Sunday in Whitby

 As the sun creeps over the Whitby harbour it promises to be a good day to explore this town in full. The temperature is expected to be around 13 c but I’m not holding my breath, as we march out the door at 0845 heading for a place called the SINGING KETTLE looking for a big English breakfast. A short time later bingo we arrive and walk straight in, and I was not disappointed what a great way to start a new day. The day tourists are starting to arrive in their droves so we hit the big bus tour around Whitby to plan our next move ,as we begin our second lap we decide to get off at the captain Cook statue . The winter winds soon drive us to lower elevation ,this wind is coming straight off the North Sea and it’s damm cold ,and as the other people in this group scour the shops Wadda cuts a lifeless figure staring out to a empty sea . 4 hours in some excuses are being made to return home for a toilet break, but I know better they are showing signs of fatigue. Rested and rearing to go they soon hurry off leaving Wadda to tidy up this quaint cottage by the sea ,I’m soon on the high street trying to locate these shopaholics . And with the tourists starting to filter out my job has become a lot easier, laden with many parcels we head back home . Tomorrow Scotland…………Wadda 

Only in Whitby

 

Unknown busker 

The abbey 

The 199th step to the abbey 

Tour leader

Rachel’s favourite shop

Luxury accommodation 

Off to Scotland via Whitby

 For those of you who didn’t know Whitby is on the east coast of the UK and the starting point for many of captain James Cooks pacific adventures. Well it was also the start of another part of our fabulous holiday to the UK, arriving around 3.30 pm into Whitby by snail rail . Some of my fellow travellers were ready to call it a day but not Wadda he rallied the rest of the crowd and hit the ground running. As we moved our way through these magical narrow streets I was just spellbound, I’ve travelled around a bit and been to many beautiful places well this is high on the list of my favourite places. The trip up to the abbey was high on my list of things to do but the 199 steps seemed to deter my fellow travellers , so I set a leisurely pace the others soon followed . The views from the abbey over looking Whitby were something else so nothing more to say except I’ll try to send photos separately so see ya ……….Wadda

All roads lead to Leicester

 With my head still spinning we load the the little French car for another road trip this time to Leicester, unsure of the exact plan I’m just winging it . The driver and navigator will inform me on a needs to know basis, but WADDA knows they are planning something. Just hope it’s not another castle, museum or botanical garden . The news is not good cos our first stop is to be CASTLE ASHBY and gardens I knew it, much to my surprise this place was okay after a slow wander around we head to the car park and load up again . Destination unknown not long after resuming our journey they inform me we are now heading to FOXTON LOCKS ,as l stare out the window I start to have some doubts their mental state. The driver then puts pedal to the metal and launches us toward our next destination , we arrive in canal boat central and it I must say it is impressive . With my head full of everything there is to know about canal boats I must congratulate the driver and navigator for discovering this little treasure. Not much left to do but head into Leicester and locate the BELMONT HOTEL. Not here 20 minutes and we are off on foot in a strange city looking for you guessed it a museum, there day was complete, with my sore feet sorry arse and broken back I pushed on i dream of tomorrow ……….WADDA

PS can’t retrieve my photos I’ll try later

I love pommy land

 Hi to the lovely people who read these blogs I’ve shaken off jet lag and done travel time to Cornwall. I thought I’d lost my way with blogging but not so, I’ve also discovered some new interests which mainly involves sleeping and eating not necessarily in that order, and every spare moment we are doing some travelling. Where my daughter lives just outside Milton Keynes population 280000 is the ideal jumping off point to launch into the country side. The small towns and villages are certainly worth looking at,we visited the Bridego bridge , number127 this is the spot where the great train robbery took place in 1963 .Ronald Biggs and his mates nicked in today’s value about 43 million bucks in cash weighing over 2 ton and the rest is history. We visited a place called TRING it’s the home of Englands natural history museum WOW this place was unbelievable, three floors of taxidermy of the animals of the world including Australia’s very own tassie tiger. Tomorrow it’s off to Leicester for a couple of days then , as usual WADDA has meticulously planned to

Unknown 

Port Issac

Minac theatre 

Lands End

Polperro

Castle Coomb

Bridego bridge

travel to some special locations over the next few weeks. Just before I go it’s stopped raining the sky is blue and it’s between 13 and 15 this is the England I like……….Wadda

Hope you get the photos .

At last

 Well 6 days into this 6 week odyssey I thought I'd better extract my finger and get writing,so I’ll start at the beginning. We left Tullamarine last Wednesday bound for the UK aboard an Emirates A380 arriving at STANSTED AIRPORT some 24 hrs later. We were picked up and whisked some 130kms to my daughter’s house ,24 hrs later we began our trek to Cornwall. The first night we checked into the Cricket Field  hotel in Salisbury then off to check out the cathedral wow what a great building, it’s over 700 years old. Next morning we nose the little French car out into mainstream mayhem, yes traffic and plenty of it we are Dartmouth bound. After checking into a hotel called Dartington Hall I had to remind myself that the retired steel wheel cowboy could could be punching above his weight in this beautiful country estate ,what a beautiful place. As we push further into Cornwall heading for a place called the EDEN PROJECT more tree huggers per square foot than you could imagine but well worth a visit. Moving forward  we stumble on a fishing village called Polperro and what a stumble it was and I’m loving every single minute of it, the next 3 days we will be residents of the Medeun hotel on the outskirts of Falmouth .Monday morning it’s fine and clear the forecast is 10 to 12 so we head to Mousehole~ first grab at a Cornish pasty and what a treat to enjoy on a park bench overlooking the small harbour .  Next stop ~MINACK theatre, no time to explain just google it and you will see why my description would be hopeless. Penzance is in our sights and pretty soon the little French car has swung into a car park and it’s hit the shops, in my eyes Penzance was not up to our high standards so we moved on to Lands End. If you like Australian saltbush and not much else-   Head here for some uninteresting landscape.  Plenty of ramblers taking in the views but this couple of old fossils preferring the French roller skates of the Citroen than legging it too far ! A few more happy snaps and it’s off to ST Ives and it’s just beautiful and I have soon learnt that with beauty comes traffic and lots of it . Today is Tuesday so we set off in the rain to another coastal village ~ Mevagissey. The Cornwall quaint coastal villages are really a mastermind of architectural design and sheer guts- built in unforgiving hillsides, steep outcrops and maximising tiny spaces.  Really only a place to visit in the off season. Thunder and lightning Cornish cream tea helped to steal our nerves for the white knuckled drive through miles and miles of hedged roads.  Think Rachy has been brushing up on her driving skills at the Red Bull  centre in Milton Keynes- she certainly has embraced the head on approach to small lane driving !111. We arrive at the Trebah gardens 1 day before our ticketed date… one of a rolling wave of senior moments on this adventure…..Our last night here I’ll probably stuff a couple of Cornish pasties into my ever increasing stomach,that’s it for now………Wadda

Wadda is back in the air

 With Covid long gone I’ve decided to dip my toe to back into international travel, my better half will be my travelling companion this time. No boys only trip to the ISLE OF MAN this time , no this is a garden hunting flower sniffing journey with guess who. Deep in the heart of a British winter it should be fun ,travelling throughout Britain, Cornwell and Scotland and by the time I finish this 6 week odyssey I hope to fallen in love with old ENGLISH pubs and open fireplaces. To be continued next week when my pilgrimage begins……….WADDA