Of Dracula, Whitby, England and Wheelchair Travel

Dracula, by Bram Stoker, was such a big movie hit. When I first watched it, I got fascinated by the handsome bravery of its male characters and with the sophistication of its female characters. I particularly love the outfits of Mina and Lucy, the female leads. However, Dracula, the book, was more vivid in describing the locations, particularly the English town where Count Dracula, disguised as a wolf, arrived from the shores of Transylvania, a fictional country in Europe and not in the United States of America. Through my good friend Janet's surprise tour of York itinerary, I was able to visit Whitby, the place that inspired Mr. Stoker to create Dracula, the most famous vampire in literature.

 Using my electronic mobility scooter at the historic city of York, my companions and I proceeded to a bus stop just outside the York train station. As the 840 Coastliner bus arrived, I pressed the disability/wheelchair button next to the bus door. The bus then lowered down to the pavement and the driver alighted to lift the accessibility ramp for wheelchairs. I drove my mobility scooter and positioned myself to the seat designated for wheelchairs. A blue stop button was also strategically positioned beside the seat to inform the driver when a wheelchair-bound passenger has to get off the bus. Within the 2 hours and 30 minutes journey, we passed by England’s proper historical villages such as Pickering (whose train station was mentioned in the book) Goatland and Sleights. Comfortably seated beside the window, I enjoyed the lovely view of the rolling purple hill of lavender sprawling on the field of North Yorkshire as we headed for Whitby.

The captivating view of the Lavender Field of North Yorkshire as we went on with our journey to Whitby

I did not expect the sight in front of me. I felt like I was included in a scene on the covers of Hallmark greeting cards. The sea is a lovely backdrop of the tall lighthouse.  Ships used to dock here and so did the Russian ship named Demeter filled with wooden box cargoes from Transylvania, with the dead body of the ship captain, as written in the book. On the right side of the Tate Hill Pier are the picturesque old brick and white houses just below the East Cliff where the Whitby Abbey ruins gloriously stands. The Abbey is the town’s oldest and most prominent landmark. It is also where the requiem mass for Lucy was held, as written in the book. As a tourist, one will sense that there is really something haunting about Whitby, which probably inspired Mr. Stoker to write a horror novel in the year 1897. In the story, Mina used to sit near the tombs. And though I haven’t ascended the steep stairs to the mountain, my cousin Deanna, who went up there, showed me pictures of the Whitby abbey and the tombs around it. Many of those who were buried there died of shipwrecks. It was also once the burial place of the royal family of the Kingdom of Deira between the periods of AD 657-664. I glanced up and stared at Whitby Abbey with interest. Indeed it looks melancholy yet eerie. Just like Mina and Lucy, I too wanted to sit there. The sight stirred up the creative side of me and I yearned to write. No wonder the town of Whitby has produced Caedmon, the earliest recognized English poet (7^th Century) who wrote hymns using Old English and whose  works are prominent pieces in the Anglo-Saxon Literature.  

The picturesque view of  the East Cliff with the Whitby Abbey ruins on top of it 

The Tate Hill Pier

The melancholic and haunting view of the Abbey ruins and its graveyard

Although narrow, the old cobblestone alley of the Whitby town centre has pavements that wheelchair users can use to check on the shops, I highly recommend a stop to the Whitby Jet Black Stone jewelry shops. I bought a piece of jewel there and I am happy I did. The Jet Black stones of Whitby are the finest in the world and can only be bought there.

From thousands of Craftsmen, there are only 12 shops left handcrafting the Whitby Jet Black Stone jewels at the Town Centre

With my “out-of-the-Dracula-book” experience, I have to say that Whitby is one of my most favorite places in the United Kingdom to drive around my wheelchair.

Tips:

1.       Do not leave Whitby without eating their world famous Fish and Chips at Magpie or Quayside

2.       Buy a hand beaded bag in one of the shops there. They are unbelievably gorgeous.

3.       Spend at least a night in Whitby if you want to see more of its sights.

4.       Try to spend one Halloween there. They are famous for their Dracula inspired merriments.