Pickering Castle Ruins
Pickering Castle Ruins
Pickering Castle Ruins
Pickering Castle Ruins
Pickering Castle Ruins-there were little kids sledding down the hills! It looked like so much fun I wanted to join in!
Pickering Castle Ruins-you can see the kids sledding!
A road in Pickering
All of the houses that I saw in Pickering were named. A lot of them were named after flowers such as Daisy Cottage. This one was named Bakehouse Cottage
I thought this door was really pretty, I loved the shade of red
Pickering Church-There was 15th century paintings inside that were supposed to be incredible, but there were church services going on so we were unable to go in to see them
The graveyard outside Pickering was so cool! I thought it looked like a movie set with moss all over the gravestones and the way they were unevenly placed.
After we left Pickering we headed to Whitby, but on our way we stopped in the North York Moors National Park to look at this giant "hole" Everybody thought this little valley was THE coolest thing to happen to England. I'll admit it was gorgeous, but I personally don't think the little valley behind me can compete with this lovely picture of Arizona's greatest feature.
Anyways.....It was a quick fun stop that was beautiful and a chance to stretch our legs before we headed to Whitby!
We arrived at the top of the main hill in Whitby, which is home to Whitby Abbey. This abbey is famous because in Bram Stoker's, Dracula. Bram Stoker was in Whitby when he was writing Dracula, and got inspiration from the town. When I got home I researched the history of it and found that it is very interseting!! Here is link for it if you want to learn about the history of Whitby Abbey!
Molly and I in front of the Abbey (this was as close as we could get without paying)
The western side of Whitby, looking from the Abbey
Eastern side of Whitby, you can see the North Sea in the rop right!
Walking down to the main part of town
I couldn't stop taking pictures of the harbor!
Whitby is famous for their fish and chips. Since it is a seaside town, the fish is very fresh! Our guide recommended "Mister Chips" which is INCREDIBLE!! My English flatmate believes that there is better fish & chips in England, but I believe I will not have better fish and chips than at Mister Chips.
You got to choose if you wanted your fish and chips wrapped up, open, or in a box. Since there were so many pesky birds flying around we opted for the box!
Stasia was very excited
Fish, chips, and ketchup of course!
After we ate we walked down to the oceanside. This was a little train tour going through town, it was adorable!
Some of the houses that bordered the harbor. I like how they were different colors, all of the houses I've seen until this are brown!
The little street that led down to the oceanside. It was filled with restaurants, gift shops, and arcades. I felt as if it was England's attempt at a boardwalk.
This is a "The best place for fish & chips" in England. However it is also expensive and had a long line, so we skipped it.
One of the street-side arcades, with all the classic arcade games
Then we went down to the beach! I was so happy to just be by the ocean and smell the air and touch the sand.
Myself with the lighthouse in the background.
All of the little kids were running around, it was so cute!
There were birds EVERYWHERE! When we were walking I saw a seagull eat a chip (french fry) out of a girls hand.
There were these walls built up to block the waves, and they had this green moss on it! My friend Stasia and I played around with my camera for awhile because the green is so vibrant!
Myself with seagulls, moss, and the Abbey in the background. I was so content
They had a pringles dispenser! I had never seen one before back in the states.
After we spent some time by the oceanside we took a 5 minute hike to a grassy area that overlooked the ocean. Captain Cook was born in Whitby and I believe he took his "Voyage of Discovery" from there (don't sue me if i'm wrong). Anyways, there is a statue commemorating him and his journey that looks over Whitby and into the North Sea
I thought the detail on the statue base was so interesting and unique
Stasia and I attempted jumping pictures, but my hair and scarf got in the way of a nice picture
After we left Whitby it was off to Goathland a little town about 30 minutes away from Whitby. It is the site of Hogsmeade train station in the first Harry Potter films. It is seen when Harry gets off the train at Hogwarts before going onto the boats, and it is also seen when Hagrid gives Harry the scrapbook from of his parents in the ending of Sorcerers Stone. Now if you know me at all you will know my obsession with Harry Potter. The McGill's as a family love Harry Potter, Jacob and Emma won us first place in line from the costume contest when Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out. They dressed up as Dumbledore and Madame Trewlawney. Harry Potter is the only way to read about wizards and witches in our family. Now, you can imagine how excited I was to see Hogsmeade station. I was running around like a kid in a candy shop, having my friends take pictures of me and beaming the entire time. I may have made a little bit of a fool out of myself, but oh well. It was SO worth it.
These were the only pictures I could find online of the station. I was trying to find a youtube clip but didn't see them anywhere! Watch the beginning and end of the first movie and compare my pictures to it!
I found a link that has all of the scenes with Goathland in it!! http://www.glendalehouse.co.uk/pages/harrypotter.htm
Goathland Station
Goathland Station
Goathland Station
Goathland Station
History of Goathland Station
Goathland Station-myself on a train
All of the tour students wanted to take a picture with the conductor, he loved it!
Lightpost at Goathland Station
Goathland Station
Goathland Station
Conductor!
Goathland Station
Myself in front of Goathland Station
Bye train!
A little moss covered house next to Goathland Station
Goathland was also a film set for some Scandinavian show called "Heavenly" I'm not sure what it was about, there were lots of car replicas so I took some pictures of them.
A little row of shops
After Goathland we had a two hour drive back to Leeds, which I was thankful for so that I could rest finally. It was a absolutely marvelous day and I am so happy that I went. I am off to Scotland next weekend!
-G
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