navigated on foot.
Where to sleep: I stayed at Travelodge Newcastle Central hotel which is in a perfect location near to the Quayside and a short walk from the city center. The reception area can feel a bit hectic (Newcastle is stag/hen central) but the room itself was clean, cosy and in a quiet part of the hotel. The bed and soft pillows were perfect after a lot of walking! I’d skip breakfast if you’re veggie though, as the offering for us isn’t the best.
Have you visited Newcastle? Where else would you add to the list to explore?
I was kindly hosted as a guest at the Travelodge but all thoughts and photos are my own.
