Last year we failed to make our yearly pilgrimage to the Yorkshire Coast, something that we have done for as many years as I can remember; that is, visit the coast, not the forgetting! And to be honest we hadn't really planned this weekend trip, we just decided on the Friday that the weather looked sort of ok; well at least not another washout of a weekend, so our good friend Mr Booking.com helped us find an apartment in Whitby for Saturday night.
Now given the weather through Friday night and into Saturday morning, you may if you hadn't seen the forecast have been fooled into thinking that we were in for another wet one, but given that we had access to 'the knowledge', known more accurately as the Met Office App, it was off to the seaside we would go. No shovel, pick, or walking stick, but of course the camera would be joining us on our outing.
We arrived a little before 3pm, and if I am being honest we were a bit cheeky as although we were 3hrs early for our booking in time, as the key was available in the lockbox we took full advantage and took our bags into the apartment. That said, we were caught out as someone had made the property agency aware and they phoned us with a ruse that they just wanted to know what time we were planning to arrive....oops.
Anyway, we were soon on our way down through the town and onto the beach for our customary walk up the coast to the small hamlet of Sandsend. It's roughly a 3 mile walk each way, and being the beachfront it's very flat. It was rather windy so shielding your eyes was necessary on occasions when the wind whipped up the sand, but nice to see the waves rolling in just to add to the drama.
As we hadn't eaten lunch we stopped at Sandside Cafe for about 45 minutes where we enjoyed a 2-course lunch before preparing ourselves for the walk back. The trek back down the beach didn't offer the sunny skies of the walk north, we had a few sleet showers mixed in with light rain, gloomy skies and the odd ray of sunshine. A right mixed bag. As we arrived back into Whitby we headed out along the west pier before crossing the Esk Estuary and then enjoying the old town with it's narrow and cobbled streets.
The evening was a case of getting comfy on the sofa with a duvet over us enjoying YouTube; the weather outside was now very windy and wet so best to stay warm and dry.
Sunday morning started with us both arising early, and neither of us having had a great night's sleep as a result of the winds howling around the 4th floor apartment. So to raise spirits we set about cooking a breakfast - bacon, scrambled eggs, tomato sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes off the vine and black pudding. Not a bad start to the day if I do say so.
We left the apartment around 8:45am and headed down the coast to our Sunday stop off, Scarborough. Yes somewhere else that we know very well, so not expecting any surprises but always a walk we both enjoy.
The original plan was to park at Scalby Mills, but after walking close to 8.5 miles yesterday we decided to drop a couple of miles off the walk and parked on Marine Drive instead; normally free during the winter months but that privilege is no more. Still, a decent walk down to where the old outdoor swimming pool was situated, and then back. We actually covered 6 miles in the end, so not a bad little walk.
Our expectation was for a sunny day today, but unfortunately it was almost constant thick cloud with only the odd glint of sunshine, but thankfully no rain which of course is always a bonus. It was only when we were leaving around 4hrs later that the sun came out to treat those we were leaving behind. Whilst we were in the town we managed to have a hot chocolate at the Clock Cafe which had only opened on Saturday for the season, and of course we just can't visit Scarborough without stopping off at the Harbour Bar for ice-cream; legendary.
Just a 2hr drive back home, and time to our feet up in preparation for the week ahead.
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