Monday 20 September 2010

The sirens sweetly singing

Scarborough North Bay at 10 am...early sunsets here

Simply Red - Holding back the years

 [Wish I had found this video first it is my entire blog put to music!]

As always when I think of my special times or celebrating special event my mind always wanders down to the sea.
This is not as casual as it may sound as I am almost equidistant from both the east and west coasts. However my passion is strong enough to over ride practicalities and sensibilities, I do feel I am pulled and never quite complete until I am near the sea.
All that said as the rain had given up for a while yesterday I decided to head for the sea to set my soul free... I know they got back to the land to set theirs free but each to theirs! So a 75 mile trip for fish and chips and all the ice cream you can then fit in!
Ever since I was sat in the back seat of Daddy's car watching as hawks for the first glimpse of the sea, (had to beat my sisters!) I have always had this childish game of sea spotting and it still made my heart leap, when the sea appeared out from behind some hill. Like coming home the sea peeped out to welcome me for our adventure.
When I arrived at the seaside the typical British weather meant that the waves were crashing, I felt they were a happy (salty) dog greeting its returning master...but maybe that's me. I tried to capture this energy and natural passion in pictures but it somehow something is there in life that isn’t in a photograph.

My salty dog comes to greet me 
































We sat having flask coffee and donuts, the new traditional travellers breakfast, over looking the sea. Then off we set on our promenade walk, to a great performance by a very active and dramatic North Sea. Trying to avoid getting an early and salty bath, but the child inside hoping we would be lucky enough to be chosen by the big wave.

Hello old friend

 Once we navigated the perilous sea, promenade, we made it to the other end of Scarborough. It is split into two parts, The North Bay, where we were and I prefer, and the South Bay...where we now were and while there are elements I like it is often like a chore and I feel like I am visiting out of obligation if that doesn't sound to silly! I had hoped to pop into The Harbour Bar for a knickerbocker glory (ice cream!) but we ran out of time. Strangely I also wanted to visit the Ice Cream parlours toilets! They are amazing the room having mirrors to all four sides! But we had to get back to meet an old friend who lives there (In town not the toilets!)


The best Ice Cream Parlour in the Universe...with the best toilet!

After meeting my friend for an always too brief catch up, we adventured on heading the 20 miles to the neighbouring town of Whitby, which has the Worlds best fish and chip shop and, well it had to be done!

Meeting my friend was lovely!



 Ok I know it's Julia Roberts, but I can't put a picture of my lovely friend Gail without her permission so I thought Julia is a great actress she can play Gail in this Blog!
(John Cussack may play me and Barry will do his own stunts!)

Our special fish and chips devoured we thought we had best go try to walk it all off (a walk of about 8,000 miles needed!) but we headed off down towrds the pier

I stood with Barry at the end of the pier where earlier we had watched the lifeboat practice the seeming impossible route back and forth into the harbour through these awesome rolling seas. They managed it with reassuring ease. However as we stood in awe watching the waves attempt to destroy the pier, I watched through binoculars some cormorants on an adjacent pier...


See the cormorants? See that wave...??

 ...one successful wave finally achieved its life ambition engulfing my over confident friend and soaking him with a salty one second Tsunami.


Barry...I said SEE THAT...too late!

Oh how we laughed, although I was probably doing most of the laughing!
If you are wondering where the soggy Barry picture is may I point out that he is a great and wonderful friend...YES he was driving me home!

The sea water had ruined Barry's hair...but not his craggy good looks!
Managed to get legal release to publish the after effects of the Whitby Tidal wave. That combined with the fact that I have now got home safely!

Makes you humble when we have to accept that while we can build all sorts of barriers and structures to attempt control, the sea has forever to continue it’s inexorable and relentless path, and will do so patiently and effortlessly.

Julian Lennon - Saltwater

If you look close you can still not see any vampires...but if you listen well you CAN still hear me huffing and puffing!
 
 We walked on and on and up and up, Whitby is famed for it's Captain Cook connections and also that Bram Stoker, the Irish author and creater of Dracula, was supposed to have been inspired by the Abbey on the cliff tops at Whitby. Up I said and up we went...an unhelpful sign told us 199 steps...I looked around in vein for the escalator and crawled on up! No vampires but the stairs nearly did me in!

199 steps...even John Buchan stopped at 39!



Feeling that we had sucked the blood out of the days adventures we headed of across the wild and windy moors (I can still hear Kate!) back homeward once more. On route we stopped for one last flask coffee suprise and a wander and wonder at the beauty of our World....

I think this is where Rainbows are born
Off we drove two tired boys (one a bit damp still!) into the sunset of our big adventurous day...

Driving off into the sunset

 ...to dream of friends and sea and sand and STEPS and vampires and fish and ice cream and the next big adventures to come!
 



Sweet Dreams











5 comments:

  1. What a brilliant pice of travel writing, just loved it, well done. Take it you go a new crank to wind up the old computer then! Jayne x

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  2. Hey, we have the same blogspot desktop template ;)
    http://the-excerpt-reader.blogspot.com/ (AKA @donkeyride in blip.fm)

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  3. Absolutely beautiful photos, David!

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  4. You are a joy to read...more, please...

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