York

in York we ended up inan excellent location (thanks Grant!) near the Holgate Bridge. It was a B&B , but more like a hotel as I don't think anybody lived there and it seemed like there were rooms spread across2 houses. Turns out to be an excellent location as it was a short walk into town. There were frequent buses up to York Minster.

We had some dramas about parking due to some vans in awkward places in the hotel parking area but made it in unscathed in the end. Phew.

We walked across the bridge and through the city gates. Grant was keen on eating on a smoked meat place just inside the gates but I was slow to pick up on it so we ended up at a place overlooking the river instead ☹

The next morning we had a lovely breakfast cooked by a friendly Italian cook and then caught the bus up to the Minster. We figured we needed to go into at least one cathedral - so We went to York Minster. We were particularly taken with the air force memorial - which is a lovely clock that showed the horizon on the current date.

We were also taken with the tombs. The medieval ones were delightfully quaint. We were also taken with some 19th century bishops shown reclining leaning on one elbow, in full bishop regalia with cherubs off in the corners.  Very odd.

The most humbling thing of all being that these people, who all thought they were important enough to have these large memorials built, we're all totally unknown to us...

I do also love the carved screens with all the Kings from William the Conqeror - well the first 20 or so.

We went on to the Treasurers house - now that we are National Trust members we like to find a National Trust property where we can. The treasurers house was restored (we now know) by a chap called Frank Green in the in the late 19th century. Sounds like a bit of an eccentric chap. Apparently had lots and LOTS of money due to an invention called Greens economiser which was patented by his Grandfather. ANyway, he left the house and the contents to the National Trust on the basis that it should not be changed.

We also managed a walk through the Shambles - narrow cobbled streets full of shops. A lot of the, seem to be chain shops these days. We managed a walk along the old city walls back to the gate leading out to the Holgate bridge.

Unfortunately Jorvik - which is a kind of Viking theme park - was flooded in the Winter and has still not recovered - so wasn't open.

And then it's off to Edinburgh.