Newcastle-on-Tyne

Six word Saturday

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In the blink of an eye!

I haven’t been very mobile this week- a combination of injured foot and the dreariest of weather.  So there was real joy in my stride as I set off, on a glorious sunny morning, to meet an old friend in Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Normally we bundle into the nearest coffee shop and just talk, but it was much too lovely to be indoors.  I suggested we walk down to The Quay and the vibrant riverside.  We arrived just as the siren was sounding at The Eye, otherwise known as the Gateshead Millenium Bridge.  At midday the bridge tilts open, or blinks.  What a wonderful sight!

Crossing the Tyne Bridge, The Eye and The Sage Theatre are clearly visible
There are a variety of bridges crossing the Tyne.
An artificial beach in the Summer time
And all kinds of street theatre
But the star of the show is The Eye
As the siren sounds people hurry to get off the bridge
And then the tilting begins
At first you can hardly tell
But then the space below increases
And increases
Until it’s fully open- an impressive sight.

Click on a photo to see the bridge in action.

We sat outside The Pitcher and Piano with a perfect view, but some of the time we barely noticed it.  The important thing was our friendship and just being there together.

You all know that I love a good walk, but I’ve never mastered the art of bicycling.  Someone who has is The Cycling Scot.  Colin is a gifted travel writer with a great fondness for cake.  He’s written some great stuff over the years but his blog is fairly new.  I’m sure he’d appreciate a few visitors, so please do say hello.  He recently received the Very Inspiring Blogger Award, which he has kindly passed on.

As usual, I’ve far exceeded my six words.  Perhaps I really should abandon this challenge.  Next Saturday I won’t be here as I’ll  be visiting my lovely daughter in Nottingham.  Thanks Cate, for all your tolerance, and for being my hostess at Show My Face.

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Sunday Post : City

When I was 18, all I wanted was the city.  And what a city it was!  London- fun, fashion and the centre of my universe.  Jakesprinter has reminded me of that, with his theme for the Sunday Post this week, City.

Covent Garden, where the entertainment’s always good

The Fan Museum in Greenwich, such an unexpected treat

The skyline with it’s newest addition, The Shard, climbing upwards

As I grew older, it didn’t seem the place to raise a family.  I returned to my northern roots.  But the city was never too far away, whether I needed culture, or just a place to crane my neck to look up at the sky.

Note Newcastle’s moody northern sky

Still, you couldn’t want a finer cityscape than Gateshead’s Millenium Bridge

A city with more serenity- Durham, clad in its Autumn colours

But not lacking for a spectacular, and cultural event- Lumiere 2011

Life can be quixotic, and for me this came in the form of my Polish family, rising from the embers of the past.  The cities it brought me to explore were survivors, and especially beautiful for that.

Coach and horses in Krakow’s mighty Rynek

All of Krakow’s history is on display on Wawel Hill

Talking of survivors, where better than Warsaw’s Stare Miasto?

Or the Rynek (market square) in Wroclaw

Wroclaw has cultural humour too, with its army of gnomes

I don’t truly consider myself a city person any more, but just sometimes I lose my heart to a city.  (You knew there was a song in there, bursting to get out, didn’t you?  Yes, I always did want to see San Francisco, but I haven’t made it there yet)

I expect you know the city I’m talking about.  I’ve talked about nothing else since I got home.

It’s a city full of colour

Beauty

History

Life

Trams

Boats

Character

Amazing churches

And azulejos, of course

So yes, I have lost my heart to a city by a bay, but it’s not San Francisco.  It’s Portugal’s fine northern city, Porto.  As usual, I have Jake to thank for allowing me to share these memories, old and new.  What does a city mean to you?  Jakesprinter’s bound to have lots of great examples.  Follow the links or click on the flying dragon logo to share.