Whitby - Day 4

All we really did this day was load up the car and eat again at Cranberry Swamp (it was really good). 

 

As usual, we asked the kids about their favorite parts of the trip.

 

Clara- Pancakes and fish and chips, plus finding seashells

Lily- Going to the beach, seeing a real jellyfish, going in the waves

 Miles- Beating Miitopia, watching Scooby Doo

 

The drive back was around 70 miles, and took a couple of hours. There are major highways here, but nothing like the plethora of interstates in the US. There's a lot of going through towns and winding roads.

Overall it was a quick trip, but we had something very exciting to look forward to soon!

 

 

 

 

Whitby - Day 3

Okay, I'm obviously clueless about doing photos here, how did they get so big? Day 3 had a nice, leisurely start, and we had a lovely breakfast at Cranberry Swamp. Miles ate two orders of pancakes, and we wandered around looking in the shops. The weather on this day was grey and more than 10 degrees cooler than the day before, so we stopped in Poundland for warmer clothes. After a quick wardrobe change, we were off to Runswick Bay to try fossil hunting on the beach. We gathered many shells and rocks, but had no idea really what we were looking for. To this day, we may have fossils lying around (but more than likely just a bunch of rocks).

We had a blast combing the beach, despite the gloomy day. We were just happy to have relief from the heat wave! We drove back to Whitby so Miles could shower, then set out walking around town again. We tried going to several restaurants that looked good, but every single place we chose wasn't open for dinner yet. (We are definitely early bird eaters.) We ended up at Trencher's, another fish and chip spot, which is apparently the competition for the Magpie Cafe. And the food here was honestly just as good. I think we liked Magpie Cafe a bit more, but it was a close race.

We wandered around a little more after our meal, then went back to pack up for the next day's drive home.

Whitby - Day 2

A combination of heat and noisy seagulls made for an awful night's sleep. However, the kids awoke extra early, so Matt and I begrudgingly got out of bed.

 Once we were all ready for the day ahead, we headed out to see the sights. We crossed the swing bridge, which was cool to watch open for boats going in and out. Naturally, the only photo I got was this one.

 

While the bridge is open

 

We walked up the 199 steps that lead to St Mary's Church and the gothic ruins of Whitby Abbey. We walked around the outside of the Abbey, but didn't buy a ticket to see it up close, as the kids were whining about most things. 

Two piers flank the entrance to the harbor

Memorial for Caedmon, England's first poet

St Mary's Church

Whitby Abbey is famous for being the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. There was loads of vampire themed merchandise throughout the town, and Clara was thrilled to pick up a plush bat as her souvenir.

 

 

 

We walked back toward the town centre via a different route, but the kids were still unhappy in general. There was only a brief reprieve when we encountered some horses.

 

 

We looked at the sea and the whale bone arch, then hit a cafe for lunch. It was so hot, but there was a bit of relief when the breeze came off the water.

We went back to the cottage to rest. Matt and I had a little nap while the kids watched television. Then it was beach time! The kids played, gathered rocks, and had a great time, and even Matt got soaked up to his shorts. I only got my feet wet, and the water was cold but it was so nice in the heat.

 

Once we had our fill of seaside fun for the day, we stopped back at the cottage to rinse the sand from the girls. Hot and tired, we went to a pub very close by for dinner. The kids had water in pint glasses, pretending it was beer, and that they were a ship's crew defeating sea beasts. It's a good thing they were imaginative, because the food took more than an hour and a half to arrive. The kids were being patient, but we were very hungry.

 

When the food finally arrived, we ate quickly and got the kids home to go to bed. Thankfully, we all slept much better than the previous night.