Day 26 York, UK

It was already raining when we got up this morning but Alanna still headed off for a run. On her return we decided to explore Yorkshire a bit more dispite the weather. We first visited a town full of character called Knaresborough. The town centre is above the River Nidd and its main feature is the railway viaduct which was best viewed from the medieval castle remains above it. We walked around the streets and only about half the little shops were open as it was only the 2nd of January. We drove on to the next town which was Pateley Bridge. The drive was on very narrow roads with stone walls on either side and there was a lot of surface water. Pateley Bridge was also full of character and perched on a steep hillside. We stopped into a very old fashioned pub for a pie and veggie lunch. We then moved onto Grassington which was another town on a steep hillside. The shops were interesting but very small and old fashioned and the buildings full of character. By now it was 3 pm and already getting dark so we decided to find a route home. I was driving and again it was a huge test of my skills as I negotiated many roundabouts in the dark, a lot of water on the roads, and also a huge build up of transport around the city of Harrogate and persistent rain. We were so pleased to get home and inside and relax. At 6 30pm we headed into town for a lovely pizza at an Italian restaurant. It was a dismal night with few out and all under umbrellas, including the group going by on one of the many ‘deathly dark ghost tours’ run in the city- a good night for that!Read more