Blogs from York, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 3

Visited the city of York for a day-trip yesterday. The semester is done-and-dusted so this is the first of a handful of trips I plan to take before heading home. York is quite a historic city particularly because of its rich medieval heritage. While the city is quite large part of it is enclosed by a couple-story medieval stone wall. People can take stairs up to the wall at multiple points around the city and walk around while seeing some great views of the city and beyond. Among a few places we caught was Clifford's Tower, a round-shaped stone fortification built atop a large mound. While part of York Castle, the tower was supposedly constructed as long ago as the 1060s by William the Conqueror after his conquest of Britain in 1066. Virtually everything in the ... read more

I woke up in time to eat breakfast with my roomie/ new Irish friend Kieran. It was pretty much a continental breakfast of toast and apple juice. After breakfast I packed up my stuff and headed downstairs to check out. Kieran was heading to go explore the city while I was leaving, so he carried my luggage downstairs for me. I gave back my room key to the hostel owner, said goodbye to Kieran, and headed to the train station. I had one connection this time on my way to York. It was about a 3 hour train ride but split into two trains. It is always funny getting on the train because everyone is looking out the window trying to avoid you because they don’t want you to sit with them. I have become an ... read more

Have been a bit quiet over the past few days as we have been busy travelling around England and catching up with family and Friends. Our phones or rather our sim cards have given up the ghost and we are not happy with the Woolworths responses to our requests for help...they keep asking us to call them but when your phone is not working at all...it is very difficult to call them. Harrow.. We had a great time with Aunty Gaynor (my mum's baby sister) at the retirement village, got to see most of my old haunts and to catch up with my cousins and their wives at a lovely little Italian restaurant called Sambuccas. Gaynor spoiled us thoroughly and it was really good to catch up. Got in some shopping in Watford, we went by ... read more

After a few days in East Anglia, I took the train back up north. Changing trains in Peterborough I came across a group of men on the platform holding cans of beer and laughing loudly. Their accents were very familiar; I first noticed them when one, a heavyset, red-faced man wearing a beret, said something that phonetically transcribes as /ɑjɑlɹiʔman/ ('aw y'alreet man'). In the English spoken by the rest of the world, this roughly translates to 'you're welcome' or 'no thank you.' And I realized how much I had missed Geordies. On first impression, they looked like they would happily shove you onto the tracks if you crossed them, but they were genuinely friendly and polite, moving to let people go by and holding open a door for a woman with a stroller. Which just ... read more

Our campsite is an adults only one and Suzy is parked up near to the duck pond. They quacked away all night but that is the only noise we heard all night. We got up early and caught the bus again into York paying up our £3 return tickets. This time we got off the bus in the heart of the city rather than the railway station. So much for a United Kingdom as the pensioners got on and showed their bus passes and we parted with our money. It is an asset to the campsite that the bus stops outside. We walked to the Minster and paid our entrance fee of £9 each, reduced by £1 as we were seniors. The cathedral was beautiful inside,high and lofty and light. The roof covered in gold bosses. ... read more