Newcastle Upon Tyne - August 8

Coming in to port.

Newcastle Upon Tyne began as a Roman settlement and was named after the castle built in 1080 on the River Tyne by William the Conqueror's eldest son.  All that remains of it are the Keep and Black Gate located in the center of Newcastle.

Newcastle upon Tyne - or silly "Newcastle" as it is most commonly referred to - is one of the most iconic cities in Britain, famous for its industrial heritage, eponymous brown ale, popular nightlife and distinct regional "Geordie" dialect.

Located in the North East of England on the banks of the River Tyne, the city has undergone several transformations since it began life as a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall in 122 AD.  The settlement was known as Pons Aelius, or Aelian Bridge in Latin, "Aelian" being the family name of Emporeror Hadrian. In the wake of the Roman's departure fro Britain in 410 AD, Pons Aelius was renamed Monkchester and subsumed into the influential Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria.

Durig the industrial revolution of 1750 - 1850, heavy industry thrived in Newcastle and its location made it an ideal base for building the ships and steam trains which powered the era.  A number of advancements such as the invention of the steam turbine and the Davy lamp can also be credited to the town.  This industrial expansion lead to a huge influx of people, with the population rising from 87,784 in 1851 to 266,671 in 1911 and the honor of city status in 1882.  Affluent suburbs appears on the outskirts of the city center, made possible by the advancements in railways and tramways. 




Alnwick Castle - photo courtesy of Goldring Travel

Mostly the gardens of Alnwick Castle are quite beautiful.  With all the rain in this part of the world most plants are lush and green.  The one disappointment though, was the Rose Garden, of which the guide had referred to as really enviable - NOT!  Rose bushes were leggy, leaves were rusty and plants were in need of nutrients.   Son Steve's rose bushes at home would take a prize in comparison to these.  The photos below are only of the best roses that I could find.

       

      

My favorite was the Poison Garden where almost every plant in the gated and fenced enclosure could maim or kill.   Some blooms when sniffed could begin such a violent bloody nose that the nose would have to be hospitalized and cauterized in order to stop the flow.   Others could, with one sniff, cause the sniffer to pass out.   Believe another could send one into a coma, and there was one that could cause death.   . . . and of course, some are used in the development of good medicines, such as foxglove in the making of digitalis (which when incorrectly administered, can also cause death).  None of us sniffed or touched!!!!

      

      
Bloody Nose plant.                                          Smoke from burned laurel can cause illness!

You'll note that in the last photo, our guide has a green first aid kit strapped to his middle.  Wonder how often it is used?!?!?!

Then on to Alnwick Castle to tour the state rooms where no photographs were allowed.  As usual when touring these very old structures with their elaborate furnishings and accessories, my first thought is one of pity for the person who must dust it all!!

Alnwick Castle is a treasure trove of history.  It was built after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, and was renovated several times over the centuries.  

The castle has been regularly featured in film and television productions over the years including the movies "Elizabeth" and "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."  More recently the Castle has been used as the location for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.


Behind the foreboding walls, Alnwick is home to lavish state rooms and an enviable collection of fine art, including paintings by Van Deck, Canaletto, and Titian.  (I spotted a beautiful Turner!). The Northumberland Fusiliers also house their regimental collection there.

The "green" of Scotland is breathtaking - the one perfect outcome of the abundance of rain!

      

  

After touring the castle, we walked to the Tree House Restaurant on the castle property for a beautiful lunch for our small group.  On our way to the Tree House we had an opportunity to be a witch in training but thankfully, our time was limited.  No broomsticks for me this day!!  We also walked by beautiful, majestic birds that were stars in the falconry show.

      

The Tree House is built in the trees, all of wood (of course!), a bit funky, lots of twinkling lights and an extremely noisy kitchen that  was located near where we sat.  Believe the waiters were throwing empty beer bottles into a recycle bin.   Every time one landed, we all jumped from the frightfully loud noise.   I threatened to go into the kitchen to do some proper throttling!!  Though our expectations were not great with regard to the food, we were very surprised by the presentation, quality and taste!

Barry, Irene, Gini and me at Tree House Restaurant

The appetizer (a huge portion) of smoked salmon with a mixture of cream cheese and mascarpone (whipped), a crusty, fresh-baked, dilled cucumber, and grainy bread. 

That, followed by pork belly with a plum sauce and roasted potatoes. . . really delicious!

Forgot to take a photo of the dessert, but I chose Panna Cotta to see if the Scots could make it properly - yummy!!!

As I am "catching up" the journal, find that I can't remember the rest of the day!   But, know that I had a really good time!!!