Whitby Abbey and the birds...

We were surprised to wake up to rain as the forecast had been for dry weather with sunny spells.

Alan and the Gang headed back to York for the day and D and I headed to the RSPB Nature Reserve at Bempton Cliffs.  

It was raining when we arrived so we had tea and a bacon roll in the cafe in the hope the rain would have eased by the time we headed out to see the cliffs and all the amazing seabirds, and our plan worked.  It was very windy but dry when we headed out, me with my woefully inadequate camera lens and D with the binoculars he hired.

What an amazing place!  We almost ditched going there to go to York instead, I am SO glad we didn't.  I cannot fault the RSPB's commitment to making the cliffs accessible for wheelchair users.  Great paths to three of their viewing platforms, and breaks in the fencing to allow those of us at seated height to have the same spectacular views of the cliffs and the birds as those standing.  Also a great new visitor centre with excellent facilities and a shop that tempted me to buy one or two little treats :-)

Thankfully the rain stayed away and a times I was just as enthralled by some of the camera lenses on show, as I was by the birds, the binoculars highlighting all the amazing shots I could have taken if only I had the right kit!  :-))  I did manage to capture a gannet in flight and one little puffin.  The puffin pic has been cropped to within an inch of its life but I was just so chuffed to see one. I think if I lived within striking distance of such a place, a telephoto lens would be a must.

We dragged ourselves away from the cliffs and headed to Whitby and the Abbey.  Again we were very lucky as the rain stayed away and the grey sky turned to fluffy clouds with glimpses of blue.  Once again I was blown away by how accessible the site is for wheelchair users, with ramps discreetly placed in and around the Abbey to allow full access.  

What an amazing place it is.  I always have a real sense of wonder when visiting such places (how on earth did they manage to build such wondrous places without modern tools and heavy plant equipment?!) but it's the primal urge to touch the stone that gets me every time.  I laid my hands on that beautiful rough stone and soaked up the energy within. I saw a woman standing with her back against one wall, the entire length of her reversed against the stone, her arms outstretched, hands turned in with palms touching the stone, her fingers gripping the wall and totally understood her need to do that.  

Just as we experienced at Castle Howard there was a young woman prancing around being photographed.  This one was wearing a black and purple gothic style dress (I assume in keeping with the Dracula legend attached to the Abbey) Actually there were three of of them, two being photographed and one hanger on.  They must have been frozen as the wind was sharp and in strong gusts.

We had a wander round the museum afterwards then went off to find somewhere to have a Sunday lunch as we couldn't leave Yorkshire without enjoying a roast dinner with a Yorkshire pudding.  Found ourselves at the White House Inn, which had mixed reviews but it had a lovely view of Whitby golf course and over the cliffs to the sea, so we decided to risk it.  Glad we did as the Sunday roast (and the Yorkshire pudding) was lovely.

On the way back to Filey we stopped at a house in Burniston near Scarborough to buy some wooden toadstools.  We'd passed the house a few times and each time I had admired the little toadstools decorating the driveway and today as we passed on the way to Whitby I noticed a for sale sign beside them.  

D knocked on the door and a lovely older gentleman answered and came out to unlock the ones I'd chosen from their stands.  He explained he'd been making and selling them for a very long time and was delighted to hear the three we bought would be winging their way to Scotland.  I think they're my favourite purchase of the holiday and will no doubt be blipped at some point :D 

Once back at the lodge it was time to get packed, ready to leave tomorrow morning.  That didn't take long.  Ally texted once they were back from York and D and I popped round to their holiday lodge to spend a little of the last evening with them.  We all agreed it's been an excellent holiday.

Back to ours to help Andrew get packed then a final cuppa before bed.  The end of another great holiday.