Yorkshire
We had wanted to visit Yorkshire as part of our trip because we're both fans of the stories written by Alf Wight, more commonly known as James Herriot, which share the adventures of a beginning veterinarian working in the Yorkshire Dales. We have both read the books many times, and have watched the excellent BBC TV show adaptation which showed the beauty of the countryside. So we knew if we were going to the UK we had to spend a little time in Yorkshire.
To get there we took the train north out of London to Northallerton. It was a great way to travel, with the journey only taking about three hours. In addition to the cafe car, they had a trolley that was pushed up and down the cars for purchasing a quick snack. It reminded us of Harry Potter, even though we didn't see nay Chocolate Frogs available for sale.
When we arrived in Northallerton the biggest challenge of this trip faced us. We had rented a car to get around the countryside. Soon I was seated in the driver's seat on the right side of the vehicle, with the stick-shift in my left hand. Yep, everything was opposite to what I'm used to. One blessing was that the pedals were the same as at home, so it was still the left foot for the clutch and the right foot for gas and brake.
I was thankful that we had started our driving in the countryside rather than a big city, but Yorkshire roads presented their own challenges. They are narrow, hilly, and twisty. Many times there is a wall mere inches from the side of the road. I also hadn't driven a manual transmission for about 20 years, so I had to get used to that. All in all driving in the UK wasn't terribly difficult, but it took a great deal of concentration. I would have Julayne remind me to remember to turn right into the left lane, and she made sure I didn't brush up against any of those pesky walls. It was definitely a team activity.
Most roads were just wide enough for two lanes of traffic, but there were often cars parked on either side of the road in the villages and towns. This made for lots of stopping and waiting for oncoming traffic to pass before dashing past parked cars to an unobstructed part of the lane.
One thing that was a big help was our GPS. We had purchased the UK maps before we left, and they were a lifesaver in Yorkshire. (We had also used it once or twice in London to find a close Starbucks or tube station.) Our destination this day was The Wheatsheaf, a small B and B that has the distinction of being the place where Alf Wight and his wife spent their honeymoon. The GPS took us through tiny roads and twisty turns to successfully get us to the inn. I don't think it would have been half as easy if we'd tried to do it from printed directions.
Along the way we stopped at the Wensleydale Creamery where we were able to sample some of the most fantastic cheese I've ever tasted. We bought a couple of wedges to take with us and nibble at later. It was heavenly, and only lasted a few days before we finished it. Now I wish I had more.
The Wheatsheaf is in this little town called Carperby. In addition to the beauty of the countryside one of the remarkable things was the quiet. When the occasional car wasn't passing by, all that could be heard was the occasional bird, cow, or sheep. We ate dinner in the dining room, where we had some excellent food, and I had an equally excellent locally brewed beer.
We saw a lot of the countryside, having booked a driving tour for the next day. Once again the pictures tell the tale, so check out the albums and videos on Facebook (Julayne uploaded them and I shared them. Check my posts of July 14). Suffice it to say that Yorkshire is lovely with often breathtaking scenery. After the tour we went to the James Herriot museum in the small town of Thirsk, and stayed at another B and B across the street.
We had great service in both of our B and Bs, and they were the only places we stayed at in the UK that provided free internet with the rooms. The rooms were cosy, homey, and a wonderful place to say the night. I only wish we could have stayed longer.
The morning of our third day in Yorkshire it was back to Northallerton to return the thankfully undamaged car and board another train to Edinburgh, Scotland, the final destination of our UK adventure.
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