9 Oct 2023

Had coffee in our room and then headed out to Clifford's Tower, which is a tower on top of a very round grassy hill in York. The front half of the tower looks like it is sliding down the hill. There's a little chapel room and a garderobe and amazing views. On the roof platform, we witnessed a small flock of white swans flying past, honking with each wing-flap! I ended up buying an annual ticket for English Heritage Trust org cause it will probably work out cheaper than buying tickets to all the individual things along the trip.
We took a walk along the city wall near 'bitchdaughter tower' which turns out to come from dor + tour (sleep tower) which is where dormitory also comes from and was apparently a bitch to sleep in...
https://www.yorkwalls.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Bitchdaughter-Tower-History-CR.pdf
We stopped and had lunch in the cutest little tollhouse on the bridge - we went right up to the tower top and sat in a little circular room.
Then we drove to Scarborough and walked around the castle ruin there. We saw pheasants hanging around on the lawns. I also took a pic of Anne Bronte's grave.
Then we drove to Whitby and talked our way into the Abbey grounds even though it was about 15 mins past the time they let the last visitors in. We walked around the ruin and took some photos. it's beautiful. I must have been amazing when it was intact.
Marilla drove round to the other side of the inlet and I walked down the 99 (or however many it is) steps and along the little seaside streets, across a bridge and then up the other side. Whitby is a very cute little seaside town.
We drove an hr and a half up to Newcastle-on-Tyne to find our dodgy little stay - a room crammed with 2 single beds and a sink with a small bathrroom that just fits a toilet and a shower bay, under its gale-force fan.
The sinks/drains are all gaping open holes. Marilla almost lost our room keys in one.
We walked down the road to an Indian restaurant and had some tasty curries, naan, and lassis, then walked home again.

17,908 steps
12.03 km

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