Barney goes to the Quayside

Last Friday Barney went to the quayside in Gateshead. He was invited to the RSPB Gala Concert at the Sage. He had a wonderful time watching the orchestra play,and listening to the singers.He had never been to the building before and enjoyed the panoramic views that were offered over the River Tyne back towards Newcastle.

Nearby is the Baltic Art Gallery so he went across to see their exhibitions. From the top of the building you could look down on the new millenium bridge over the Tyne.Every few months their displays change so you are never quite sure what will be new to see.


He liked having his picture taken by th Tyne bridge which is a very popular image of Newcastle. This bridge was designed as the forrunner to the Sydney Bridge in Australia.

On Safari

In March Barney visited South Africa. He stopped in a town called Mokopane which is about 150 miles north of Johannesburg, one of the biggest cities in Africa.Mokopane (formally called Potgietersrus) is a small town in one of the richest agriculture areas of South Africa. Barney visited the Mokopane game reserve to see some of the animals that live there. Here he is at the gate.
And here are some of the photos Barney took.

Barney wasn’t able to stop long in South Africa, but he hopes to return soon to see some more of the country.

A winter holiday to Norway

In February, Barney visited Norway for 5 days. He stopped with his friends Simon and Cindy at their house in Bergen. This is the view from their window.

You can travel to Bergen by catching the ferry from North Shields in Newcastle, but Barney flew because he didn't want to spend more than 20 hours on a boat! On the first day of his visit he had a look round the town of Bergen which has some old harbour buildings where merchants used to trade their goods.

The next day Barney went up to the mountains where there was lots of snow. He was able to go sledging while his friends went skiing. Barney didn't get too many bruises, and his fur kept him nice and warm.Norway is famous for its Fjords, which are long valleys with deep lakes. These were formed by glaciers many years ago. Barney saw lots of Fjords and enjoyed climbing in the trees around the water.
Barney also saw a troll. Trolls live in Norway and like to play with friendly bears.

Before leaving for home, Barney went to visit the home of the famous composer Edward Grieg , who lived in Bergen. Here he is next to a statue of the famous man.

Barney was sad to leave Norway as it was a very nice place for a bear to live. But he is hoping to be invited back one day to do some more walking and skiing. In the meantime Barney will watch what's happening in Norway on these webcams .