Scarborough

On the 2^nd of October I visited Scarborough, which is about two and a half hours northeast of Lincoln by coach. The international office arranged the trip so I was traveling with fifty or so exchange students. We were blessed with fair weather that day and I was able to get some pretty nice photographs. Scarborough was originally established as a resort town for the English in the mid Nineteenth century. The life of the town revolved around the Grand Hotel, which has four imperial towers that loom high above the sea cliffs. Descending the cliffs to the boardwalk one is privy to a splendid view of colourful sailboats and the diving and rising of gulls. Meandering along the promenade you will find a wide selection of and trinket shops and stands selling fish and chips. The architecture is pleasing to the eye and holds a certain charm in its semi-dilapidated state. Now days Scarborough serves mainly as a retirement community and survives off its draw as a relic of old fashioned tourism. It’s fun to imagine the resort side as it once was, bustling with aristocratic life from all over Europe, trains rolling in daily full of English men and women eager to escape their daily routine. Scarborough has the look of a town that has seen better days – but for me that was half its appeal. The other half of was divided between the castle and seeing again the ocean. I had not seen the ocean since March and it was nice to again smell salt in the air. The castle grounds have various components, the oldest dating back to the time of Roman rule. It was used as a lookout point for seafaring attacks from the Rhineland and Lowland peoples. Henry II developed the main fortifications during the 12^th century. Atop the ramparts the whole town is visible and this is where I ended my day – watching the waves break on the shore.