Adventures in Europe, week five

Week 5: Our 2019 Europe/UK adventure

St Matthias Church

Falconeer, Heroes Square

View from the hill, Budapest

1/12/19: No early morning walk this morning, we lazed in bed with our coffee before a lovely buffet breakfast in the restaurant. Soon it was time for the safety briefing and information session for today’s tour of Budapest. Just after 9:30 we boarded our bus and headed out along the streets, starting in Pest where we saw the Opera house, the large synagogue and Heroes square, before heading across the bridge into Buda and up to the Castle hill. St Matthias church and the Fisherman’s bastion was very busy, but the views were quite spectacular as it was such a sunny day. We walked as far as the palace, investigating the Labyrinth, where Count Dracula was held prisoner in the caves under the hill. Returning to the bus we drove past the Parliament and the “60 shoes” monument to Jewish prisoners shot and pushed into the Danube during WW2. Our guide was most informative and we returned to the ship with a much better understanding of the history and highlights of Budapest. We enjoyed a glass of warm punch on our return, then, after peeling off our layers of coats, scarves, hats and gloves we had a pre-lunch drink, entering the restaurant just as the ship prepared to depart the port. We sailed down past all the beautiful buildings of Budapest, quickly leaving the city behind as the sun set. Later in the afternoon we listened to the briefing for tomorrow’s visit to Bratislava. After freshening up we returned to the lounge for happy hour drinks before another delicious dinner. Later, we rugged up and took a stroll around the top deck, admiring the lights of small riverside villages and the two hardy people wading in the (heated) jacuzzi!

It snowed overnight!

Palace gates, Bratislava

Palace grounds, Bratislava

Blue church, Bratislava

2/12/19: We woke to the sound of water rushing by and the sight of snow falling as we continued our journey down the Danube, arriving at Bratislava  just after 8am. After breakfast we boarded our bus for another very informative guided tour, visiting the Palace and admiring the views from the snow covered hills before touring the old city, through Michael’s gate, along the monarchs’ walk, into the town square and past the Parliament building, the opera house and many beautiful shops and restaurants. We took a walk to see the lovely blue church before returning via the town centre to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon the sun came out and we returned to the city, wandering down some narrow streets and buying some souvenirs at the Christmas market before returning to the ship for an afternoon rest. We cruised away from Bratislava at 6:00, watching lights flicker in small towns as we passed by enjoying drinks, then dinner, while a music quiz kept everyone entertained for the evening.

Quirky traffic lights in Vienna

Vienna opera house

Vienna Christmas markets

Viennese love

3/12/19: We awoke in Vienna and, after a hearty breakfast, we were ready for a day of exploring! We boarded our bus for a guided tour of the Ringstrasse, then left the group at the Volksgarten, beside the royal palace, to view the Spanish Lapizzi horses exercising to music in the courtyard. It was beautiful! Later, we walked to St Stephans church, in the heart of the city, admiring both the outside and the beautiful interior, and visiting the Christmas markets behind. We then strolled down the main pedestrian mall to visit the Christmas markets in Karlsplatz - a beautiful display of local craftsmanship. From there we strolled along the Ringstrasse to Maria-Theresa Platz, where we shared a bratwurst and some gluhwein at another Christmas market, before finishing at the Rathaus, enjoying the ice-skating and another gluhwein at our final Christmas market for today! We caught the bus back to the ship, where we walked along the streets to the local supermarket and took a stroll along the Danube past all the other cruise liners before returning to our cabin for a well earned rest. Later, after a delicious dinner, we listened to a local string quartet “Ars Mundi” play a selection of Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Strauss and our favourite canon from Pachelbel. There is nothing nicer than sitting in a ship on the Danube listening to the Blue Danube waltz by Strauss!! The ship dropped its lines and pulled away from the dock right on 10:00 and we watched as we cruised downstream and through a lock before deciding it was time for bed. 

Going through a lock on the Danube

Baby it's cold outside!

Christmas markets in Budapest

4/12/19: We woke to the sound of water rushing by as we cruised along. We had passed Bratislava, and as we rose and had breakfast we cruised back into Hungary, passing Gyor. We went for a walk on the top deck, where the temperature was -6 but the wind chill factor added to the biting cold! We rounded the Danube bend, passing numerous small villages, enjoying lunch and reaching Budapest just after 2pm. We disembarked for a walk into town, along the pedestrian mall, all the way to St Stephens cathedral where artisan Christmas markets awaited us! There are different crafts here to what we saw in Bratislava and Vienna - more earthy tones and humorous figurines. The food stalls are like full size restaurants, and the servings are enormous! Later we retraced our steps through the mall and down to the huge covered markets, two levels of food, eating places and stalls selling all things Hungarian. Returning to the ship we were delayed from boarding by the Avalon ship leaving, and had to wait in the cold and dark for our ship to return to the dock, but after a warming shower we were ready for the Captain’s cocktail hour and a five course dinner, sharing a table and several wines with Australian friends Tim and Michelle. We returned to the lounge and laughed and talked the night away before retiring to bed, our last night of a most enjoyable cruise.

Parliament building

5/12/19: The first passengers left for their return journey at 7:45, while we completed our packing and enjoyed a lazy breakfast. Then we headed out for our 10:00 excursion through the Hungarian Parliament House - a fascinating insight into riches, conflicts and resolutions, kingdoms, communism and democracy, all within the huge and opulent building. The gold leaf staircase, al frescoes, statues and the Crown Jewels were marvellous. Later, we strolled back through the Christmas markets along the road to the Cathedral and through the pedestrian mall, returning to our ship for lunch and farewell drinks before boarding a shuttle coach to the airport, where we caught a taxi to our nearby hotel. The hotel room is plain but adequate, with not much around except airport parking! We were directed to Maci Laci, an interesting local “Bufe” where we had dinner...nobody spoke English, so ordering was a challenge, and the drinks were almost non existent, but we shared a bottle of wine we purchased in a nearby”Tabak”. We returned to our hotel room early, as we have an early wake up and trip to the airport in the morning!

Doha

6/12/19: The alarm woke us at 4:45am, giving us time to get dressed, finish packing and have a light breakfast before our shuttle service to the airport. We checked in and were in the lounge by 6am. We boarded our plane at 7:15 and once everyone was settled in and the wings were de-iced, we took off for Doha - leaving the snow for the desert! After five hours, and with a 2 hour time difference, we landed at 3:30, clearing customs and immigration and arriving at the Intercontinental Hotel before 4pm. Our room on the 38th floor has views over the city buildings and we enjoyed a swim on the 46th floor and a drink on the 56th floor before going downstairs to choose a restaurant for dinner. The prices here are quite eye-watering, but we settled on a lovely meal in the Indian restaurant and stopped counting the cost! Later we returned to our room for a cuppa before bed - we have an early start for our city tour tomorrow and we don’t want to miss it!

Traditional fishing boat

Blue Mosque, Doha

7/12/19: We woke early to a light and sunny sky, shared our room service breakfast and were ready for our city tour by 9am. The guide arrived in a little mini bus and took us to see many of Doha’s locations; first we visited the cultural centre, where we entered the blue mosque and admired the huge amphitheatre, then wandered to the beach where crews of men were working on the old fishing boats, or Dhouws. Next was The Pearl, a man made series of interconnected islands where the residences are built to represent different exotic locations like Venice and Morocco, the houses cost a fortune and the shops, cars and boats reflect that wealth! We drove into the city, past the royal palace and Parliament, into the more traditional part of Doha, stopping at the Souk Waqif to wander the narrow alleys of this busy old style market. Then we drove to the edge of the bay, or Corniche, to take photos of the high rise buildings on the far shore and see the hundreds of traditional fishing and pearling boats (Dhouws), which are owned by rich Qataris but crewed by Indian, Pakistani or Sri Lankan men, keen to make a living for their families back home. Foreign workers do many of the more intense labouring and service jobs, living away from their families for long periods of time in order to earn a decent wage. We drove to one of the many shopping malls - Qataris spend hours in malls, which often contain amusements for the whole family, like rides, bowling alleys, cinemas, even an ice skating rink! Summers are so hot that it is necessary to stay indoors as much as possible so the shopping malls cater for this. We returned to the hotel at 12, satisfied with our glimpse of life in the desert, and keen to hit the pool for some relaxation. Later, we finished off our huge breakfast tray, and soon it was time to ready ourselves for the flight home. After a light meal in the business lounge we boarded our plane, which took off just before 8pm bound for Melbourne.

Time to go home!

Adventures in Europe, week four

24/11/19: We had an early walk to find ourselves some breakfast, then returned to the hotel to pack up. Petra and Detmar picked us up just after 11am and we were off, with a quick hill climb to see the Alps, then on our way north on the Autobahn! We stopped at Regensburg where we walked through the city and ate some sausages at “The oldest sausage house in Germany”; the present building dates back to the 17th century, but replaced a building from 1146!! We arrived in Fürth before 4pm and moved our belongings into the apartment, then headed out again, for a drink and knodel (German potato dumplings) at Zu den sieben Schwaben, a popular local pub/restaurant. Later, we farewelled Petra and Detmar, and walked home. After a shower and drink we headed out again, this time to NaPizza, for a delicious Napoli style pizza with Truffle oil, then to the nearby service station for ice-creams, before home to bed.

Dr Andreas Blings, my “saviour”

25/11/19: An early start for a big day today: we left home 

My favourite nurse, Tatiana

before 7am, catching the train and the bus to Klinikum Nürnberg Sud, to meet Dr Andreas Blings and thank him for everything! He was so pleased to see us and it was wonderful to visit this place with no “drama”. Tatiana, my favourite nurse, was also there, which was nice. Later, we walked back to the station on an emotional “high” and caught the train to Lorenzkirche, where we walked around the old city, enjoying the wide pedestrian malls and beautiful Christmas decorations. We visited many of Martin’s landmarks from his stay in 2017, finishing at the Nürnberg Bratwursthausle, for sausages, of course! Afterwards we caught the bus to Fürth, where we wandered through the old town before buying some supplies for dinner and setting off for home. We had a quiet night in and enjoyed an early bedtime after a big day.

Two years on.....what a journey!

The city walls, Nuremberg

26/11/19: After a good nights sleep we were ready for another day of exploring. We started with a walk under the railway line and around the streets, then, after returning home for breakfast and a freshen up we caught the train to Fürth to buy the tickets for our next adventure tomorrow. Then we caught the train to Maximillianstrasse, jumped on a bus and then a tram, which took us to the edge of the old city, where we walked along inside the wall of the old city, past the red light district and through the Handwerkerhof, where many shops sell beautiful traditional crafts, around to the Hauptbahnhof. From here we caught a tram to Erlengstegen, a pretty village on the northern side of the city, then we returned to the Altstadt for lunch at “Paulaner im Pillhofer” where we enjoyed a lovely Bavarian style goulash soup and gyros. We caught the train to Fürth to meet with Petra for afternoon coffee and a chat, then a walk around the town before coming back to our apartment for a pre dinner drink followed by dinner at the ever popular Zu den sieben Schwaben, where we tried two local specialities - both were delicious! We farewelled Petra and continued home for a cuppa and bed. 

Nuremberg, a different gate!

 The Prater, Vienna

27/11/19: We woke up, had breakfast, packed up and hit the streets, walking to Stadtgrenze to catch the train to Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof. We arrived with almost an hour to spare! That gave us time to check out the platform, buy a Brezn and sit down with a nice cappuccino. When the train arrived, it was the opposite way to what was advertised, so there was some confusion finding our seats, which were facing backwards :-( We settled in as the train gathered speed, and spent some time reading and relaxing before going to the restaurant car for lunch. We managed to get two good seats at a small table, so stayed there for a couple of hours, chatting and watching the world go by. We returned to our seats not long before the train arrived at Vienna Hauptbahnhof and, after buying our seats for the next journey and getting a map and directions from the information centre, we walked to the apartment, on the third floor of a complex in a very quiet, very nice part of town. After unpacking and enjoying an afternoon cuppa, we put on some washing and went for a walk to check out the neighbourhood. There are some very elegant buildings near where we are staying, and lots of nice looking restaurants and bars. We stopped for a drink at a local brewery, did some shopping in Hofer (Aldi’s cousin?) and returned home to unpack and hang out our washing. Later, after a pre dinner drink,  we headed out again, finding a traditional Austrian restaurant for dinner. There were certainly plenty of customers there! We returned home full, tired and ready for a good nights sleep. 

Vienna Christmas markets

28/11/19: We woke feeling refreshed and went for a walk, picking up the ingredients for tonight’s dinner. After breakfast we put on our walking shoes for a day of exploring Vienna. First we walked into town and found the Information centre, where a very helpful man provided us with maps and tips for exploration, and sold us 48 hour transport cards for when our feet are tired :-) Then we headed up the beautiful main boulevard, stopping at Swarovski crystal to admire the displays, looking at the Christmas markets outside St Stephans church, and generally gazing at the beautiful architecture and gorgeous Christmas decorations lining the streets. We visited three different Christmas markets and walked up to the Danube canal, then caught the tram around the edge of the city to the Parliament and Rathaus, finding a nice modern restaurant for “Wildbeeren Punsch”, beer and pizza - just what we needed! Returning to the tram we completed the city ring, then headed one stop out of town to the Naschmarkt - a long, rambling collection of market stalls selling every type of food, drink and souvenir! We strolled the length of the market then made our way home for a cuppa and a well earned rest, doing our washing, and cooking our own dinner before early to bed.

 Dining with Manfred and Anna, Vienna

29/11/19: We took an early morning walk in a different direction and discovered a different, much larger supermarket - very well stocked, more like one from home! Returning for breakfast we dressed warmly and went out, catching the tram from Laurenzstrasse into the city and then the underground train to Vorgartenstrasse on the Danube river, walking past the magnificent “Franz von Assisi” Catholic Church, down to where the river cruisers dock. It was an exciting taste of what lies ahead. We caught the train back one stop to Prater to visit the oldest fairgrounds in the world, first opened in 1766. We rode the Ferris wheel and admired views across the city, then returned to ground and back into the city centre. We continued walking along the pedestrian mall, to Karlsplatz, where there is a Christmas market selling much more traditional and hand made wares. From there we headed home for lunch and a rest, as we planned a busy evening and needed to restore our energy! At 4:30 we caught the tram again, this time to the Rathaus and the largest of the Christmas markets, where we tasted some gluhwein as we wandered around. It was very beautiful with all the twinkling lights, but very busy! Then we made our way to the Sacher hotel to meet Manfred and Anna for dinner - it was a lovely reunion since our last visit in 2013. Later we caught the tram and walked to “Bierometer” for an evening drink before returning home to bed.

 The train from Vienna to Budapest

30/11/19: We took our last morning walk in Vienna, heading along streets past lovely old apartment blocks, passing St Elizabeth church and Shorburg palace as we walked. On returning we had breakfast, cleaned up and packed our suitcases ready for our next adventure! We caught the bus to the railway station and enjoyed relaxing in the lounge before boarding the train for Budapest. The journey passed smoothly and we enjoyed the views, sitting forwards this time! After lunch in the restaurant car it was time for us to depart the train and make our way by local train to the Elizabeth Bridge, where our cruise ship awaited us! We were warmly welcomed, unpacking our cases and settling into our cabin before “happy hour” in the main lounge, followed by a delicious dinner in the restaurant. The ship is almost brand new and very spacious; even though our cabin is on the bottom level it is very comfortable and not too far from everything. We are looking forward to our cruise on the Danube!

Christmas theme on the boat

First night of the cruise - we’re excited!

Adventures in Europe, week three

Week 3: Our 2019 Europe/UK adventure

17/11/19: An early start this morning as we had quite a drive; we ate breakfast, packed the car and were off before 8am! We took the A171 across the top of the moors, where the only towns are bypassed, soon reaching the M1A, which feeds into the M1 and took us south. We reached Andrew and Hilda’s house at Flore about midday and took a walk along the Grand Union Canal for a late Sunday roast lunch at “The Narrowboat Inn” overlooking the canal. Later, as darkness fell, we walked home along the narrow roads, needing a torch as there were no street lights! That night we sat and talked for hours, forsaking dinner for cheese and crackers - we were all too full from our magnificent lunch.

Two wise monkeys?

18/11/19: We woke to a clear but chilly day. A lie in was followed by a walk around the village and a late breakfast. Later we drove to Stoke Bruehn, on the Grand canal, where we walked along the towpath, passing numerous boats locked up and tied against the banks, and a few cruising along and passing through the many locks along the way. We stopped for lunch at the Boat Inn, a popular stopping point on the canal. Later we drove home for a quiet afternoon and a delicious home cooked dinner.

The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruehn

19/11/19: Breakfast at Blisworth this morning, followed by a walk and morning tea in Towcester. Home for lunch then a drive to Bracksley, a pretty little village with a couple of large private schools! On to Silverstone, where the Grand Prix track is, then home to change before an Indian dinner in Towcester.

20/11/19: After breakfast it was time to pack up, farewell Andrew and Hilda, and move on, first to Stoke Bruerne to visit the Canal Boat Museum, then onto the Fancott Inn, in Toddington, for a delicious dinner. Time to drive to the airport, get rid of the car and catch the plane to Munich! We arrived just after 8pm, caught the train to Karlsplatz, then walked up the stairs and into the hotel - very convenient!! After unpacking, we went two doors away to a Munich Hofbrauhaus, “35mm”, for a light dinner and a couple of drinks, before going to bed. 

The view from Alter Peter, Munich

Munich Rathaus

21/11/19: We had a short walk around the block, stopping at Aldi to buy some juice and bread for breakfast. Today is going to be a big walking day! We are in such a great location, just outside the Karlstor, where the old city of Munich begins. We walked along the mall, admiring the buildings’ Christmas decorations, and on to Marienplatz, watching the workers setting up the Christmas markets, which open next Wednesday :-( We marvelled at the “Rathaus” (town hall), with its beautiful stone work and watched the chimes and puppetry at 11:00. We climbed the 14 storeys up the tower of Alter Peter, where we saw the whole city set out before us, and walked around Frauenkirke, the beautiful Church of our lady. We wandered around the Viktuallmarkt, admiring the stalls of meat, small goods, fish, flowers and vegetables. As midday passed, we made our way to the Hofbrauhaus for lunch - sausages, washed down with Bier and Rotwein and accompanied by an oompah band. Fantastic! Later we walked past The Residence, with another beautiful Christmas market already open, into the Hofgarten and onto the English Garden before retracing our steps through the city and back to our hotel for a well-earned rest! Later as darkness fell, we walked back into the city for dinner at Augustine, another beer hall and restaurant. On our way home we stopped to listen to Scherzo, a classical group busking in the shopfront. Their music was beautiful! 

Scherzo

The Residenz

Munich shops by night

22/11/19: We rose late, had a quick walk to pick up our breakfast, then got organised for the day. We walked around the old botanic gardens before heading to the Hauptbahnhof to meet Petra, coming from Nuremberg. It was a very happy reunion! We dropped her case at our hotel, then made our way into town, wandering along the main thoroughfare as we caught up on all our news. We stopped for lunch at the Ratskeller, under the town hall. Later, Martin left us to walk around the shops, although we did more talking than shopping but it was nice to see all the Christmas specialties. We met up again at 4:30 and wandered a bit more, before having an early dinner so that Petra could catch a train and meet Detmar. Before going home we enjoyed an evening drink back at Augustiner, in the Bierhall, then we lingered in front of our favourite classical busking group, watched some ice skating in the rink near Karlsplatz, then made our way home to bed.

Concert at the Residenz

23/11/19: After another short walk and our “usual” Aldi breakfast, then we walked through the city to meet Petra and Detmar - another happy reunion! Today Detmar was our “tastes of Munich” guide, starting with a brunch at Schneider Brauhaus - traditional Bavarian Weisswurst and beer (for the men, anyway!). Then we were off on our first adventure, a train and bus ride to Nymphenburg Palace, a magnificent complex away from the city which was home to many royals, including Ludwig ll. We wandered through the extensive gardens past magnificent waterways which would be beautiful in the summer when the fountains are running. After a reviving drink at the Palm house, we walked back to catch the bus to the city again, where we wandered around to find another of Detmar’s favourite Brauhauses - some have changed or disappeared since he was a young student in the city! Finally we stopped at Hacker-Pschorr, where there has been a brewery for 500 years! We enjoyed some traditional Bavarian hors d’ourves including salami, Schmaltz (goose fat) and Obatzda (a delicious cheese dip), with a drink, of course! Revived, we walked to the Residenz, another extensive royal house, where we listened to a string trio in the Hofkapelle. They played a beautiful selection of classical music, including Vivaldi, Mozart and Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”. It was fabulous! We returned through the city streets and stopped for dessert at Donisl before bidding our tour guides farewell for the day and returning for a well earned sleep.

 Sue and Petra enjoying life

Four friends in a Munich Brauhaus

Adventures in Europe, week two

Week 2: Our 2019 Europe/UK adventure 

Padstow Harbour

10/11/19: With the wind howling outside, we gave a walk a miss, and stayed in bed! Breakfast was delicious again - these B&Bs are a dieters nightmare :-) We packed up and drove away, taking the B roads as much as we could, through little seaside villages surrounded by dramatic cliffs. Breathtaking scenery! We arrived in Padstow before noon, and took a stroll around the waterfront, marvelling at the lovely little harbour and the low tide. We enjoyed lunch at “The London Inn” then, after another stroll, it was time to check into Cyntwell house, our B&B for the next three nights, just 100m off the harbour. We are in the attic, at the top of a winding staircase, in a room with a sloping roof, where the sounds of seagulls is very loud! Later in the afternoon we took a walk around the harbour, marvelling at the rise in tide. A harbour gate protects the inner harbour from the tidal variance, opening as the tide rises and closing again to keep the water in as it falls. Later, we went to “Embers” for a pizza before returning home to bed.

St Enodoc Church

Ferry to Rock, low tide

11/11/19: This morning we walked up the hill to the war memorial, covered in poppy wreaths after yesterday’s Remembrance Sunday service. After another delicious breakfast we walked down to the tourist information centre, then boarded the ferry for the trip across Camel Estuary. The tide was low, so we had to board and alight from a beach downstream of the main harbour. We saw the waves crashing at the “Doom Bar”, where over 300 boats have been lost over time. We followed the sand dunes and climbed the side of Brave Hill, battling fierce winds and occasional spits of rain and hail, to find St Enodoc church, built in the thirteenth century but, from the sixteenth century to the middle of the nineteenth century, virtually buried by sand dunes. To maintain the tithes required by the church, it had to host services at least once a year, so the vicar and parishioners descended into the sanctuary through a hole in the roof. By 1864 it was unearthed and the dunes were stabilized. We returned via Rock to catch the ferry back and have lunch at Rick Stein’s Fish & Chip cafe, on the wharf. Then we visited the National Lobster Hatchery, to learn about efforts to maintain or even increase the number of lobsters bred locally and stop the slide towards over fishing. Later, after a rest, we had a drink at The Golden Lion, then dinner at The Old Customs House.

Doc Martin's house

The "Pharmacy"

12/11/19: We walked up via Prideaux House, an old Elizabethan Manor, and took the pedestrian path through the fields, finishing up at the war memorial overlooking the sea. It was a sunny morning, with a bitterly cold wind, but the views were spectacular. Returning for breakfast, then we ventured out in the car, taking the scenic route from Boscastle through Tintagel (but too windy to walk to the ruins of King Arthur’s castle), then continuing on to Port Isaac, a pretty little seaside village best known for the TV show Doc Martin. We found the doctor’s house, the school, Bert’s restaurant and Mrs Tishell’s pharmacy, but weren’t too sure about Louisa’s house or the Police Station! We drove on along the B roads and into Polzeath, where we enjoyed a pasty in the car while watching the waves crashing on the beach. We returned to Padstow via Rock, parking the car and taking a walk to the harbour to see what was happening - they are repairing the harbour walls, so have let most of the water out of the tide gate, boats are tethered to stop them falling over as the work progresses - it’s fascinating! Later in the afternoon we had a drink at The Harbour Inn, then we had dinner at The London Inn - our second meal here and well worth the return visit.

Bridge over the Grand Canal

13/11/19: Up early, packed and ready for our 8:30 breakfast, on the road before 9:30. We travelled the motorways today, up the M5 past Bristol, Gloucester and Birmingham, then briefly onto the M6 before turning off to Welford, a small village on the edge of the Grand Canal. The Wharf Inn was packed, and we enjoyed a hearty lunch of soup and sandwiches before taking a walk along the towpath, muddy after a few days of rain. There are lots of canal boats in the two marinas, and a few tied up nearby, but none cruising the waterways at this time of year. As it got dark we returned to the pub to freshen up before dinner and a well earned sleep.

The Jolly Sailor, Whitby

14/11/19: Another early start,  onto the M1 before turning off near York and heading east, past the windswept North Yorkshire moors and on to Whitby, our destination for the next few days. We arrived before lunch, meeting the owners of The Pebbles, the apartment we are renting. The place is just opposite the railway station, and near the harbour, with a gate to the pedestrian mall at the back, up two flights of stairs, with another to the bedrooms! It’s a beautiful, quaint building with everything we need for a few days. After settling in and taking a walk to the tourist information centre and across the bridge to the oldest part of town, we headed back into the main town and down along the waterfront, for lunch at the Jolly Sailor, in the upstairs dining room overlooking the harbour. Cod, chips and mushy peas - just perfect! We walked back up through the pedestrian mall, admiring the shops and stopping at the butchers shop - finally able to buy our own meat for dinner! We also visited the local bakery and bought a currant slice. Next was the co-op for veggies and drinks, before returning to the apartment as darkness fell. It was lovely to know we were home for the night! We enjoyed our dinner then watched a couple of episodes of “Doc Martin”, happy to see a place we had visited so recently.

Abbey ruins, Whitby

Captain Cook, Great Ayton

15/11/19: The day dawned clear and breezy, so we took the opportunity to cross the bridge into to old cobbled streets and follow the 199 steps up to the Abbey, perched on top of the hill. It is a beautiful old ruin, surrounded by high stone fences and green fields. We wandered around and then down the path back through town, taking a detour around the harbour to check out the fishing boats and pleasure craft. Returning home for breakfast, then we packed our backpack and donned our coats, gloves and hats and went out in the car, to travel the “Captain Cook route”. We followed the Esk Valley railway line through small villages, stopping at Danby to visit the North Yorkshire Moors centre, a fascinating glimpse into the history of the Moors since Neanderthal times, through Roman invasion, tin mining and the present national park. At Great Ayton we saw the little schoolroom where Captain Cook was educated, and the place where Cooks’ Cottage (now in the Fitzroy Gardens) once stood. On to Staithes, we saw the house where Cook served his first apprenticeship, as a Draper, and visited the local museum, with a huge collection of Cook memorabilia. We had a delicious lunch at the Crab and Lobster - the seafood chowder was a standout! We returned to Whitby via the coastal route, and admired the rugged scenery along the way. After a reviving cuppa we went back to the butchers and bought some lamb, picking up the extra ingredients for a delicious roast dinner at the supermarket and finishing our meal off with a date slice from the bakers. Just before 6pm we ventured out in the dark to check out the local Christmas markets on opening night, then made our way to the pedestrian mall to watch the lantern parade pass by before returning to our apartment for another delicious dinner - and more Doc Martin! 

Whale bone arch

16/11/19: This morning’s walk took us out to the end of the pier (no wind this morning,) and up the hill to see the James Cook monument and the whalebone gate. We continued west to see Pannell Park, then returned through the back streets of town to our apartment. After breakfast we visited the local seafood shop, where a range of local fish was on display. We bought food for our dinner, then went to the fruit shop next door and the bakery nearby to supplement our meal. Just before 11am we walked across the old bridge to visit the James Cook museum, in the house where he lived while serving his apprenticeship under John Walker, the local shipwright. This was the best single subject museum we have ever visited, with every room full of information, artefacts and history. Almost two hours later, we walked home for lunch! Revived, we walked up the hill to the Whitby Museum, which contains a cornucopia of memorabilia including two rooms dedicated to shipping, a huge collection of fossils plus stuffed animals of all varieties found in the region. Walking back down the hill we visited the Lifeboat museum to learn about the bravery and tragedies of the local seas. As darkness fell, we walked home, satisfied that we had made the most of our opportunities to learn as much as we could about Whitby - but we could have spent a few more days here and done more! As we finished dinner the fireworks started up on the hill near the Abbey; a fitting end to a fantastic few days here.