On 2 February, on a (rare) day of no lectures, my friend and I took a trip to Newcastle! We got the train at 09:18, an early time of day for students to voluntary be up, and 1.5 hours later we were in Newcastle.
Lottie had been to Newcastle before and because she knew good spots from her last trip, we planned on going to a dog café, the Baltic Art Gallery and the Botanist. For the dog café, called Dog and Scone, it is actually quite important to have a reservation, which we didn’t, so we planned on getting there early—right when it opened—in order to have the best chance of securing a spot.
Since we arrived at the station before the dog café opened, we simply wandered about to fill time. The sun was shining beautifully, so we were able to get some nice photos. We stopped by Fenwick, a well-known department store that first opened in Newcastle in 1882. Inside, one can find a lovely food court with very delicious-looking food. My friend and I were on a student budget, though, so instead of buying anything we took photos 😉 That’s where the photo of the cakes is from (below)!
One thing we encountered while wandering was the namesake of the city: The Newcastle! It is a surprisingly small building to name a large city after (photo below). There were a group of preschool children and their tour guide in front of it who were so sweet. Lottie and I tried listening in until it became too obvious and we then decided to go.
By that point, Dog and Scone was open! It was a fantastic little spot, though it was in an unlikely location. It was so tucked away, that on our way there I thought that it couldn’t be right and that we were in the wrong place, until there it was! We were so lucky to get in, as we didn’t have a booking and there are rarely openings for walk-ins. However, to our credit we really did get there when it opened at exactly 11:00.
At the café, all the people there enjoyed the interaction with the dogs so much. For a Uni student missing her dog it was an absolute dream. I also thought that it was such a successful business, and it should be implemented in more places! It could provide dogs with entertainment, care and interaction during the day while their owners work. They would basically get a job like their owners! But, seriously, I do think that a business like this would be a great way for owners to have a piece of mind while they work, for dogs (who would otherwise be very lonely and bored) to get stimulation, and a great way of contributing to the local economy.
After a full hour at the café, which we mainly spent playing with the dogs, especially with a little Golden Dachshund puppy, we continued on towards the Baltic Art Gallery along the river. What struck me as I walked along the river was the scenery of the river: the many industrial-like bridges, the older buildings on one side of the river and then a very futuristic looking building on the other. Both my friend and I thought the scene was very much like a Pixar animation film, almost strangely so. It was certainly captivating, though, and so I took many photos.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Baltic once we arrived, not only for the exhibitions (although there were several that were not running when we visited), but especially for a library of all kinds of art books on one of the upper floors. I would have loved to spend hours in there, or even days, but we of course did not have that kind of time. However, to give an idea of the kind of books I found there, I saw books on artists of the modern Middle East, how to understand and enjoy modern paintings, art and culture from the frontline of Syria, a world atlas of street art and graffiti, many books on architecture, etc. It was a truly thorough and highly interesting library with an extreme breath of excellent books. As I write about this now I feel a strong urge to visit again and just spend an entire day there studying the books.
In the Baltic, it is also possible to go out on a balcony to have a better view of the city below. Lottie and I did go out on the balcony and were able to get a great view of the beautiful buildings on both sides of the river and the bridges in the middle. Before we left the gallery, we had a peek in the gift shop as well, which had great books and gifts, like Frida Kahlo posters!
After leaving the gallery we wandered around the city again for a bit before ending up in the Botanist for drinks. The Botanist in Newcastle is truly an experience. There are other Botanist franchises in the UK, including one in York, but I don’t think any of them rival this one. There is a massive artificial tree in the centre, which makes it feel like you are sitting in a huge treehouse. We rested there for a bit before going to dinner a bit outside of the city in Jesmond.
We ate at the Dosa Kitchen, a restaurant I had chosen because I wanted to share the experience of Dosa with Lottie. Little did I know that I was in for a new experience as well since there were dishes on the menu I had never heard of before either! It was a delight. Although we both ordered vegan dishes, I was also pleased to see the lamb meat they did offer was free range and organic, showing the restaurant’s commitment to sustainable values! We ordered two dosa, one curry and one uttapam, which were all delicious. We set off back towards the station, got our train and chatted on our way back to York. At that point, we were weary but satisfied travellers who had had a lovely adventure but were also happy to be home back in York.
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