Last weekend my husband took me away to Whitby for a 3 night break away because we both love the Yorkshire coast, it holds many happy memories for us.
I can’t believe how fortunate we were with the weather too ~ being on the coast meant we could enjoy the high temperatures with the relief of the sea breeze. So it wasn’t unbearable and perfect for being out and about.
Our hotel was perfect, I grew fond of it and the old traditional vibe it had. It was immaculately clean and very traditionally decorated. The room key was a real key and not a key card, plus we had a real key for the car park barrier too.
The dining room reminded me of the one in Fawlty Towers ~ the double swing doors into the kitchen from the dining room were the same. I kept expecting Basil to enter via these doors cuffing a cowering Manuel as he scuttled ahead of him. The staff wore uniforms of black dresses with white lace trimmed waist pinafores which was quite a throwback. The tables covered with very highly polished silverware (you could use it as a mirror), silver cutlery, silver salt and pepper pots and silver dish ware and teapots, coffee pots, milk jugs etc.
Breakfast was novel, no self service! Everything was on the menu and had to be ordered individually ~ then it was brought to you at the table. So orange juice arrived in a decent sized glass on a plate with a paper doily between plate and glass. Toast came in a silver toast rack placed in a bowl (to catch crumbs). Cereals, yoghurts, fruits, toast, croissants etc plus full cooked breakfasts came to order. So my orders were long asking for porridge, fruits, juice, toast etc which felt weird as usually these are items you help yourself to and I felt a bit extra.
We visited Whitby Abbey via car not the 199 steps, thankfully the blue badge afforded me access with minimal walking. The Abbey on the East Cliff was gorgeous and we were lucky it was pretty quiet which meant we could sit and just enjoy the surroundings. The graveyard just by the Abbey afforded views to the harbour and the two small lighthouses, we mooched through the graveyard looking at the ancient graves and enjoying the calm peaceful atmosphere.
Each day I got up slowly either up into flip flops and tee for breakfast with bed head in the restaurant or lie in bed whilst Dave went for breakfast returning with a bacon sarnie from the hotel kitchen for me. Each day was divided into two parts, with a return to the hotel midway for me to have a nanna nap to save energy, pacing myself. The hotel bed and pillows just embraced you and were so comfortable, which helped.
Over the long weekend we also took ourselves off to the beach, the quayside and to Bram Stokers bench. We finished with a boat trip harbour tour and the open top bus tour.
Having this time away has made me realise it may be time to consider purchasing a small mobility buggy as I couldn’t visit parts of the old town because I can’t walk too far and it was steep and involved much walking. My faithful crutches took good care of me but perhaps I could do far more and open my world up more by investing in a buggy.
Also ~ with a buggy I could “walk” the dogs again everyday, which I would really love to be able to do.
Me being me, managed to sprain my neck on the Sunday afternoon during my nap ~ I think I somehow twisted my neck in my sleep as I woke up with pain along the left ligament of my neck and pain on movement with referred pain along the jaw. Thank goodness for thermacare 16 hour heat pads ~ they are awesome and gave a huge amount of relief.
Going away always comes with payback and post exertional malaise, so I have been lying low and resting to return to my “normal”.
Now almost a week after the injury my neck is starting to heal and some movement is coming back. I had to miss my Tai Chi this week and so I am hoping my neck will be sufficiently healed by Thursday coming so I can go to my next Tai Chi lesson, I hate to miss them. I have the second Tai Chi for Arthritis DVD to learn the additional movements to complete the sequence for my physiotherapy and it really is a wonderful way to both exercise and meditate with calming suitable music.
If you are interested in seeing the full Tai Chi routine for Arthritis I am learning then you can watch it below in the video from YouTube.
I have started my orientation course on The Magickal Circle School and also learning my therapeutic touch alongside it, so all in all I feel life is now moving forward in a very positive trajectory ~ which is fabulous and long may it continue. In order to do this though I have had to severely limited my time on social media because I find I am too easily drawn in and distracted by it, which leaves me no time for “doing” and “being”.
If you feel I am being “off” on social media I promise you I’m not, I’m just practising self~care and focusing on living the best life I can by improving my health and overall well~being within the limitations of my energy and concentration levels.
I wish you all a great weekend and hope that you are spending time doing what you love.
~ Blessed Be ~
x~X~x
