Saltburn-By-The-Sea, England

It was time to be enroute again.... as I found my way back to England, my last stop before leaving Europe. I had to organize my China visa and Tibet permit.

I arrived in Saltburn around 4 pm on a Friday afternoon. The skies were a little bit gray. I hoped it wouldn’t rain. The main goal was to surprise Josh and Jade, the couple I met when I joined the Moose tour through the Rockies in Canada. I did mention to Josh before that I planned to visit them at the start of my Europe leg. But because of the technical issues I had with booking my train to Scotland, I had to cancel that plan. Though, when I got to Edinburgh, I decided why not pass by, surprise them and say hi. He always told me before that I’d fall in love with the town. I understood what he meant when I got there.

I passed by Signals Bistro, hoping to see the lovebirds coz that was the family business. But when I couldn’t see a familiar face through the glass windows, I figured, Josh must have planned something special for Jade since it was her 21st birthday. So I went straight down the road to the hotel. Yeah…hotel.

I wasn’t really keen to book a hotel. But because the town didn’t have a hostel, all I had for options were hotels and B&B. For some reason, almost all of the places were busy. I remember emailing a B&B I chose online, just to be told that they were fully booked for the weekend. Good thing I came across a good deal at the Spa hotel. The location seemed nice when I checked out the map online. But when I got there, I was just awed by the scenery. It was right on a hill overlooking the sea. Stunning.

I found it a little bit awkward checking in a hotel with a backpack. I felt out of place. SO MUCH out of place. The place looked prim and proper, and there I was in my hiking boots, heavy backpack and front bag… looking like a hermit/nomad who might not be able to pay the night’s accommodation. But, the staff was friendly, so I was totally fine with it eventually.

the wharf

Having a room to myself in such a cozy setting was Heaven. Pure Heaven. And I told myself, why not…? It wasn’t like I had a choice anyway. But I told myself, It was about time I gave myself a break from the tiring sleeping adventures I’ve had on the road. I deserved a cozy bed for 2 nights, for a change. 

The hotel was just a walk down to the beach. The waves of the ocean was very relaxing to watch as I walked down. I was smiling all the way, loving the view. The long wharf that extended through the beach was a hangout for lovers, families but most especially fishermen who saw it as a place to catch up with friends over a few beers. The blue skies slowly came out when I started snapping photos, which gave me the best opportunity to capture the beauty of the place. Saltburn by the Sea is one of the seaside resorts within the Redcar and Cleveland area up North Yorkshire of England. It wasn't really far away from Edinburgh if you look at the map.

From the distance were gigantic wind turbines found on the shores of the town Redcar. Dark storm clouds formed as I watched the sun set from a distance. I later learned that a lot of residents were complaining about it, just the same in Wellington. But, I found it amazing, renewable energy. It might have done damage during the building phase, but in the long run, I see that renewable energy would always benefit citizens.

 As I walked on the wharf, I bumped into 3 elderly women visiting Saltburn for the weekend. It seemed to me they were having a girls weekend out, giggling all the way as they walked towards the end of the wharf, keeping their eyes on a young couple. It was hilarious hearing their crazy retorts, and one of the ladies told me to try the Fish and Chips at the harbour because the chips were awesome..but not just that...because the boy was gorgeous... <laugh> they were really cute. I can imagine myself growing old and still saying such cheeky retorts.

I met a gentleman fishing with 2 boys. I've always enjoyed talking to local fishermen, asking them what the usual catch of the day would be and how often they'd hang out. Apparently, he was teaching them how to fish. He was a cyclist, and considering to travel from north to south in New Zealand...with him and just his bike. Well, he wouldn't be the first to do that. It was something typical. When it started to drizzle I had to find shelter and leave them behind. I still intended to linger around so I could capture night shots of the wharf. I heard it was a sight to see.

The night scene was awesome, with the wharf getting lighted up. The effect was stunning with the water underneath. I took a photo quickly and had to walk back to the hotel before I froze to death. I wasn't equipped with the proper cold weather, although September wasn't really a month I'd think would require winter attire.

I met up with Josh and Jade the following day. I was glad to be given the opportunity to meet up with them even just for an hour. That's the thing when surprising people. When not fully planned, you might be the one for a surprise. It just so happened that Josh bought Jade tickets for a vacation in Spain, and they were to fly on that Saturday. I was still glad to see them though. It was a great feeling meeting up with them after last seeing them in Canada. I've been following their updates on facebook and was so happy for Josh pursuing his music dream. awesome stuff. I also met his twin sister Lydia, who was manning the kitchen that day. They had me over for dinner too, and I also checked out the bar upstairs which Josh designed and made himself. It was great seeing them in their lovely hometown.