Final Day - Robin Hood's Bay

Some final thoughts. I know I get wordy, so just skim through as you please. 

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."

Psalm 95:5-6

“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’”

Genesis 9:12-13

We woke to the sound of howling wind and rain coming down, and for the first time, it wasn’t a concern as we are taking the bus to Whitby. 

Breakfast room

Poached egg on avocado English muffin with her mom’s chili jam. 

Omelette with toast. I love the orange marmalade everywhere in England.  

As I was lying about in bed this morning listening to the wind and watching the rain trickle down the windows, I began to think about one of the tools we couldn’t have done without on this journey - our walking sticks. I feel sure that the first mention of one in the Bible was Moses, where God used that staff for producing water from a rock, turned it into a snake and back again and parted the Red Sea. 

The staff the psalmist refers to could be a scepter, walking stick, crutch, or some kind of support or prop. 

Psalm 23 starts right off with equating the Lord with a shepherd “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”. So, immediately we’re talking about shepherding tools. A shepherd might use a staff as something to lean on in case the ground is not dry or safe for sitting or for support when he needed rest during long days tending the sheep. I can certainly relate to all of those. 

For us today, the staff serves as a symbol that we too can find rest when we lean on the Lord. When we lean into Him, He’ll lean into us. He is both the shepherd and the staff supplying all the rest we need.

God also uses His staff to rescue us from difficult or dangerous situations. In the field, a shepherd would use the curly end of the staff to pull a sheep out of thick brush or to lift it if it happened to fall or was injured. God rescues us the same way. Any time we experience troubles (and He told us we would have them), He promises to be right there to save us from the evil one and lead us to safety. How well we experienced His rescue. 

The staff was also used to guide sheep across open fields and along rocky hillsides. It was a handy tool for making sure they stay on track. Psalm 23, verses two and three say, “He leads me beside the still waters…He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” The staff leads us to places where we can find peace and restoration amid the chaos in our lives, both day-to-day and in the long seasons. The staff also leads us on the paths where we should be so we can make better choices for ourselves and our families.

Our decision-making abilities and Christ-like behaviors are all dependent on God’s staff. Without it, we would never find rest, feel peace, or know if we’re heading in the right direction. 

I think of all the ways He used our sticks to support, rest, rescue, lead and guide us on this sojourn and I, once again, find myself at a loss for words (which you probably find hard to believe).

Begonias after the rain

Tide was in today 

So I decided to dip my feet in the North Sea, just as I had in the Irish Sea. 

A smugglers tunnel. Looking at this quiet fishing village, it might be hard at first glance, to believe that this tiny spot was one of the most important locations for smuggling in the 18th century. It was said that a bale of silk could be unloaded from boats and transported from the bottom of the bay to the top of the hill out onto the moors without ever seeing daylight. Looking at the narrow winding streets and mish-mash of tightly-packed houses, it is easy to see why!

Perched on the coast between the surrounding cliffs of Scarborough and Whitby sits a bay. The backdrop of the bay is an old Yorkshire fishing village. This is Robin Hood’s Bay, the gem on the picturesque coastal edge of the North York Moors National Park. 

Built on a steep hill, the old 17th Century village heads down to the Bay. Winding streets, steep steps and cobbled alleyways make up what was once called Baytown. A maze of a village it’s easy to get lost here in Robin Hood’s Bay. Just all part of the magic of what makes it so special. It's easy to imagine life here as it was 300 years or so ago.

After our massage (more a gentle caress 🥴), we had a proper English tea, couldn’t leave here without that experience.

View from the tea room. 

Jo Anne’s tea tray

In case you didn’t see it all, here’s another shot. 

Fruit Scone, Stamfrey Dairy Clotted Cream, Raspberry & Elderflower Preserve

Kitchen Garden Cucumber & Cream Cheese Sandwich

BBQ Pulled Anna's Happy Trotters Pork Wrap, Sweetcorn Relish & Smoked Mayonnaise

Ham & Ribblesdale Owd Ewe Cheddar Sandwich AND

A variety of sweets

I had lobster salad. Yep. It’s as small as it looks. 

Must have been tasty.

My dessert. A “hot chocolate” candy. Yep, it’s as small as it looks. 

Today has been a day of relaxing and reflection on the days past. It gave our minds time to catch up with our bodies and ponder some thoughts about the trip that we haven't really had time to put together. 

Our hearts are full and overflowing with England, with its fragrant air, peace, solitude, beautiful people, emerald fields, mountains, hills, valleys, melodious birdsong, colorful wildflowers, heather moors, sea cliffs, well-kept yards, narrow roads, stone fences, small spaces, china teapots, hot tea, scones with clotted cream, porridge, fish & chips, puddings (what they call dessert of any kind), the wit, the humor, sweet spirit, intelligence of the people, the ancient history across every square inch of the country (with which I'm sure I overwhelmed you), stone relics, stone cathedrals, sheep, sheep, & more sheep, horses, cattle on the hillsides, gurgling becks, rushing rivers, charming hamlets, quaint town centers, scenic vistas for miles upon miles, sleeping over pubs, fragrances of gingerbread, bergamot and lavender, (just to name a few). England. Beautiful, beautiful England. 

Surely there cannot be a finer itinerary for a long-distance walk, although a daunting one, for the Lakelands is a land of superlatives. It's the largest national park in England, home to its longest and deepest lakes and nine of its ten highest mountains. It's also holder of the national rainfall record.

And Wainwright's book is a must - it's not just a guide, it's a companion. The pipe-smoking, flatcap-wearing Lancastrian became an informed and opinionated member of our team, providing draftsman style drawings of the route and encouraging comments like "The first mile done and still going strong!" 😂

One. Step. At. A. Time, became our mantra; get up, walk, eat, sleep and repeat, became our refrain; and getting to the next destination - we will get there when we get there - became our goal. We shared so many emotions, overwhelming at times: gratitude for each other and the ability to complete this journey together, awe for the beautiful landscape, joy, contentment, love for where we are and what we are doing, but most of all, a better understanding of who God is and who we are in Him.

"O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure."      Isaiah 25:1

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, 'The Lord reigns!'"

I Chronicles 16:29-31

Tomorrow we are off to catch a bus and then a train and then a taxi to our hotel close to the Manchester Airport. 

Some interesting stat totals:

250.3 miles 

590,935 steps 

1224 floors

22 days 

209 Stiles

18 Inns and bag pack-ups

Hundred upon hundred of gates 

Numerous fish and chips,

steak and ale pies and sticky toffee puddings

It is a magnificent world. We have more blessings than we could ever count...so, I will sign off by saying thank you for following along, for all your delightful comments, and by wishing all of you, many more happy sojourns.