Whitby, An Introduction
I fell in love with Whitby the moment our train rumbled under a viaduct and around a curve, exposing the abbey standing watch over the town. Below the matriarch on the hill, a bustling harbor town was visible. A narrow inlet and two small lighthouses guarded the entrance, and rowing teams made their way in and out. Stepping out of the train station, I couldn't take my eyes off the dark structure above in all its glory. Next to it stood an impressive church, but my eyes were drawn back to the abbey. Even the giant, blue pirate ship couldn't distract me, despite my fascination with pirate themes. I'll be doing a series the second week of each month about the town, including the abbey and a series of sculptures one can hunt for, each with a story of its heritage. I was with a wonderful group of people on a writing retreat around Yorkshire, and Whitby was a one-night stop partway through. We'd taken a historic steam train across lush landscapes full of sheep to get there (...