The next day we set off for York. A comfortable walking distance from Middlethorpe Hall, we headed for the road along the river.
The road was busy with cars heading for the York races. The event seemed to be exceptionally well organized, and traffic, both foot and vehicular, was kept moving in a brisk and orderly fashion.
Delighted to discover Terry’s chocolate factory en route, I harkened back to Terry’s fruit pastilles of my childhood, the unvarying treat purchased with my 10-cent weekly allowance. Our entire family has fond memories of Quality Street chocolates and Terry’s chocolate oranges, the stocking stuffer of choice at Christmas.
The riverside path into town was busy with nattily dressed people heading for the races and more casually attired children and parents destined for the beautiful parks.
We loved this ice cream boat awaiting its first customers of the day.
We entered the city via the bridge near the museum and castle.
A lively carousel just outside the museum was set up for the day.
York is a walled city founded by the Romans in AD 71. Large portions of the walls, upon which one can walk, are still intact.
We started the day by visiting Fairfax House, a lovely Georgian Townhouse just inside the city. Upon leaving the museum, I purchased a set of antique Ashworth Ironstone (?!) from the tiny shop adjacent to the museum. Honestly, some days I wonder about myself…
In the Shambles, narrow cobbled streets run between the crooked timbered houses.
York is famous for its Minster, the first of which was built in the 7th century. The current building is the second-largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. It’s had its share of rough treatment over the years, between the looting and ransacking following the English Reformation and the determination of Queen Elizabeth I’s to remove all traces of its Catholic origins, but it escaped Cromwell’s worst. A fire, thought to be caused by lightning, destroyed the roof in the south transept 1984, and restoration work was carried out fairly quickly.
Head over to our blog on York Minster for more details!
Replete with beautiful sites, we set our weary feet on the path back to the hotel. Along the way, we encountered a few gentlemen who had apparently spent the afternoon enjoying liquid refreshments in a local pub. Their attempts to hold each other upright contributed to their erratic progress, but they covered the ground surprisingly quickly. We were most impressed! Practice, perhaps?
