WHITBY

I was so exhausted after my day trip to Whitby that I was too tired to blip or make comments yesterday. Feel Ok today so here goes.

The day started with a taxi ride to the coach pick up point at Newcastle Central Station. Buses were running to a Sunday timetable which means every half hour. However the early ones don't go to Newcastle - only to Gateshead and then you have to get another bus or the Metro train over the river. Was worried in case bus was late and I would miss the only Metro which would get me to Newcastle for 9am so I booked a taxi for 8.15am. The cost of the day trip to Whitby was £15. The taxi fare was £11.50. !!

Arrived in Whitby around 11am. Driver said to be back at the coach for 5pm. So 6 hours to mooch around Whitby. Hadn't been before so I went to Tourist Info for a Guidebook.

Whitby was busy. Whitby seems very " dog friendly " and a lot of people had dogs with them. Quite a few cafes and pubs say " Dogs Welcome" and a lot of the shops have bowls of water outside for dogs.

The weather was cold and windy - but it stayed dry until 4pm. So the last hour was spent trying to stay dry by dodging into shops.

I walked up the 199 steps to The Abbey - and down again. I walked up the 50 or so steps to see The Whale Bone and Captain Cooks Monument - and down again. I don't think my knees will ever forgive me. They are really sore today.

I ate a bag of chips outdoors - fending off the dratted seagulls. I had a Mr Whippy 99 ice cream and bought some fudge. Typical eh. I also bought a lovely pair of earrrings - made of Whitby jet and silver.

I liked Whitby. However 6 hours was for me too long a time to spend walking around and I was glad when 5 o'clock came.

Arrived back in Newcastle at around 7pm. Waited around 40 mins for a bus home. ( the 7.12pm bus didn't turn up! ) I got home about 8.15pm - about 12 hours after I had left the house in the morning. A long day out and too tired to blip.

My photo shows walkers going down the 199 steps and the view across to the other side of the River Esk estuary.

I took 88 photos of Whitby and it was really difficult to choose just one to blip. Some of the others are on Flickr if anyone is interested. Look HERE

#### Neil update. On 7th May he flew from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand. Has done some sightseeing including a trip up Mount Eden - a dormant volcano.