York Day 2

You lovely people are good to stick with me as I select from thousands of photos of my trip - I promise to do the same for you! In addition to sharing about what was an amazing trip it creates a record that I can look back at when I start losing my memory! Ummmm, like NOW! Good thing I write up a few notes each day. 

 One of the many great things about the old city is that cars are not allowed in certain areas so people can wander around staring at the many wondrous buildings and streets without getting smacked by a car! I really appreciated that!

I've really zoomed in on this rooftop - trying to figure out what the draw was?!

One of the many OLD bridges over the River Ouse.

The second "The Three Tuns" pub I've seen (and imbibed in) recently :)

Your wouldn't want to drop your marbles in this slightly bowed building!

Snickleway alert!

And another...

The area of stores and outdoor markets was called Shambles Market. I had to buy another SD card for my camera (imagine that!) and a fellow fixed me up in about 30 seconds flat! Just absolutely loved roaming around in the maze of narrow streets.

 Thankfully NO CARS!!

Glad I'm not walking down this street a few centuries ago when all sorts of bodily fluids (ETC) were hurled out the upper story windows!

Ahhhhhh, look over there - it's Yorkminster again!

Different street, different view!

Way way way down there is the chapel where I attended Evonsong yesterday - it was thrilling! No one can sing like a choir of prepubescent boys!

Most of my attention was focussed on the many many scary and hilarious sculptures adorning ever pillar in sight. Unfortunately I didn't find the one where one of the masons is bending over MOONING the congregation!!! Those masons had quite the sense of humour!

In medieval times you believed in God due to the FEAR of what would happen to you if you didn't (BURN IN HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY!!), hence the many faces that look afraid!

 I swear the one below on the right looks exactly like the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz!

This one reminds me of Robin Hood.

So, basically because I could, I went on a tour to the top of the highest tower - they advertised it as 275 steps but I counted more than that!

Here we are about halfway up - we had to walk outside across a narrow wobbly bridge from one exit to another entrance - I didn't shake too much (DON'T LOOK DOWN DON'T LOOK DOWN!!)

 In the previous two photos those two towers were above me.....

....now they're below me!

I can see for miles and miles....

We were able to walk all the way around the outside of the lantern tower - this is looking at the rear of the church.

From another side - YUCK!

Here I am heading down - I didn't stop to carve my initials - it was a very narrow spiral staircase - people were a lot smaller then! You couldn't have passed anyone, if say, you had to PEE!!

Be afraid, be very afraid! The hands in the mouth expression was common.

My favourite!

No one knows how to name places like the British!!

 As if that wasn't enough excitement for the day I also went to the Jorvik museum. In addition to the Romans, the Saxons and the Normans York was also invaded by the Vikings! I went on this museum ride - it was so much fun I snuck back on it a second time!

Basically you're sitting in a moving car, like at a fair, and you moved past all these scenes of a Viking Village - it was very real - the people moved (hence the blurry photos) and spoke explaining what they were doing or conversing with each other. Everything was very authentic including the smells!! Think sewers, tanning hides, blacksmithing, cooking, fires etc. I loved every second of it!

This fellow was using leftover ends of lumber to make bowls and plates...

These two were fishing...

Getting the hide off a deer...

Husband and wife dickering over what to have for supper (some things never change!)

Building out of twigs...

And just because I care....

 One of my favourite snickleways...

Several pubs along the river where people gathered to bask in the last bits of sunshine for the day...

Finding my way home....

I only got "lost" once - so I ended up following signs to the train station as I knew how to get home from there so I wasn't really lost! Not really...

York Day 1

I was out of my B&B by around 9am each day and walked to the medieval centre of the city. It ended up being more touristy than I thought this being the end of Sept/beginning of Oct. though the weather was still really nice. There was sunshine with scattered clouds, no rain with highs around 19c. 

I dressed in layers and wrapped my sweater around my waist as the days warmed up. The first morning was especially foggy as you can see out the door of my B&B.

I didn't mind the fog; it added to the atmosphere of the city. Found a LOT of gorgeous spider's webs as I walked along. I really hoped I could steer clear of the brown recluse spiders that can cause terrible wounds with their bite!

The sun tried to peek out; it took about an hour for the fog to burn off.

Seems a different place first thing in the morning...

 In about 15-20 mintes I was approaching Micklegate where heads used to literally hang on pikes - that would definitely scare me off!

(Old) York is a walled city - the wall was about 2 miles in length but it took me quite a while to go all the way around because I'd stop and look at things.

Micklegate - here comes the sun!

Walking the wall - some parts date back to Roman times; other parts were rebuilt in medieval times.

In some spots you had to exit the wall, go down some stairs and the find where the wall began again. Several of the gates housed restaurants and tea shops.

Sculling on the River Ouse.

 I stopped to explore the remains of St. Leonard's Hospital, the largest hospital in northern England in its time...

Several sarcophagi - empty thankfully! (But where did they go???)

Also on these grounds were the remains of an abbey, remarkably beautiful.

When  I went back up on the wall I started getting glimpses of the great cathedral - Yorkminster!

 
The fog dissipated and I got some good shots.

After I descended from the wall (I had circled the city) I climbed up Clifford's tower, which was the Keep of York Castle. It was built shortly after England was conquered by William I.

It was quite a climb but my legs were feeling pretty strong.

These circular staircases can get a little claustrophobic!

But the views are fantastic!

 I wandered into the centre of the medieval city and was surprised at the crowds of people.  These 2 people were doing a balance defying trick - I couldn't figure out how they were doing it...can you? The person at the top had no visible means of apparently floating in air other than they both held the stick.

 There were so many medieval alleys to explore!

I love how the second and third floors jut out over the street - look out below!

My first glimpse of Yorkminster from the ground.

It seemed to loom over me wherever I went.

A couple of the "snickleways" found between buildings - I explored every one I came across :)

The west facade of Yorkminster - I'll explore it more tomorrow!

Constantine the Great - he was proclaimed Emporer in Eboracum (now York) when his father died in 306AD. This city has an amazing history!