Away in April 2011 – Day 8 From dale to sea

Scarborough, Whitby, Pickering, Malton

Friday, 8 April 2011

Very comfortable night’s sleep and woken by birds sounding like they’re nesting in the gutters outside our window. After pot of tea and museli in bed, made an early start for Scarborough, a seaside town north west of Slingsby.

On the way came across free range piggeries where pig families have their own private quarters, like miniature chalets or hangars! Reminder to self -must eat some Yorkshire pork!

Parked the car at some distance of town centre and walked along streets of Edwardian style guest houses, under high pedestrian bridges with beautifully manicured parks and huge geese sunning themselves on the pathway.

Found toursim office in a shopping mall so read brochures over pot of fair trade tea at Esquires, a chain of cafes, with reviving vanilla slice.

Walked down high street, surprised to see castle ruins framed between Georgian and Edwarian street scapes.

Even more surprising was the beach – down stairs so steep that a funicular was available to go back up – to an expanse of tan-coloured sand with children paddling and donkey rides for £2.50, lined with amusement parks and parlors, all bathed in glorious sunshine. It was like a picture postcard and reminded me of those inexpensive prints you used to be able to buy of the seaside – it was unreal. We bought a small tube of Scarborough rock candy and continued on to the Rotunda museum, a geological museum featuring fossil treasures of the Dinosaur coast. Also on display was Gristhorpe man, a Bronze age sketeton found in an intact wooden coffin in the 1800s.

Walked back to the car for drive to Whitby, another picture postcard seaside town. Drove through a changing landscape and what we think were moors with brown expanses of brown gorse/ bracken, like huge clods of brown earth.

Should have saved ourselves for fish and chips here as Whitby is a working fishing village and fish and chip eateries abounded, together with ice creameries! So many people walking around either eating an ice-cream or take away fish and chips!

Instead we lunched at Elizabeth Botham tea rooms, listed in book of memorable tea shops at the Moat, Canterbury. Had pot of tea with a couple of traditional cakes (piece of Yorkshire brack – lovely fruit cake, and piece of orange tea cake) together with sandwiches (BLT on brown bread for me, and Anthony had bacon baquette with side salad and coleslaw).

The tea shop even had its own logo carpet and merchandising and products for sale.

Visited Captain Cook museum, two for one entrance for £4.50. Interesting exhibits highlighting different aspects of Cook’s life, and lovely views of the harbour from all rooms in this beautifully restored building.

Could we fit in more today?We did try. Drove to Pickering but already after 5.00pm and most shops closing early. Bought the Yorkshire Post, a couple of postcards and crisps for dinner at co-op.

Drive through Malton not memorable when compared to Scarborough and Whitby.

	Scarborough street [Map]		Across from Scarborough beach [Map]
	Donkey rides Scarborough beach [Map]		Scarborough beach [Map]
	Elizabeth Botham & Sons tea shop Whitby [Map]		Whitby harbour [Map]
	Whitby view to castle [Map]		Captain Cook museum Whitby [Map]