Holiday In Yorkshire- Part 2

On Saturday morning we got up really early. It must have been 5-6. We had packed and were ready to go. We had decided that the dogs would come with us. Daniel was prepared to look after them at home (he had a week off work and college was on half-term.) so there would have been no problem in that department. We've taken Poppy before, and we'd specially booked a cottage which allowed pets, but we wouldn't find out the lay-out of the cottage until we got there. Meaning, if we wanted to go out without the dogs, how would we leave them? Was there a room we could leave them in which they wouldn't damage? Neither dogs has a habit of destroying furniture or making any sort of mess. They are thoroughly house-trained, but still there is the likelihood that they will make a mess if not let out regularly. Here they can run in and out to the garden all day. Alfie hasn't been on holiday with us before and doesn't travel well in the car (as mentioned in earlier posts.) although he seems to have settled down more recently when we've taken him out in the car when he goes in the cage in the back of the car.

We continued on our way and eventually found the cottage on Flamborough Head at around midday. We had looked on Google Maps before we'd left so we had a reasonably good idea where we were going, and to be honest, it's not exactly complicated as regards the road network or towns, villages or houses in that area of Yorkshire, so we didn't have much of an excuse. We knew that Flamborough Head Lighthouse wasn't far away, so with that as a landmark, we had no difficulties in finding where we were staying for the week. If we'd driven on, the road would just come to a stop at the edge of a cliff, and we'd have fallen in the North Sea!

Swallow Cottage, Flamborough Head, where we stayed for our week's holiday. Looking the other way you can see Flamborough Head lighthouse.

View of Flamborough Head Lighthouse from Swallow Cottage

Carol managed to get both dogs into the car, with Alfie in the cage and Poppy in the space at the back of the car. With the parcel shelf in place they seemed quite happy. We drove off without any sound from the rear of the car. Alfie doesn't 'do mornings' generally. When he sleeps, he goes off like a light. You daren't disturb him. If you do, it's at your peril, as he will growl at you. I don't think he'd bite you intentionally, but he can become quite snappy. I think he was half asleep when he was put in the car, and I assume he fell asleep. So he would have spend most of the journey north totally out of it. We had to stop at the Shell petrol station to fill up with petrol, and then went to get on the M1 just outside Milton Keynes. We didn't stop until quite some way 'up North.' One of the Service areas, when we used the toilets. We didn't disturb the dogs. We came off the Motorway near York and drove towards Bridlington and found a rather nice picnic area where we got tea and had something to eat, letting the dogs out to stretch their legs. (What the Americans call a 'comfort stop.') There were decent toilets, a kiosk to buy a snack and cuppa and a place to sit and the dogs could have a run. As soon as we opened the back of the car up, Alfie started his yapping, so everyone knew he was around! He can get quite excited and attacks the cage door with his teeth, and tries to catch the lead with his teeth also, and makes a lot of noise. Poppy, on the other hand, takes it all in her stride and doesn't need to make so much noise.

 The old Flamborough Head Lighthouse