Actual Hike: We took the bus to Scarborough and walked back toward Robin Hood’s Bay
Expected Mileage: 14.0
Actual Mileage: 10.0
Worst Part of the Day: Wishing we had hiked instead of taken the bus
Best Part of the Day: Taking the bus and letting my feet rest (I know, I can’t have it both ways)
Bonus: AZ Turkish Restaurant (no fish and chips)
Accommodations: The Almar
Rating: Nice accommodations, lovely host and hostess
Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Hey Leslie and Mike!
A mini update…we are in Scarborough tonight in a lively guest house with an airplane sized bathroom, i.e. I put my shampoo and conditioner on the sink and just reach out from the shower to get it (no room for it in the shower).
We had our first really lovely meal at a small, neighborhood Turkish restaurant, AZ. It took about 1 and 1/2 hours so it is almost bedtime. The food was amazing.
We did take the bus from Robin Hood’s Bay this morning, about 30 minutes (with stops) on a double decker bus. We arrived at the Scarborough train station about 9:30 where we had some time before showing up to our B&B.
This was my great disappointment for this trip, taking the bus. I did not want to do it but my feet would not take me where I needed to go on this morning so there really was no other choice.
Our plan was to do some hiking on the Cleveland Way but my feet hurt so much I was almost in tears. Walking the concrete promenade along the waterfront to the trail had us sitting down every few benches. Neither of us had much hope for hiking.
Strangely enough after 2 Advil, a few minutes on the trail and using my hiking poles, the pain mostly subsided. We did a 7 mi out and back hike plus around Scarborough for 10 miles for the day.
Notes: I want to add here that John and I first visited Scarborough in 2000 on our first overseas trip together during our first year of dating. I had tagged along to sightsee while John was attending a conference at the University of York. We had an amazing trip! We had been dating about 6 months and everything was so new and exciting. We saw a billboard for Scarborough Fair and impulsively decided then and there that we would take a train to Scarborough for the day.
We walked from the train station to the beach where a lively beach scene was in progress. Fair rides were running, food trucks were everywhere and visitors were walking the promenade. We had so much fun strolling, peeking in gift shops and sticking our toes in the North Sea for the first time ever. The day was over too quickly and we climbed up the steep hill back to the train station vowing to return and spend more time.
So here we were, 18 years later. We had been looking forward to this overnight stay but we were experiencing a whole different type of trip. Scarborough was much bigger than we thought and a bit more grimy than we remembered and we had just walked 91.0 miles to get here. We don’t hold the same fondness for Scarborough as we did in 2000 but we look back at Boltby, Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay with those happy thoughts.
I think I am ok for hiking tomorrow, it is an easy 10-11 mile day and we may take a cab to the trailhead to avoid the concrete. Can’t believe it is our last day on the trail. It has been a special trip!
That’s it for tonight, hope to update you tomorrow.
Love,
Beverly
