Newcastle Quayside Baltic

The Quayside is an area along the banks (quay) of the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (the north bank) and Gateshead (south bank) in the North East of England, United Kingdom.

The area was once an industrial area and busy commercial dockside serving the area, while the Newcastle side also hosted a regular street market. In recent years as the docks became run-down, and the area has since been heavily redeveloped to provide a modern environment for the modern arts, music and culture, as well as new housing developments. The NewcastleGateshead initiative now lists the Quayside as a top ten attraction.

Along the Newcastle side is an area that houses restaurants, bars and night clubs as well as housing and the Newcastle Law Courts. Quayside is also the name of the street running along the Newcastle riverside.

The Gateshead side of the river is designated and sign-posted as Gateshead Quays. It is the site of the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and The Sage Gateshead performing arts and conference centre. Also moored on the Gateshead side from 1984 until 2008 was the Tuxedo Princess (replaced for a time by sister ship Tuxedo Royale), a floating nightclub, beneath the Tyne Bridge near The Sage.

One of the Quayside's main features is the pedestrian Gateshead Millennium Bridge, opened in 2001, which spans the river between the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and the Newcastle Law Courts. The other bridge which allows direct road and pedestrian links between the two banks is the low level Swing Bridge, built in 1876, and located nearer the two respective city centres. Using the two bridges, the Quayside is the venue for the junior course of the annual Great North Run.

Public Transport

While most commercial bus services do not serve the quayside directly, there is however a Nexus contract with one bus company. The current bus company is Go North East, formerly it was Stagecoach North East-with part funding from councils for electric hybrid vehicles, Design Olymbus.

QuayLink connects most of the main attractions and destinations in Newcastle-Gateshead serving those who live, work, study, or those just visiting the area.

The buses run frequently, from early until late, 7 days a week. There are two QuayLink routes: Q1 serves Central Station, Monument, the Quayside, The Sage Gateshead, Gateshead College's Baltic Campus, BALTIC and Gateshead Interchange Q2 serves Haymarket, Monument, the Quayside, Ouseburn Valley and on to St Peter's Basin Both services travel between Newcastle Quayside and Monument via Dean Street and Grey Street

Royal Liver Building, Liverpool, England

Royal Liver Building, Liverpool, England

The Royal Liver Building is one of Liverpool's iconic Three Graces. Built in 1911 it sits majestically on the Liverpool waterfront. 

The Royal Liver Building is a Grade I listed building located in Liverpool, England.At the top are two towers and on top of each there sits a Liver Bird statue, a Liverpool icon in itself. The story goes that if these Liver Birds every fly away then the city of Liverpool will fall. I even have a plush Liver Bird which was bought for me about 25 years ago. The birds are apparently a cross between an eagle and a cormorant, a bird which is a sign of good luck to sailors.

The Liverpool liver building has two clocks which are 25 feet in diameter.Each tower also has a clock face larger than those on big Ben. These clocks started moving at the exact time of King George's coronation.  They are the largest electronically driven clocks in England.

The Royal Liver Building was England's first skyscraper and stands 13 floors tall. It was the first building to use reinforced concrete in its construction.

The building itself is still in use today, most notably by Royal Liver Insurance which has always had it's offices here.

It is a stunning building which is definitely worth a visit.

Address: Pier Head, Liverpool, Merseyside L3 1HU, United Kingdom
Construction started: 1908
Opened: 1911
Owner: Royal Liver Assurance Group
Phone: +44 151 236 4859
Architect: Walter Aubrey Thomas
Architectural styles: Baroque architecture, Byzantine architecture

Anacapa Arch, Channel Islands National Park, California

Anacapa Island

is a small volcanic island located about 11 miles (18 km) off the coast of Port Hueneme, California, in Ventura County.

Anacapa Island has a rich human history as well. Shell midden sites indicate where Chumash people camped on the islands thousands of years ago. In addition, visitors can view the 1932 light station whose mission revival style buildings include the lighthouse, fog signal building, one of four original keeper's quarters, a water tank building, and several other service buildings. The original lead-crystal Fresnel lens, which served as a beacon to ships until an automated light replaced it in 1990, is on exhibit in the East Anacapa Visitor Center. 

The Island is composed of a series of narrow islets 6 mi (10 km) miles long, running in a mostly east-west orientation, 5 mi (8 km) east of Santa Cruz Island. The island is composed of three islets: East, Middle and West Anacapa, collectively known as the “Anacapas” by some authors. The islets have precipitous cliffs, dropping off steeply into the sea. East and Middle Anacapa have fairly level areas at their tops, but West Anacapa is wider and reaches an altitude of 930 ft (283 m). Middle Island reaches an altitude of 325 ft (99 m) and East Island is 250 ft (76 m) at its highest point. All three islands total 699 acres (283 ha), or about 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2).

Anacapa is part of the Channel Islands archipelago (island chain), and is part of the Channel Islands National Park. It is the smallest of the northern islands. The islands are defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 8, Census Tract 36.04 of Ventura County, California. The official 2000 census population was 3 permanent residents (Ranger Station in the eastern part of East Island), and the total land area was 2.947 km2 (1.138 sq mi).[1] The highest peak is Summit Peak 2 on West Island, 930 ft (283 m).

East Island's most notable natural feature is Arch Rock, a 40-foot (12 m)-high natural bridge.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (Arabic: جامع الشيخ زايد الكبير‎) is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates,Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was initiated by the late president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted to establish a structure which unites the cultural diversity of Islamic world, the historical and modern values of architecture and art. His final resting place is located on the grounds beside the same mosque. The mosque was constructed from 1996 to 2007. It is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates and the eighth largest mosque in the world. The mosque site is equivalent to the size five football[clarification needed] fields approximately.and is considered to be the key for worship in the country.

As the country's grand mosque, it is the key place of worship for Friday gathering and Eid prayers. During Eid it can be visited by more than 40,000 people.

Island of Spice

Grenada is a rolling, mountainous island, covered with fragrant spice trees and rare tropical flowers. Bordered by stunning beaches, and dotted with picturesque towns, this verdant island has long been a major source of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and cocoa. The seductive   drifts through the colourful Saturday markets and Grenada's dense forests. In the interior of this volcanic island are cascading rivers and waterfalls, lush rainforests, and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful mountain lakes imaginable. The capital, St. George's, is widely held to be the loveliest city in the Caribbean. Its horseshoe-shaped harbour is surrounded by a pastel rainbow of dockside warehouses and the red-tiled roofs of traditional shops and homes.

Grenada's physical beauty is complemented by its rich history and vibrant, living cultural heritage. Local festivals, fairs, and markets remain an integral part of life on Grenada. Its centuries-old spice plantations and rum distilleries still use traditional methods, emphasizing quality rather than quantity. Although the tourist industry has become more substantial in recent years, the island's easy rhythms and the friendly openness of its residents evoke an atmosphere that has long since vanished elsewhere.

For many visitors, of course, the measure of any island is taken by its beaches and coral reefs, and Grenada offers plenty of both. The island is ringed with miles of picture-perfect strands, including both entrancing black and sugar-fine white sand beaches. Grand Anse Beach, a smooth expanse stretching for two miles around the curve of a gentle bay, is world famous. Grenada has plenty to offer those interested in offshore pleasure as well, with easily accessible and pristine reefs off the coast of both Grenada and its sister island, Carriacou.