Wednesday - Whitby and back

We decided to get the little bus into Whitby. Last time we got the train which was old and dirty so this was a much better experience. The walk back started with a paddle in the sea (which was freezing at that time in the morning but has to be done) and then a leisurely stroll along the beach (and in the sea) to Sandsend. The tide was on its way out so we had fun diverting the water channels, making foot prints and skimming stones (well one of us had fun skimming stones, the other has a girlie throw and can't skim properly). We had our packed lunch on the beach (well, sitting on some rocks to avoid the sand in sandwiches syndrome) then on to Sandsend where we stopped briefly so that I could visit the local public facilities and Stephen could make a reservation at Greens in Whitby for that Friday evening (its one of our favourite restaurants).

We had our packed lunch on the beach (well, sitting on some rocks to avoid the sand in sandwiches syndrome) then on to Sandsend where we stopped briefly so that I could visit the local public facilities and Stephen could make a reservation at Greens in Whitby for that Friday evening (its one of our favourite restaurants). We then turned off into a gorgeous woodland area that it only open at weekends and on Wednesdays. There are loads of tracks so it is difficult to navigate (at one point we saw a couple coming the other way who were relieved to see us as it meant they were heading towards somewhere - I didn't like to tell them we had no idea where we had come from). In the middle of the wood there is a ruined castle. Of course we looked at this as a possible des. res. deciding it really needed a bit of work doing, but it did have a lot of potential and a nice outlook.

It was another glorious warm day so we stopped off a pub for a drink. Big mistake as we met a man who wouldn't stop talking to us about shooting. We are both now experts on shoots on the North York Moors and we both decided we would never visit that pub ever again. The map reading went a bit better this time (probably because most of the paths were a lot more visible) so it wasn't quite the same sense of relief when we got home; particularly as we had planned Thursday as a rest day. Then it was out to the Horseshoe again to refill our bellies which had only just started to feel empty after the last visit.