Saturday, April 30, 2011

A day out in Whitby

We visited Whitby via the North Yorkshire Moors Historic Railway. The railway runs old steam engines, and travels through the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. Flat Stanley came with us as you will see.

Sofia and Stanley on a double decker bus. We sat on top. See the roof going by in the background? I always think riding on the top is a bit like a carnival ride, which features tree branches coming towards you at 60 or 70 miles an hours. Its a one/two lane country road; why slow down at all?!


The Yorkshire Express Steam Engine arriving at Pickering


Sofia and Flat Stanley with the conductor
Sofia and her friend.
Mum and Me. Thanks Sofia.
A Pheasant. These little guys are all over the Moors, at least in the Park.
A cute little historic train station. One of these was used in the first Harry Potter film.
There are flowers everywhere you look in England in the sprintime, even next to the train tracks. So pretty.

The stunning view of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park from the train. Although I must admit I am a bit jaded from going over the tops so many times.

A short video of the train ride. Sofia is obviously fascinated. (she's reading a magazine.) Teenagers make great travel companions.
Another view from the train.
Arriving at Whitby with this amazing view of a viaduct.
(train bridge not a water bridge)
Mum and Me in front of the Harbor at Whitby. The church and abbey are on the hill behind us, but you can't see them very well from this view.

We decided that we couldn't come to Whitby and NOT climb up to the Abbey, so this is the view from half-way up, aka a good reason to stop so I could catch my breath! Living on Kent Island (read very flat place), in a rancher does not give you much opportunity to develope those muscles that take you UP! York isn't very hilly either, so hills are always a treat!
  
Sofia and Mum leading me on.

Whitby Abbey made famous by the book Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Why anyone built an Abbey up here, we can't imagine. Its soooo windy!


Mum and Sofia taking a quick break.

A Picture Perfect Day!

The view from the church yard next to the ruins. All the names have been blown off the gravestones by the wind and salty air.

Enough of the scenic views, we are off to find some fish and chips, but look at this awesome Victorian tile that I found instead. I know, I'm an Art-geek.

Rock
The seaside/holiday treat for British kids.
Its a foot long piece of hard candy with the name of the town twisted into the core. Yum!

Time to catch our train back to York


Friday, April 22, 2011

York Minster with Mum

Mum just came to visit and as luck would have it, flat Stanley was also in town. We managed to squeeze in quite a lot in 5 days. We had a wonderful time and did a lot of touristy things which we have not done so far, just waiting for someone to visit us. England in the spring time is amazing! We started out in York and visited York Minster
Mum and Sofia in Museum Gardens, in front of St. Mary's Abbey ruins.

Buying a "Fat Rascal" scone at Little Betty's Tearoom

A break for icecream in the Minster gardens


The Natives by the River

Constantine I, became Emporer of Rome in York in 306

Glass in York Minster
Masonic symbolism in glass

Angels in the Minster

The West window York Minster

Sofia posing with the Minsters inhabitants.
An English Holly