Wednesday, July 30, 2014

A Day Out In Newcastle

Rob and I had a day out in Newcastle yesterday, parking down by the Tyne and walking along the Quayside area to the Malmaison Hotel for morning coffee, before crossing the bridge to Baltic.


French artist, Daniel Buren's, work is on exhibition at the moment. You can see the diamond patterns of coloured film added to the windows at Baltic in the photo above. In Gallery 4, the skylights had squares of colour added. The light floods through them and they are reflected in the angled mirrors at ground level. It was a beautiful experience to walk around in the Gallery and see the ever-changing segments of colour reflected back at you: something like being in a giant kaleidoscope.


 A collage of views in the Gallery.

Panoramic view from the outdoor platform at Baltic. (Click on image to see a larger version.)

Gateshead Millenium Bridge

We headed up the hill into the centre of Newcastle for lunch at the Scrumpy Willow & Singing Kettle Cafe. It has a good choice of vegetarian and vegan meals and also some fish dishes.

 Downstairs at the SW&SK cafe.

 Polenta with goasts' cheese, green salad and creamy mushroom sauce.

Dahl with fresh baked bread.

I enjoyed the polenta with mushrooms. It was very tasty and a large portion. Rob was less keen on his lentil dahl, which he found salty and rather undercooked. The bread, however, was fresh and delicious. With a mineral water and an earl grey tea, the bill came to £17.50.

This cafe is apparently about to change hands, so it will be interesting to see what the new owners do with it. In the meantime, I would recommend it, although be prepared for fairly slow service.

Grainger Market is a great place to shop: we bought blue corn tortillas from mmm-glug - a deli specialising in Mexican food; nectarines (8 for £1!) from one of the green grocers; and healthy dog treats for Brock. There is also a lovely coffee and tea vendor (Pumphreys).

There are numerous other shops in the centre: we just browsed in a few: Fenwicks, Waterstones, Hotel Chocolat, and TK Maxx. Then it was a walk back down the hill to the Quayside for an ice cream, before heading for home.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Pot Fest In The Park 2014

Rob, Brock and I enjoyed our annual trip to Hutton-in-the-Forest for Pot Fest on Friday.
[Click on any photo to see a larger version.]

 First, we had a walk around the grounds and the walled garden.



The theme of the exhibitors' competition this year was "Out of This World". I picked the three pieces below as my favourites.


 "Let us boldly go and see if there is intelligent life on earth" by Meri Wells.

 "Rocket Dog" by Paul Smith.


"Leading paleontologist Professor Jardine's ideas on the disappearance of the dinosaurs were quickly ridiculed by his peers" by Professor J Jardine.

Then it was on to the exhibition tents to browse.



We bought some more bowls and side plates from Charlotte and Sigi Böhmer to add to our collection.

 Rob's choice (above) ...
and mine.

The smallest bowls cost £12 or £13, the soup bowls are £18 and the side plates are £21.

Pot Fest in the Park is still on today 27/07/14, with Pot Fest in the Pens on 1 - 3 August.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

The Beach - An Etsy Treasury

A gift guide, inspired by the beach...


The Beach

The best place to be at this time of year...
Rag Rug Denim Striped Cushion
£75.00
blue and yellow variscite and beach pebble sterling silver pendant necklace
$174.00
Beach Wedding Bridal Package (Hinewai Dandy Style). Made to Order Custom Details .DEPOSIT
$205.00
Antique Whale Lapel Pin Enameled Orca Sparkly Iridescent Purple Blue Yellow Gold Metal Bar Pin Vintage 1940's Marine Ocean Beach Jewelry
$29.96
Crochet Rag Bag Blue Green Yellow and White Market Tote Bag Purse Beach Bag Recycled Materials
$69.00
Forget me not Necklace Original Artisan Crochet Jewelry Multi Strand Pastel Blue Yellow Gold Beach Wedding
$54.00
Hair Comb "Kraken" - copper hair asseccories - octopus - beach jewelry - blueyellow hair pin - ocean - sea theme
$64.00
Airborne Beagle -  hound, dog, beagle, beach, animal,  canine, happy Fine Art Photographic Print
$21.00
Coastal Bird Photography White Yellow & Gray Seagull Ocean Water Fine Art Wall print 11x14 Beach Cottage Chic decor Nautical Home decor
$45.00
Straw hat , Unisex fedora hat , Vintage style , decorated with a stunning ribbon.
$44.00
Pennants fabric flag banner, Fabric Bunting, Flags in Summer beach blue, yellow, Aqua Wave
$34.95
Blue, Orange or Yellow 15" w/ White Straps / Life ring preserver - Nautical Home Decor / Beach House Decoration / Coastal Living
$29.49
ocean beach polymer necklace blue gold handmade cotton string
$22.00
beach photograph, beach hut photograph, blue, triangle, beach hut, architecture photography, yellow, beach decor, rainbow, seaside
$35.00
abstract watercolor painting print, indigo blue, yellow, aqua, brown
$15.00
Colorful Beach Glass Earrings, Sea Glass Earrings, Green Beach Glass Earrings, Blue Beach Glass Earrings, Yellow Sea Glass Earrings,
$12.00

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