The previous day we had spent the whole day driving from West Sussex to County Durham for our Couchsurfing in Hartlepool. Even though we were a little weary, the following day we wanted to soak up our base of Hartlepool and the surrounding areas.
We started off and headed for Hartlepool headlands; I had no idea what to expect. We reached the coastline and was confronted with the North Sea lapping against the peninsula. It wasn’t the brightest of days and sea was as rough as you would expect on a cold, miserable day in January but there was something quite magical about the roaring sea. We wanted to get a better look, so we hopped into the car and drove along the coast for a few miles. I so glad we did in one way but I can’t say I was prepared for what happened.
As we were once again mesmerised by the beautiful raging sea we started to play a game with the sea (yeah were five); we watched as the waves crashed against the peninsula once again but this time as the waves were so big every so often they sprayed the pavement above. This of course turned into a game for who dares wins with Lee and me. Well, you have probably watched the video by now, but we both lost! Hehe, it was silly and very childish, but I suppose we got our comeuppance for trying to beat the sea and although I got soaked it was worth the few seconds of the incredible sights of the North Sea.
After our defeat we bundled back into the car and made our way to Hartlepool Marina, this was an eloquent little place with shops and restaurants, but we didn’t stop for long as we wanted to take a little wander around but unfortunately the lovely British weather was against us, and we huddled back into the car.
One thing that struck us was, the certain state that at the heart of Hartlepool there is a reliance on the trade industry. This was confirmed by our hosts. Also, they said that the local area was of relatively low income and the work that may be available is more than likely in the industrial warehouses. We enjoyed our time there, and we were glad it was a pit stop on our adventure.
