At some point last year I casually asked my cousin Joanne if she wanted to come over to England with me sometime. She immediately said yes much to my delight and we began several months of plotting and planning. We share the same grandparents (our mothers were sisters) who immigrated to Canada in the early 20th century from Gloucestershire, England. Just the other night we were happily exchanging "grandma stories" of her life both here in England and in Canada. As teenagers and young adults we both confessed to rolling our eyes (though not that she could see!) when our much loved grandma started on a story we had heard many times but of course now we would love to be able to sit down with her and hear those stories all over again. We narrowed our destinations down to visiting our cousins in Yorkshire, Edinburgh, the Lake District, North Wales and London. I was going to write these posts as week one, two etc. but have decided to concentrate on one area at a time.
So here we go... our trip started on Monday April 29th when we met up at Calgary airport to board WestJet's new dreamliner to Gatwick Airport. This was only its second flight! We opted for seats on the aisle opposite one another so we could still chat but have easy access to the toilet! I always go for the aisle seat on the right so Thelma (my knee replacement) can stretch out a bit. It was nice to have a bit of extra leg room and seatback entertainment. Yes, seatback entertainment is usually a normal feature on overseas flights but not previously with Westjet. So that's an improvement. We also got complimentary meals AND wine - once again, not previously provided on West Jet. As airline meals go it was probably one of the worst I've had but hey, it was free.
The aisles were still narrow - every time I fly on a plane and my hips are bumping people I think "damn, I need to lose weight"!
After clearing passport control ("hmmm...I see you come to Britain quite often" said the customs officer.."yes I sure do, I love it here" I replied and she smiled and said "enjoy your stay" - insert big WHEW!!!) and getting our luggage we validated our Britrail passes and were off on the train to St Pancras station. From there we walked across the street to Kings Cross where I asked the guard which carriage did not have reserved seating (you have to book your seat two hours ahead) and we were set.
Two hours later we arrived into our first port of call; the ancient city of York. I had booked us into the Premier Inn near the station so it was a short walk. Later we went for an early evening walk along the city walls into the city centre. We climbed up to them at Micklegate shown in the following picture.
Above is the Treasurers House which is said to be haunted by Roman soldiers.
Walking towards York Minster on the city walls. York has more miles of intact ancient city walls than any other city in England.
I find it incredibly difficult to get decent pictures of the Shambles due to the bad lighting - at least wandering in the evening I was able to get less people in than I did the next day.
According to legend Mad Alice haunts this snickleway (what small alleys are called in York). Beaten remorselessly by her husband she finally killed him and the murder caused her to go insane. She was hanged at York Castle in 1825 and it's said you can sometimes see her face looking out through one of the windows along the lane.
Then it was time to hit the hay so we could go exploring the next day. The next morning, after a quick stop at Costa Coffee - and Joanne's first "flat white" which she seemed to enjoy, it was time to start walking. Our first stop was York Minster. While York Minster is also a cathedral it is known as a minster. A minster is a church that was established during Anglo-Saxon times as a missionary teaching church or a church attached to a monastery. A church has existed here since the 7th century. It is absolutely breath taking inside and out and I never tire of visiting it. We were lucky enough to arrive ten minutes before a guided tour was due to start and we found it so interesting and informative.
After a snoop in the shops it was time for lunch so why not afternoon tea at Betty's tea room?
This tiered tray was ALL MINE!!!
York really should be on any visitors' itinerary in England...the history is amazing..Romans, Vikings..wonderful walks, beautiful old buildings, gorgeous shops and lovely tea rooms. It's my second favourite city in Britain.
The next morning we headed east on the train to Malton where our cousin Judy (our grandmothers were sisters - this sister was the only one who remained in England and had children) and her husband Colin were there to meet us and whisk us back to their beautiful home in Beckhole which is near the coastal town of Whitby. There started 72 hours of being totally spoiled with delicious home cooked meals, comfy beds, warm hospitality and being driven wherever our little hearts desired. It really was a wonderful way to begin the trip.
After lunch we headed over to Whitby, parking at the Abbey and walking down (and up) the famous 199 steps. (Whitby Abbey inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula and Dracula turned himself into a black dog leaping up those 199 steps)
We then visited St Mary's church which sits close by.
Looking down towards the harbour - and the beginning of the 199 steps!
One of the many charming streets in Whitby
One of Whitby's residents with St Mary's and the Abbey in the background
Huffing and puffing back up those 199 steps but still smiling
The next morning we headed off to Robin Hood's Bay which is a quaint (very) hilly village that is very popular with tourists.
And back up the hill again!
Then it was off to Sandsend where my English family once had a seaside cottage - it was in a row of cottages that featured prominently in local calendars! Joanne had fond memories of staying there about...um..fifty years ago!
We then walked along the sea to a local cafe and had fresh crab sandwiches - yum!!
Once back at the house we decided to give Colin and Judy a break from their Canadian cousins and Joanne and I decided to walk into nearby Goathland to look in the shops. Joanne's mom and dad had stayed there on a few occasions. If anyone has watched the British TV series "Heartbeat" this is where it was filmed (called "Aidensfield" in the show) so the place had special meaning to us. My cousins were extras! Judy told us we could walk along a rails to trails path and it turned out to be a lovely walk.
Posing with one of the police cars from "Heartbeat". Fun!
Judy fixed another lovely meal and we had a relaxing evening.
After breakfast the next morning our cousin Sue picked us up and we were "hers" for the day! First stop was an exhibition of Sue's paintings. Sue is such a wonderful artist - we are so proud of her! We loved seeing her exhibition which was held at the The Moors National Park Centre near Danby.
On the way we saw the most incredible rainbow!
Just a few of Sue's beautiful paintings.
Sue then drove us over to view the ruins of Danby Castle.
After lunch we drove over to visit another cousin Ann - Sue's sister. Yes we are lucky enough to have three cousins in England! We got to meet Ann's new doggie (a black lab) named Jet. I think loving dogs must be in our DNA! It was just so good to be with the cousins again!
Sue then drove us back to her place where she fixed us a beautiful chicken meal. We were truly spoiled!
The next morning I took a few photos of Beckhole where Judy and Colin live - such a gorgeous little village.
We had such a wonderful time with our family. My mom's side of the family is quite small - my Auntie Marge (Joanne's mum) always joked that we could have a family reunion in a telephone box!
After lunch Judy and Colin drove us to Malton where we caught the train to York and then onto Edinburgh. But that's another blog post!
So here we go... our trip started on Monday April 29th when we met up at Calgary airport to board WestJet's new dreamliner to Gatwick Airport. This was only its second flight! We opted for seats on the aisle opposite one another so we could still chat but have easy access to the toilet! I always go for the aisle seat on the right so Thelma (my knee replacement) can stretch out a bit. It was nice to have a bit of extra leg room and seatback entertainment. Yes, seatback entertainment is usually a normal feature on overseas flights but not previously with Westjet. So that's an improvement. We also got complimentary meals AND wine - once again, not previously provided on West Jet. As airline meals go it was probably one of the worst I've had but hey, it was free.
The aisles were still narrow - every time I fly on a plane and my hips are bumping people I think "damn, I need to lose weight"!
After clearing passport control ("hmmm...I see you come to Britain quite often" said the customs officer.."yes I sure do, I love it here" I replied and she smiled and said "enjoy your stay" - insert big WHEW!!!) and getting our luggage we validated our Britrail passes and were off on the train to St Pancras station. From there we walked across the street to Kings Cross where I asked the guard which carriage did not have reserved seating (you have to book your seat two hours ahead) and we were set.
Two hours later we arrived into our first port of call; the ancient city of York. I had booked us into the Premier Inn near the station so it was a short walk. Later we went for an early evening walk along the city walls into the city centre. We climbed up to them at Micklegate shown in the following picture.
Above is the Treasurers House which is said to be haunted by Roman soldiers.
Walking towards York Minster on the city walls. York has more miles of intact ancient city walls than any other city in England.
I find it incredibly difficult to get decent pictures of the Shambles due to the bad lighting - at least wandering in the evening I was able to get less people in than I did the next day.
According to legend Mad Alice haunts this snickleway (what small alleys are called in York). Beaten remorselessly by her husband she finally killed him and the murder caused her to go insane. She was hanged at York Castle in 1825 and it's said you can sometimes see her face looking out through one of the windows along the lane.
Then it was time to hit the hay so we could go exploring the next day. The next morning, after a quick stop at Costa Coffee - and Joanne's first "flat white" which she seemed to enjoy, it was time to start walking. Our first stop was York Minster. While York Minster is also a cathedral it is known as a minster. A minster is a church that was established during Anglo-Saxon times as a missionary teaching church or a church attached to a monastery. A church has existed here since the 7th century. It is absolutely breath taking inside and out and I never tire of visiting it. We were lucky enough to arrive ten minutes before a guided tour was due to start and we found it so interesting and informative.
After a snoop in the shops it was time for lunch so why not afternoon tea at Betty's tea room?
This tiered tray was ALL MINE!!!
York really should be on any visitors' itinerary in England...the history is amazing..Romans, Vikings..wonderful walks, beautiful old buildings, gorgeous shops and lovely tea rooms. It's my second favourite city in Britain.
The next morning we headed east on the train to Malton where our cousin Judy (our grandmothers were sisters - this sister was the only one who remained in England and had children) and her husband Colin were there to meet us and whisk us back to their beautiful home in Beckhole which is near the coastal town of Whitby. There started 72 hours of being totally spoiled with delicious home cooked meals, comfy beds, warm hospitality and being driven wherever our little hearts desired. It really was a wonderful way to begin the trip.
After lunch we headed over to Whitby, parking at the Abbey and walking down (and up) the famous 199 steps. (Whitby Abbey inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula and Dracula turned himself into a black dog leaping up those 199 steps)
We then visited St Mary's church which sits close by.
Looking down towards the harbour - and the beginning of the 199 steps!
One of the many charming streets in Whitby
One of Whitby's residents with St Mary's and the Abbey in the background
Huffing and puffing back up those 199 steps but still smiling
The next morning we headed off to Robin Hood's Bay which is a quaint (very) hilly village that is very popular with tourists.
Then it was off to Sandsend where my English family once had a seaside cottage - it was in a row of cottages that featured prominently in local calendars! Joanne had fond memories of staying there about...um..fifty years ago!
We then walked along the sea to a local cafe and had fresh crab sandwiches - yum!!
Once back at the house we decided to give Colin and Judy a break from their Canadian cousins and Joanne and I decided to walk into nearby Goathland to look in the shops. Joanne's mom and dad had stayed there on a few occasions. If anyone has watched the British TV series "Heartbeat" this is where it was filmed (called "Aidensfield" in the show) so the place had special meaning to us. My cousins were extras! Judy told us we could walk along a rails to trails path and it turned out to be a lovely walk.
Posing with one of the police cars from "Heartbeat". Fun!
Judy fixed another lovely meal and we had a relaxing evening.
After breakfast the next morning our cousin Sue picked us up and we were "hers" for the day! First stop was an exhibition of Sue's paintings. Sue is such a wonderful artist - we are so proud of her! We loved seeing her exhibition which was held at the The Moors National Park Centre near Danby.
On the way we saw the most incredible rainbow!
Just a few of Sue's beautiful paintings.
Sue then drove us over to view the ruins of Danby Castle.
After lunch we drove over to visit another cousin Ann - Sue's sister. Yes we are lucky enough to have three cousins in England! We got to meet Ann's new doggie (a black lab) named Jet. I think loving dogs must be in our DNA! It was just so good to be with the cousins again!
Sue then drove us back to her place where she fixed us a beautiful chicken meal. We were truly spoiled!
The next morning I took a few photos of Beckhole where Judy and Colin live - such a gorgeous little village.
We had such a wonderful time with our family. My mom's side of the family is quite small - my Auntie Marge (Joanne's mum) always joked that we could have a family reunion in a telephone box!
After lunch Judy and Colin drove us to Malton where we caught the train to York and then onto Edinburgh. But that's another blog post!
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