Quayside Walk

Vivien and I met for another walk this week.  I showed her a darling little terrace of houses with separate gardens across a nearly private road (it goes only to these houses) and views of a golf course beyond.    I'm sure I'd make a great estate agent around these parts, though I'd not care the for unsociable hours and they only get 1% here in Britain (as opposed to 6% in the US); then again the general opinion is they only earn .0001%.  It's probably not their fault, it's just how things are done here (You show your own house; they just do the listing and make an appointment for you).

Then we walked along a path that took us up to the boating lake.  Half the lake was taken up with miniature remote-controlled sail boats, but I think the name actually comes from some paddle boats that can be rented in warmer weather. 

Tynemouth Boating Lake

The other half of the lake was frozen solid - I poked it with a stick, risking a headlong dive! - and the various gulls and such were walking on top of the ice.  The large swans approached us looking expectant, but we had no food to offer.   It was cold, so I wasn't thinking of hanging about taking photos (though I have these from last May when Bill showed me this path.)  

So odd to see flowers!  Yep, this is what happens in May...roll on May!!!

As long as we kept moving we were warm enough, but warmer once we retreated from the seafront (it is the North Sea, after all).

We made our way along to the Fish Quay and by then I was ready for a pit stop and a cup of coffee.  We'd gone looking for the River Cafe.  Vivien won a prize at the WI Christmas party that was dinner for two and a bottle of wine from David Kennedy's at The Biscuit Factory (an art gallery) in Newcastle.  Someone told her that Kennedy had another restaurant called the River Cafe.  We found it opened at 5pm but just next door was The Quay Taphouse.  We found ourselves perched on very comfortable high chairs at a window ledge overlooking all sorts of boats on the river with our knees tucked up against a nice warm radiator, sipping a latte and an Americano.  I couldn't help but notice that this very song was playing and we were sitting just about where the video (which I linked to here) would have been shot.  It was heaven, but we had more walking to do.



We took a round about way that Bill had also shown me (and I've shown you) and found ourselves again on the cliff above the Fish Quay.  We watched the MV Clonlee on her way out to sea, but couldn't make out her registration, so I snapped a photo for later investigation.  Turns out she's a Manx ship and even had I been able to make out 'Douglas' I wouldn't have recognised it as the capital of the Isle of Man.

With that excitement behind us we noticed the sun was beginning its descent.  Vivien remarked on the beauty of the light.  I must agree that the sun is at its best around the horizon.

Do you get out and watch the sun set?