Showing posts with label York. Show all posts
Showing posts with label York. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

York and Heading Home



 Today, my last full day in York, was my shopping day. Not that I bought a lot. I purchased a couple of tops in Fatface - I really liked this store and wish it wasn't only in the UK. I also bought a couple of things in H&M. Overall I was really quite restrained. I bought some English toffee which almost didn't make it home and a big 1.4 litre bottle of scotch when I got to the duty free store which I am still enjoying - and that was it. Oh, and a book which will be a Christmas present.


It was a day for exploring several snickleways...



and saying goodbye to the ever present and awe inspiring Yorkminster.

 I focussed on architectural features that caught my attention and interesting details like Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and drama...

 ...a cat climbing a brick wall...

 ...a whale spouting off up on another wall...

...found this bit of sensible philosophy in a window of metal wall signs: Life is like riding a bike, to keep your balance you must keep moving! (attributed to Albert Einstein) I liked the message - YES, I'll keep moving!

 This lovely fellow was above the entrance of a very deluxe old theatre. What does he see that is upsetting him so?

The inevitable "reflection" photos...


 I explored a few more churches... this one was really old and needed a lot of work - a fundraising campaign was in progress...

Pew boxes!

The carvings were quite primitive...


 I ate my lunch in the beautiful and peaceful churchyard...

This older gent had some music playing and he danced his way into our pockets hearts!

...the old and the new...

This photo has a postcard feel to it...

I could live here - a huge house on the river with my own tower ruins! Perfection!

The signs of fall are everywhere...

 While I leaned over a bridge I took a few photos of people enjoying the final remnants of the sun...



 The sun still reaches the cathedral but the narrow streets are getting darker.

Goodbye to the old city and the River Ouse - it's been a wonderful visit! 

Goodbye Micklegate! My favourite landmark!

And here I am after a quick flight from Manchester to Heathrow, then Heathrow to Toronto.  My daughter was waiting for me and we enjoyed a magnificent sunset as we headed west to London.
Home sweet home! 


Thursday, November 26, 2015

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...