So at the end of July last year I decided to take another visit up to Newcastle for the week before heading onto Edinburgh for a couple of days. I like travelling later then earlier so my Mum and myself decided to get the last train to Newcastle. We left our local train station at just after 8 and as I'm such a lovely daughter lol, I treated us both to first class travel which was really nice as we ended up in a carriage to ourselves! Once we had arrived at Liverpool Street we had to make our way to the underground which was pretty difficult with the amount of luggage I had! Overpacked was a understatement! Next time I do this I will definitely pack lighter as Kings Cross Stations lift was out of order and I had to drag my cases up loads of stairs, luckily some lovely commuters helped me along the way!
I have never travelled first class before so this was pretty exciting and I didn't know what to expect! I certainly didn't expect food and drink to be included but it was a lovely surprise we got sandwiches and cake plus unlimited drink, I was even given a free bottle of Rose wine result!!! After about 6 hours we finally arrived in Newcastle central station just after two in the morning. Luckily, the taxi driver wasn't as rude this time and we were taken to the Travelodge Central for the night. I was pleasantly surprised about how nice it was, unlike many other Travelodges this one had a bar and everything and the rooms were lovely for the price and I would definitely stay there again. Considering I didn't get to bed till really late we were up bright and breezy the next day and took a stroll to the Quayside and had a lovely Starbucks opposite the Millennium Bridge before getting a cab to Whitley Bay, where we were going to be staying for the weekend.
I have always loved Whitley Bay as it is my Nana's hometown so when we travel up to Newcastle is always a must do place to visit. Somehow since the last time I visited a couple of years ago the place has drastically gone downhill and appeared more like a ghost town and the hotel well I can not explain my first impression of the place and I was right to be cautious! The room had a funny smell which literally made me feel ill the whole time I stayed there, it was literally filthy and basically a living nightmare! Whitley Bay itself was beautiful and I had a lovely afternoon tea in a local cafe and amazing Fish and Chips. The High Street was lovely to look around and the majority of the people were really pleasant. At the Spanish City there was events going on all weekend and it was lovely drinking Strawberry and Lime Cider in the sunshine. Sunday we visited the Art Gallery along the sea front which was lovely then the graveyard to put some flowers on my Nans grave before making our way back to pack so we could get away early the next day. I could not wait to get away the next day and make our way back to Newcastle. To top it off I couldn't believe it was the middle of the Summer in a heatwave and the hotel owner (if you can call it that) put the heating on full blast, I had such a funny turn I would totally not recommend to stay there EVER!!!!
Monday afternoon we finally made our way back to Newcastle to the Jurys Inn in Gateshead. Our room was so beautiful and the view was out of this world I loved just laying there watching the River Tyne. After sitting down relaxing for a little while and unpacking once again, we made our way to Eldon Square to have a look around the shops. Many years ago the shopping centre that is there now used to be massive houses and it is where my Nan was born and lived. We found a lovely little cafe just outside the market, it was so pleasant just sitting there in the sunshine before heading back to the hotel for dinner. The next day we took a River Cruise for 3 hours to South Shields, I have always wanted to visit South Shields but we didn't see much of it, is it worth a visit does anyone know? Let me know in the comments below please! I found the cruise a bit long and I got really bored by the end as there really wasn't much to see but it was pleasant at the same time. After the cruise was over I went to much with my Mum at the Piano and Pitcher which was really nice. My Mum stayed and finished her coffee while I went and hunted for somewhere that sold magazines! Usually back home I hate going out alone but somehow it felt different here and it was very calm and a strange sense of safety if that makes sense. Later in the evening I bought my Mum and myself a lovely three course Dinner at the hotel which was really nice.
The next morning we packed up and travelled to the Marriott just by the Metrocentre. WOW the hotel was amazing and the room included two Queen sized beds it was amazing and so luxurious. The Metrocentre wasn't as close as we thought and it was still a bit of a trek, I have always wanted to visit the Metrocentre. By the time we got there I was really anxious so we only ended up going to a couple of shops before heading to Starbucks. That evening we went to Toby Carvery and to be honest if I went again I would eat elsewhere as the food was horrendous and they had sold out of absolutely everything!
As the end of the trip was finally approaching it was time to say goodbye to Newcastle and make our way to Edinburgh. The train trip was so busy but it was pleasant at the same time thanks to the lovely views we went past, it was so beautiful. I was a little overwhelmed when we arrived and it was so busy, luckily we could book straight into the hotel. After a little sit down we made our way to Harvey Nicholls where I paid to have afternoon tea as a treat for my Mum. The view was breathtaking and the food was pleasant but I would say it was a bit too much by the time you had finished the first tier, it was that rich you were literally to stuffed to eat anymore, also the cream in the cakes were a letdown and they didn't taste to nice. It was lovely taking a evening stroll along Princess Street everything was so pretty and the lights were amazing. Unfortunately the next day I woke up in agony with my back and couldn't do anything so we literally sat in the sun on a bench until 6 in the evening. The journey home was really pleasant and the food was absolutely delicious, luckily my Dad picked us up at Kings Cross so I didn't have to drag around the luggage.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my Summertime adventure and please leave a comment and let me know what you think and don't forget to subscribe if you would like to see more of what I get up to.
Love Sophie xx
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