Whitby - a grand day out

One of my longest standing pals came to stay with me last weekend.  She moved away from Yorkshire when she defected to the south for university and she has never returned.  I always feel that I have have to show her what she is missing here in Yorkshire when she visits.

On Sunday, we took a trip out to Whitby.  We had a proper seaside day.  Fish and chips, a pint in the pub, an ice cream at the top of the steps and a cuppa and cake in the cafe at the end of the day.

Whitby is such a lovely place.  Lots to explore, plenty to see and I think the the economic downturn has done the place a favour.  It seems to be doing very well lately with people preferring to stay closer to home or visit for the day.  Every where was looking lovely and freshly painted for the new season.

I met Pauline on the first day at Comprehensive School in 1971.  She was sat at the desk in front of me and turned around to say hello.  We have been friends ever since.  I love being in her company, she reminds me that I used to be a girl!

We explored the old half of the town - my favourite bit.

And we walked on the beach and out towards the end of one of the piers.

The weather was absolutely perfect.

It was our first seaside trip of the year and it was great to breath in the sea air.

We climbed the steps to the top of the hill where the Abbey sits...

... it's very steep and there are a lot of steps!

We also visited the lovely church at the top of the hill.  This is worth a look round if you have made the journey.  It has some great old family pews, is candle lit and has lots of interesting artifacts and stories within it's walls.

The stones in the graveyard tell the sad tales of many a lost Master Mariner.  Most of Whitby's male population at one time would have been seafarers of one description or another.

It truly is a perfect little seaside town.

On our way back to the car, we decided to call into La Rosa Hotel for a cup of tea and cake.  I had heard a lot about this very special place, decorated with car boot finds.

It stands overlooking the old town - across the harbour and has some great views from the balconies of some of it's rooms.  It has also had a very famous visitor in the past.

The tea rooms are fascinating with so many curio's and sumptious decor.  I asked the owner if there was any chance that we could take a look at a couple of rooms, and she kindly showed us the first two on the next floor.  They were totally fabulous and are now well and truly on my "list".  They are unlike any other hotel bedrooms I have ever seen.

We had a really grand day out in Whitby.  We really must make it a weekend next time.