To Scarborough

July 13, 2024

Rachael is engaging in one of her favorite evening pastimes when she announces she has a problem: she can’t find any reasonable spot for dinner near tomorrow night’s lodging, the Premier Inn in Scarborough. I find that hard to believe because Scarborough is a larger place, a seaside resort that must have tons of dining choices. So I bring up the map myself and immediately see some promising spots just a block or two away.

Confusion ensues, and it takes us a few minutes to realize that Scarborough has two Premier Inns and we booked ourselves into the wrong one by mistake - the north one really does seem to be out in nowhere land. Fortunately this one has a one day cancellation policy, so we book the other one and then cancel the first. No harm done.

Scarborough is one of the easier rides facing us in the coming weeks - just 22 miles with no severe terrain challenges. There is one challenge though, the weather. The wind is still blowing strongly from the north today and showers were predicted throughout the day when we checked the forecast last night. Fortunately there’s an easy fix this time - a short-line train that runs from Bridlington to Scarborough, departs roughly hourly and takes bikes. We could bike 22 miles into a cold wet headwind of course, but given such a convenient alternative neither of us is inclined to. We’re more worried about the day after, and the challenging ride up the coast to Whitby with no reasonable train option.

In the morning though things look slightly better. It’s still windy, raining and cold, but the rain is supposed to take a break for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Time enough for us to bike the whole way if we hurry I point out, and sweeten the concept by pointing out that there are four different train stops on the way so we could just keep biking as long as the weather holds and bail out at the next train stop if need be.

That earns me another volley of Rockydarts®️, so I clarify that I was just making a theoretical point, not actually suggesting we’d do such a foolish thing.

Its raining when we check out of our room at eleven so we relocate to the hotel lobby to wait until 1:30 when it’s time for us to leave if we’re going to make it to the 2:11 departure from Bempton we’ve booked ourselves for. It’s a reasonably easy four mile ride so we won’t need much time, but I’m anxious as we bike along because we were held up at the end by a conversation with a lady waiting there with us - the same one who was the guest of honor at a 75th birthday party at the restaurant two nights ago.

We make it though with time to spare, happy that the hoped for weather break did materialize. It’s dry when we start out but is beginning to mist or worse by the time we reach the station, so neither one of us has regrets over the plan. I certainly don’t.

We’ve timed our arrival perfectly, showing up nine minutes before our train arrives. We wouldn’t want to stand around in the cold and wind on the platform for much longer than that.

Finally! It’s late, by maybe twenty seconds.

The train ride goes well - easy on, easy off. We enjoy a conversation with the conductor (he grew up near the station in Scarborough and points out the walls he walked on as a child when we pull into the station), and appreciate the help we get from another passenger lifting the bikes down when we get off.

Entering Scarborough, still feeling surprisingly fresh after our four mile ride.

This Premier Inn is only three blocks from the station (and thanks again to Rachael who helped us discover we’d booked one four miles away, a distance we wouldn’t have enjoyed at all since by now it’s raining again). We arrive at 2:45, still too early for check-in without paying extra; but they bend the rules and find a room that’s ready now - and it’s even on the ground floor so it’s easy to just wheel the bikes down the hall to it.

At dinner time we walk the few blocks to Il Piatto, a nearby Italian place that looked attractive. It’s a good choice - the menu has appealing options, with me picking a pasta and Rachael prawn skewers - and it’s an esthetically pleasing small place, the sort of business we like supporting. Best of all though is sympathizing with the server, a young woman who’s maybe in her early 20’s, has a bright personality and platform false eyelashes, and is on her first day on the job - we could easily be her first customers. She really doesn’t know what she’s doing yet but she tries hard and has a good attitude. We leave a good tip when we go and wish her well.

At Il Piatto, one of our favorite restaurants of late.

The rail has stopped by the time we’re done eating; and since we’re only a few blocks from the waterfront and I’ve never seen Scarborough I decide to take the chance to look around. Rachael joins me as we walk down to the waterfront through the park, but after she’s ready to turn back I continue on for a circuit out one of the fishing piers. I don’t know why, but I’m really surprised by how attractive I found Scarborough to be. It’s a place I’d like to return to for a longer stay someday.

Scarborough is a split-level town, with most of the hotels and commercial activity at the top of the cliff and the entertainment below.

It’s a steep climb from the waterfront to the upper town, but there’s a funicular if you need one. Built in 1881, it’s Britain’s oldest surviving cliff railway.

Saint Nicholas Gardens is an attractive green space bridging the upper town and the waterfront. Through the arch is one of the towers of the immense Grand Hotel.

It’s pretty chilly, but Rachael braves the elements with me for a few blocks before heading back up to the room.

Scarborough’s current town hall was originally Saint Nicholas House, a private mansion built for one of the town’s prominent bankers.

The Scarborough Lighthouse, built in 1806, was largely rebuilt after it was partially destroyed when the Germans shelled the city in WWI.

On the South Bay waterfront. I wonder what Pure Rock is.

Towering above the South Bay waterfront is the immense Grand Hotel. Built in 1881, at the time it was the largest hotel and the largest brick structure in Europe.

Dunnocks are birds I’ve seen a few times before, but not this close up or as clearly.

Today's ride: 4 miles (6 km)
Total: 2,672 miles (4,300 km)

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