Day 10 - Whitby and York

*Due to slow Internet speeds in the Lake District and Whitby, this post has been delayed.*

Our lodging in Whitby is in a haunted lodge, but unfortunately no one reported seeing any specters overnight. Whitby is a harbor village that's hilly and easy to get around. We walked into the city centre then across a bridge to where the streets narrow and many unique stores can be found. After walking a bit, we reached the famous steps up to the abbey. One of Whitby's most famous, but brief, residents was Braum Stoker; the Abbey and these steps play into the Dracula story. The village has embraced this connection and it's become somewhat of a Gothic/horror haven, especially during their annual festival. Due to time restrictions, we weren't able to climb the steps, but we did enjoy our morning walk!

After checking out, we headed over to Whitby Abbey. It's perched high on a hill above the village and is a ruin. This is one of my favorite abbeys. I love the different color stone that can be seen, the view out over the North Sea, and I marvel that this much has survived for so long, especially having been targeted by the Germans in WWII.

We skipped lunch today in order to get to York, a favorite highlight of any trip to England. After getting into town and parking the car, we headed to Betty's for afternoon tea. Betty's serves the tea in silver (stainless) pots with white china plates and cups, and the scones are served on a three tier serving trolley/tower. All very proper.

After tea, we head to York Minster, the crowning English cathedral in my opinion, for choral Evensong. This was a special service three years ago and I'm happy to say it was just as magical today. The choir was made up of men and boys ranging from 6 or 7 to 50+. There are about 20 members of the choir and when they open up, they hit notes and volumes that make the hair on my hairs stand up. I loved the fact that we sang a closing hymn along with the choir and for a brief moment, I too was a York choir member...ha! After checking into our B&B we walked back into town to get dinner at Cafe Rouge. Unfortunately after a 40 minute walk, we discovered that it was closed for remodeling! However, we found a French restaurant across the street and ended up having one of the beat meals ever! A perfect way to wrap up a perfect day in England. Tomorrow our schedule is open as we tour York and pretty much do whatever we want in this great town.

 

Day 7 - Whitby and York

We returned to the downtown area of Keswick this morning where we found a market had been set up overnight. Fresh produce, breads, meats, gifts, tweed jackets and more were available for sale. We also returned to the confectioner's shoppe along with the pastry baker where we picked up Napoleans (although I got really strange looks when I called them that).

Around 10:00 we headed east towards the coast where our lunch destination was Whitby. As we approached the town, we came across a "lay by" (turnout in the States) that overlooked a beach where surfers and jet skiers were playing in the North Sea. In the distance, the Whitby Abbey could be seen and when I descended to the beach, I was able to acquire 4 very rounded stones to bring home. I stuck my hand in the water just so i could say I touched the North Sea; it was quite chilly! We got back in the car and headed to town. Alaine had read in a guidebook that the restaurant Trenchers was known as having the best fish and chips in England. The restaurant looked Victorian inside and our table was made of granite with plenty of room. I ordered fish and chips with garden peas (not mushy). When it arrived, I was astounded at how good this was! The cod was so flaky and moist it nearly melted in my mouth! We were all so full we couldn't even think about dessert.

To work off lunch, we drove to the Whitby Abbey which sits high above the town on a hill that overlooks the terrain. The temperature was about 50, the skies overcast, and the wind howling in from the east across the North Sea. The approach to the abandoned abbey is amazing. The structure was built in 1500, although the original monastery (leveled by the Normans) was built in 657. The abbey has survived fairly well over the years considering the storms, salt laden air, and German naval bombing during WWI. Much of the carved details remain, including medallions that are in the shape of faces. Standing in the sanctuary and looking east, it's easy to imagine the altar sitting there with the sound of monks chanting wafting through the air.

Deciding we were too cold to linger, we headed off for our final destination: York. Many friends and family have told me this would be one of the most spectacular sights I've seen and I honestly couldn't grasp what they meant. As we got close to the B&B, I could see the three towers of York Minster (really big cathedral) looming over the city. After we got settled in our rooms, we meandered through the old part of the city which is surrounded by walls built in Medieval times. We had dinner at Pizza Express then walked to the minster. It was closed, but I was awe-struck by the exterior. It is so visually impressive I didn't take any pictures at all; I just soaked it all up! We'll tour it tomorrow and walk around the gardens and more of the Medieval town.

On a side note, tomorrow is Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee which celebrates her being the monarch for 60 years. If she gets to 64, she'll tie Victoria as the longest-serving monarch. We are VERY glad we aren't in London. Although it would be neat to witness, that town will be crazy busy. Union Jacks and bunting are displayed everywhere and many cities are having celebrations to mark the occasion. The government has even declared Monday a bank holiday (similar to a Federal holiday).

I cannot wait to see what York has in store for us tomorrow!

Cheers!