Whitby

All what I had hoped to discover in Scarborough, I found in Whitby!



Already coming close to it, we could guess that this town has some enchantment to it. A little market was up and the narrow streets were so inviting.



The jeweller had wonderful hand crafted jet treasures and EG chose a very special necklace with Whitby jet for me. (I hope Friko IS now green ;-)

The "Shepherds Purse" could not be passed without getting into it. I so loved the atmosphere inside and took my time to do some purchases. Could you resist this?






Here is a shop with painted tiles. Perhaps they come from our artist in Britanny?





I would have loved to sit in "Marie Antoinette's" and to taste those delicious looking cakes on their stands but there were so many other things to discover as well!



In this place were several stands with all kind of crafty items for sale, as one can find out by the organ pipes, it must have been a church before. :-o



And then these inviting places with fresh food. But before that, we had to climb up.



EG insisted to crack all those 199 steps up to the East Cliff and St. Hilda's Abbey.



On the way up was this bit of "garden". I call it a sea garden. I love the way it is arranged and all the artifacts going with it. And in the air were all the noisy seagulls.




It was well worth the effort of getting up here, as the view is absolutely stunning!



What a place for the eternal rest, overlooking it all - forever.





Back down, we changed sides across the famous bridge - it was once closed for a long time due to repair works and we wondered how people managed that disruption?! - for to arrive to the world-famous "Magpie", people queuing for getting fish & chips from there. It was only 11 h in the morning...



But we could not, we had to catch "ous bous" (not sure how one would write in Yorkshire? I heard it and the sound was like "ussbuss") :-))))



It is a steam powered Sentinel and last of its kind still running. We had a somewhat bumpy, smoky ride uphill and down again and the funny comments from the lady were just unique and unforgettable.



After some delicious fish & chips we went back to our car park und found plenty of grey naughty seagulls pecking on the car roofs.



That was all much too short in Whitby but we wished to see the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and that was still some miles further and the tide had to be respected....

From Lincoln to Scarborough

Leaving East Anglia, we went through Lincolnshire (which I learnt is as flat as a witche's t.t). The Germans would compare that to Ostfriesland, which is so flat that people can see already on Wednesday who is coming to visit them on the following weekend ;-).
The roadsigns left me believe to be in the States: from Denver to Boston and then to Lincoln.
Arriving in Lincoln, EG's first words were: "shopping is the last I came for". Any woman would understand that this meant: WE are not spending any money! This did last for exactly 3 minutes because then a shop named "Greenwoods" popped up and the '70% off' sale sign inspired Mr. EG - "only having a quick look in my preferred outfitter's". ---- The pair of jeans fitted too well to leave it there and the black shirt with wing collar for 5 £, the very last, did want to change country. And on top of that Mrs. EG convinced EG that he HAD to rescue this wonderful soft cashmir coat as it cried out loudly to want to travel with EG to Russia when it is cold again. So here we have it.





I must confess that -back in the car- I was highly impressed by the way how quick this sales man in the shop got his tape measure round EG's waistline and at the same moment snipping fingers and ordering the assistant to get the right size blazer out in order to try the coat on a speechless EG. The only word of the sales man was: Fits you like a glove, Sir. Luckily, Greenwoods is a Gentleman's outfitter.



We spent some more money for an exquisit coffee at the ANGEL, a coffee shop which was in a wee church and then we left Lincoln.








Having passed the Humber Bridge (first time for me to cross it) we came through Beverly (Hills?).



The minster is very inviting, somebody important had his funeral and we could listen the music from the organ.



Beverly shows large paintings (obviously weather resistant copies) on all kind of places in the town and explains the picture's story and who painted it.



We went down the "Friar's Street" but soon turned back to the car as the noises of the nearby kindergarden left us almost deaf.



Arriving in Scarborough, this lovely lady welcomed us. My grandmother called Queen Victoria "grandmother" - due to the relation between the royal houses.



I had had a very romantic idea of Scarborough, perhaps because of the famous song and all the history around.



But when we came down to the seaside, I was so disappointed! It all remembered me of some kind of Blackpool, perhaps mainly due to all these bright colourful flickering neon lights.



And the weather was not really inviting and the wind was chilly. So we quickly had the desire to find a warm and cosy place in order to sit down for an "apéritif" before we would search for some food.



The first place was a real harbour pub and we did not stay long.



But then we found "à notre guise" and it needed some cider for me to get tuned in into the Yorkshire accent :-))). After a while we were chatting with everybody in there and also managed to integrate the Spaniards from the next table. When we watched the clock and found we should try to find something to eat, then another one paid for a round and so it went on and on and I was deeply astonished to hear (for the very first time) the ship bell ringing for "LAST ORDERS, PLEASE!"



We then were asked to meet everybody next day in Whitby...

Getting tuned for Scotland - Vorfreude auf Schottland - Bientôt en Ecosse

There is every year a special event in a place called La Grande Commanderie Nationale d'Alden Biesen . It is a very historic and important place and this is what happens once a year: Scotland exports itself to Flanders.
Here is the link for more details: www.scottish-weekend.be
The Scottish weekend took place just the weekend before we set out for the UK and so we got already the taste of Scotland whilst still being in Belgium. Plenty of competitions can be watched be it for pipe bands who came from all over Europe, for highland games, for dog's agility test and plenty of stands to buy nice Scottish (and other) items. We were lucky enough (in all that crowd) to meet with two different couples of friends just on the spot. The day was sunny, pleasant and due to the Guinness and the cider, the hours passed in no time and it soon got dark night and we enjoyed until the end the music and especially the band "capercaillie". But also all other bands who were performing were brilliant!











Soon after that, we took the tunnel instead of the ferry in order to save some time on our way up North. And had our first rest here: HEVER CASTLE in Kent.



The first impression was more of "the usual castle" but when we explored around those fantastic gardens, we were both quickly delighted of the display and the way it was mixed between ancient stone, statues, features and garden areas.



The "welcome" is dominated by all these topiairies and one is easily impressed by the wide space around the castle.





We entered the walled garden area which leads you from one theme to another and everytime plenty of stone features are integrated in the scenery. In fact, Hever is not only famous to be the childhood place of Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIIIth 2nd wife but has also one of the best collections of Italian sculptures in its "Italian Garden".





How wonderfully is that acer integrated?! I admire garden designers who have imagined this some 100 years ago, the wall would have been the same but the tree would have been like a tiny twig then.





All the different little areas give plenty of inspiration for a today's young garden
- like ours ;-).





At the end of the walled section, one arrives at this breath taking lake view. It is a real surprise to find it just there and it has a good size. One could even have an illusion of sea side.



On the way back in direction to the castle, it is all arched.



Then one arrives at the Dahlia spot. Hundreds and hundreds of dahlias in all size, colour, shape. A very good collection.



After that, we enter the rose garden. The gardener there explains that they are 7 full time gardeners. I wished I could borrow one of them from time to time to do those perfect deep edges around the borders.
Due to this visit, our lovely red rose which moved from the UK 11 years ago and which could never be found an identity for, is now revealed: it is "deep secret". This rose has a dark, healthy foliage, its flower is dark red, almost like the Baccara rose and it has a very sweet fragrance a bit like Marzipan. Whilst being dark red, it does love to be in the full sun. It is now pictured on the top of my blog.
The roses below are Buxom Beauty (purple) and Indian Summer (yellow). Both also with good fragrance.



As those garden areas are complete and miss nothing, they have also a dump section. The water which drips down on the side of all those arches leads eventually to a mystic grotto corner.







Leaving Hever Castle with plenty of pictures in our heads (and on the camera), we would have loved to go into the pub right outside (Henry VIIIth) but we have to continue through East Anglia only for to stay overnight in Bury St. Edmunds. This was unforeseen as we had a booking confirmation in the area of Swaffham. When we could not find it in pooring rain in later evening, I called the lady to find out the way but I found out instead that they had not registered our booking. However, this coincidence would not spoil our journey and we had a lot of fun with the other hotel where the kind of service reminded very much of "Fawlty Towers".
Next morning we set out for Scarborough.