Whitby

So what was Whitby like?

It was very pretty.

The land rises rapidly from the sea, before dropping into the valley through which the Esk river flows. After that it rises again into the moors. These are a very odd place to look at. The folliage of the plants growing in that area seemed to be almost purple.

Whitby itself is very nice but you always seem to be heading up or down hills.

At night the gulls are very loud. The parking in the centre of the town, especially around the blocks containing B&Bs, is at a premium, and the weather seemed changeable. But these are the only down sides.

There is plenty of fish and chips to be had, much of it apparently caught locally. The food seems inexpensive and of good quality and there are lots of little shops to explore.

For me is was great to see where some of my ancestors lived. Following discussions with the local heritage society, I know that there are Vaseys buried in the local cemetary and I am sure I will be heading back to the town to do further investigations in the future.

Of course, Whitby is also where Captain Cook spent a number of years before setting off on his trip to find Australia. The Endeavour was actually a locally built ship.