Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay

What a fab weekend!

Ignoramus that I am I somehow never imagined that anywhere in Yorkshire could be as beautiful as Whitby and Robin Hoods bay!


And hidden though it was for much of the time in low cloud and fog, Saturday decided to be skin scorchingly beautiful and sunny.


The journey North was relatively uneventful, save for the expected holiday hold-ups courtesy as ever of caravans moving at a snails pace, and we arrived at our chosen camp site mid afternoon, to a sign that said 'full' (we never book, it's too restricting) but I'm an old hand at this. A nice smile and proof that 'really it's only a very small tent' always results in a little pitch being available.


So that was it, we pitched overlooking the particularly beautiful Robin Hoods Bay and then set about our weekend...albeit one day late as the result of of over indulgence on Thursday night!

We did all the grockle stuff. We walked down to the bay (yes we walked up and down those killer hills, even Fletch!) in the evening and ate fudge dipped in melted chocolate from Browns Chocolate Heaven,


we sat on the beach in the evening despite the fog restricting the view down to about 10 yards and we ate dinner off the camp fire, well, it's a camp stove and it runs very nicely indeed on unleaded fuel (we hadn't tested it on run of the mill petrol previously), sites rarely allow actual fires these days unfortunately.

The only down side to the weekend was the sleep issue. Despite all the exercise I still couldn't sleep and spending the hours of darkness, wide awake, in a four seasons, expedition grade tent that has no space to sit up properly, becomes a little claustrophobic after hours and hours. Yes, I had anticipated this possibility, I had a book, a light and a torch but the torch bulb chose this moment to fail and anyone who camps will know it's never a good idea to completely deplete the only other remaining source of light. I though daybreak was never going to arrive!

Sunday finally dawned bright and sunny and off we went into Whitby. For Fletch this was kind of a trip down memory lane, he spent many happy childhood family holidays in Whitby and consequently knew his was around.


We had another day of grockle behaviour. We walked the harbour, visited Whitby Abbey (there is a funny tale to be told there another day), though Count Dracula seemed not to be in residence that day,


we ate the most fabulous fish, chips and gravy on the harbour wall and we took a boat ride out to sea resulting in the absolutely best bit of the whole weekend for me. We saw a porpoise!!! How cool is that?! A real live porpoise jumping merrily around just outside the harbour in front of the boat...amazing!!


Sunday evening was cuisine from the kitchen of Fletch and his camp stove again and then a swift walk to the local pub for the obligatory Guinness. By the time we arrived back at the tent the fog had returned and visibility was almost nil again.


Monday dawned damp and foggy still so we packed a very soggy tent (never good) and decided to head off home early on a protracted 'scenic route' via Scarborough (the only place I have ever seen a fetish shop on the main road!) and the moors. As we got further South the fog cleared and we arrived home to 28 degrees to add to our already lobster coloured skin!

It was an excellent weekend, really, I never imagined the area would be as beautiful as it is, I was wrong, I would happily go back tomorrow.

(Images clickable)

*The rest of the pictures and the 'arty'(?) stuff can be found HERE.