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.