I love being near the water, and the coast here in Northeast England is really spectacular with all the cliffs and small towns. Today we visited two towns, Straithes and Whitby. Both have historical significance: Straithes was the town where Captain Cook grew up (he discovered Australia and New Zealand, amongst other places) and was a popular stop for smugglers. Whitby is the home of a church and abbey dating back to the 13th century and these days is a coastal tourist resort. Both villages are located right on the water, and both are surrounded by cliffs. In fact, in order to get to St. Mary's Church (it seems like St. Mary's is a very common choice for church names), you have to climb 199 steps. Check out the pictures of what we saw. You'll see pictures of the rainbow over Straithes, a view of Straithes from the cliff above, a picture of Whitby taken from the steps(one of the prettiest towns I've ever seen), and pictures of the altar in St. Mary's Church and the abbey ruins.
Amy
