Vikings!

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Geo: 53.9286, -1.38696

We set off from Bow Cottage, almost sad to be leaving it behind! We only went 100m, to stop at the bridge at the River Windrush, to feed the ducks. We were all most impressed when first Tom, then the rest of us, saw a big 25cm trout in the river – not bad for a river that was only 15cm deep! We wouldn't starve, living off the land in England – we have seen so many big pheasants, bunnies, ducks and now trout – it would be quite a gourmet smorgasbord! The ducks are so tame, they regularly stop the traffic as they march from the bridge across the road to the bakery (which sells stale bread for the ducks!) and the ducks charge any little kids approaching the river, fairly confident of a meal!

A long drive, 2 and a half hours, from the Cotswolds to York, and as we got close to York, traffic jams were apparent, so we took a less direct, but faster route through the countryside. You forget how industrial the North is, until you can see three or four big power stations, each with 8 belching stacks, from the road.

York is lovely. We arrived for a late lunch, and parked the car in the park next to Clifford's Tower – a 1000 year old Castle. Whilst the kids and Steven downed Cornish pasties (yum!), I queued for the Jorvik centre – was really surprised at the length of the queue, but it was fast moving. The Jorvik centre is wonderful – based on archaeological findings about the Vikings in York 1200 years ago, and showing through a wonderful display exactly what life had been like. The first room is down a flight of steps, measuring the soil level during different periods of history, so you descend through the Victorian and Georgian times, to Norman times and then to Viking days. Then there is a large glass floor, with artifacts that were found in the dig on that site in the last twenty years. It was amazing to walk over the floor and peer a few centimeters below us to see the remains of a thousand year old house, or to see a comb, coin or knife sheath in the mud. Then we hopped on a "ride" where we were seated in a carriage and taken on an audio tour of the Jorvik town, as it was in the street now above us, 1200 years ago. It was wonderful, very lifelike (right down to the smells of a Viking town!), and we all enjoyed it so much that, having listened to the children's audio tour on the first circuit, we asked to go around again and listen to the adult tour. I think that the kid's tour might be the better tour, but it was fabulous! The other rooms of the museum were also very interesting. Georgia found the description about how the archaeologists had assessed that a 1200 year old skeleton had been murdered (dents in the bones of his forearms from defending himself, before a killing blow to the back of the neck which severed the spinal cord) too graphic, but it is amazing to see what they can piece together – the forensic archaeologists could tell that he was a muscular man, about 25 years old, used to physical labour, because of the grooves caused by the muscles in his arm, and that his diet was rough, due to the wear on his teeth!

Then on for a bit of a walking tour around the streets of York – it was warmer in the city streets, where the wind didn't blow, although it was close to raining. The Shambles, narrow pedestrian streets around the York Minster, were wonderful – I'd happily spend a day shopping there! We then went to York Minster (the Cathedral) and it was a great privilege to hear the magnificent choir preparing for Evensong for Good Friday – the voices were amazing! For me, it really added to the wander around the Minster, even if it did cut our stay a little short (we meant to go to the Chapter House, and got distracted). The church was really lovely – beautiful carved statures of old kings of England, wonderful stained glass (the East Window, one o the highlights, is actually being restored at the moment, so it was missing – something to come back to see !) We hurried back through the streets, until we reached the car and the kids were very keen to climb to Clifford's Tower, and then to go in. So many of the historic places do something to make themselves more attractive to the kids – this Tower had a Easter hunt, where kids had to find the letters and then unscramble them to make a word, to win an Easter prize. The Tower had wonderful views over York, but was a little cold & damp at the top!

We've arrived tonight at the Swan and Talbot Inn at Wetherby. It's about 20km from York, a cute little town, and we are staying in a 16th century inn. The floors are so uneven in our room, and the floorboards creak and the doors are only 5 foot high – what wonderful character! The kids loved the fact that we just went downstairs to the pub for dinner, and that their pieces of fish were almost as big as them (I was very glad to have had the lovely salmon and dill butter, rather than more fish and chips! Tomorrow we are off to the Lakes District, via Fountains Abbey at Ripon and the Yorkshire Dales (Wallace and Grommit country, as well as James Herriot!)

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Comments

[Rick P]

Hi all and Happy Easter. What a wonderful time it sounds like you are having. Lovely photos in interesting narrative, it makes me want to be there too.Lots of Love to all.Rick

[judy]

YES, we did miss you whilst you were 'out of range', but, now have caught up on all our reading, it is now 4pm on Eastrer Sunday and we are off to Mass, happy Easter to all J & E

[Siobhan Healy]

Fantastic photos! I'm surprised how sunny it has been for you. I believe I won't need to start reading a new novel until you've returned if you continue on like this. Hope you've had a lovely Easter.

[J&E]

we have just been to the movies to see Nanny McPhee which is set in the UK countryside, so we were able to imagine you walking down the lanes and around the villages and 'ducking' under the doorways. add this to the wonderful descriptions o
f K & G and 'WE ARE THERE WITH YOU'and we went throught the clem 7 !!!!