Another travel log.  I went to Ireland with my wife, step-daughter, son-in-law to be & my wife for the Christening of my first grandchild: Aine Sarah Hildreth McGloghin.

Check out the corresponding gallery photos.  It rained the the whole time we were there.  She was baptised on 7/7/07.  That was the highlight of my week long vist.  But coming in at 2nd place is Newgrange:

 

 

The county roads in southern Ireland don't offer much for pedestrians or bicyclists.  No sholders on the roads.  No walking right-of-way allowing for walking.  Bicyclists alwasys were escorted by motorcycle with emergency flashers.

 

 

Littlebeck to Robin Hood's Bay

 

We covered about 12 miles quicky, considering we spent nearly an hour at a sit-down lunch.  While I thought we were done with the moors, we marched through a few more miles of drying heather with purple highlights and even a fairly soaked bog tugging at your shoes. 

 

This was the last day.  There were a lot of photo shoots, culminating in the dipping of the boots in the North Sea  (which require 3 or 4 more photos in itself).  While part of me is ready to leave, I have finally come to a level of hiking fitness that I have never known before: my shoulders are no longer sore from the day-pack straps, my feet are calloused, and my legs are well adjusted.  I think I've actally lost a few pounds, despite the "full English" breakfasts, the copius amounts of chocolate consumed on the trail, and the rich ales consumed at lunch & dinner.  My alarm is set for 4:30.  I'll rise, start the coffee pot and begin the final packing.

 

[Check out the gallery]

 

Cast of characters:  Joe Metz, Ann (wife), Emy & Haley (daughter & friend), Catherine (sister), Tess (niece).

 

Glaisedale-to-Littlebeck

An 8-mile hike through the Yorkshire moors [I'll omit the boring encounters with the hobgoblins].  I think that's the last of the moors.  Toward the end we got an excellant view of Witby and our first really good view of the North Sea.  There was little debate over which town it was, as the Abbey is predominate; located high upon a hill overloodking the bustling little sea-side city.

 

It was a very warm day (relatively speaking).  We stopeed briefly in Grosmont at a tea room.  I picked up a copy of the "Daily Mail" tabloidat the post office.  I also picked up a beef & salad sandwich and a bag of "crisps".  Everyone had a snack and/or a beverage.

 

The way out of Grosmont was a steady uphill, paves route that made the hike seem especially challanging.  At the top of the climb, there was a coast-to-coast sign that put us back on the back on a dirt trail through the moors.  It poured us out onto busy highway & then we dropped off the moors into fields of ferns, betraying the normal, rainy climate of England.  They are describing this as a "heat wave'".

 

As I write, we are settled into our room at Littlebeck and England is playing Portugal in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.  It's still 0-0.  There is a beautiful view out our window  -- very pastoral.

 

Tomorrow is our last day.  We hike 11 miles into Robin Hood's Bay.  We have to be ready for pick-up at 6:30 It will be a long journey and a long day getting home.  We arrive in San Francisco at 9:30 Pacific Daylight Time and have a 3-hour drive home.  We have an 11:30 flight out of Manchester and a four-hour layover in Philly.  I'm going to miss the walking (now that I'm in shape), but it will be nice to get home.

 

Blakey to Gaisdale, 9 miles.

We walked quickly and arrive at the Arndale Arms befor our luggage.  After a hearty [I'm beginning to see I use that adjective often in these travels] lunch, we took the train into Whitby (more or less a port city) at 3:15.  We did a lot of shopping that culminated with fish & chips at the fabeled Trenchers. The only one of two places that were repeatedly recommended.  The other one was Magpies & there was a line of people there for take-away [American: Fast food].

 

After arriving at Whitby, we agreed to split-up and agreed to meet at Trenchers at 5:30.  The last train left at 7:18.  Ann & I hit the "Chocolate Box" & bought Kendel mint cakes and several other essentials (milk chocolate, 99% cocoa chocolate noir and two kinds of black licorice).  We hit a Botts drugstore (recommended for hard-to-find pharmacuticals) and mad our way to a tavern that had an outdoor seating.  Along came Kay followed shortly by the youg women of the team.We all went about 3 doors down to Trenchers and and a phenominal fish & Chips dinner. 

 

We caught 7:18 back and showered/freshened up.  The young women watched "Big Brother" (a little different than the American version). and I wnet to the bar to watch the last of the Ukr Vs. Ita football game (0-3 final).