York - What a wonderful city Friday 20th June

Today was sunny, and getting quite warm, well at least 20 degrees!  In fact it is winter at home and today at one point the temperatures were the same.

As we really didn't know just how far out of town we were, we caught the bus from around the corner.   Some rather famous people have frequented Clifton, as Dame Judi Denche's mother lives 50 yards away and Guy Fawkes went to St Peters school just along from the bus stop.

John went off and was in Train heaven at the Railway Museum, while I managed to spend time going up and down the various little streets inside the old town.  There are restaurants galore here, and they had a Food and Wine Festival in the Market Square.  I got off the bus a stop further than the Rail museum, and with so many people around me I ended up walking away from the Old Town, but I managed a few shots as I went.

Part of the town walls, they surround the town and are extremely thick

The gate houses at the river Ouse

We went on the cruise later on

Fit people could walk around the walls.

Back into the pedestrian shopping area, and I really couldn't believe the number of shops.  High end fashion, quirky small stores, and there is an area called the Shambles, which used to be the butcher shops, with meat hanging over the outside.

No butchers in there no days, this is Town Hall.  On one of the top 10 things to do in UK is a trip to Betty's Tea Rooms, only about 40 pounds for afternoon high tea, each, but this morning there were not many inside.  When we walked past later they were lined up to get in!  Lots of tourists around, lots from China here as well, as it is a very popular tourist stopping point.

They have made minature cakes etc for the Tour de France

One tour group in the memorial gardens yellow flowers everywhere

I found the Gap store, and thought I would add to my grandma basket with something from Gap, pity though all their overpriced clothing and garments are made in Vietnam, or Sri Lanka.  I would have expected European made to match the prices.  Managed to score a special though!

Then I went to the toilets, have to share this one, 40 pc for a pee, I told the woman I have never paid that before, then you go to the toilet, if you can find a clean one, and when you are finished the seat revolves, then it flushes!  I guess that is what you get for 40p, I spoke with another lady and we discussed that for 40p we should at least have clean toilets, so she told me to tell the lady when I left, so I did!  Rip off it is. 

Down a bit further, and there were these lovely tops, I thought they would be about 30 pounds, but instead, in a run down market stall they were upwards of 200 pounds!  Any wonder they weren't walking out the door!

But I made up for it in the wool shop where I got bamboo yarn, and a couple of patterns, and best of all they sell worldwide from their online shop, so much more variety and patterns than we get.

This is the shambles, dark and depressing cause it is closed in.

Then it was up to the cathedral, the York Minstries.  It certainly is very large, and very impressive, taking a photo to do it justice is almost impossible.  Renovations were being done.  

An amazing Cathedral

John got back then, and reckoned you could spend a day at the Railway museum, not the 2 hours that he did.  We had lunch and then went to the cruise on the River Ouse.

War Memorial

Blending in with the yellow!

While I was waiting for the cruise, I was talking to a lady who asked me if we had been to Harrowgate, yes I said, and can you tell me about it.  Turns out it is where the rich retire to, any wonder the houses are so large and the Porches are in the carparks.

Never know when an ad for Norfolk Island will appear

Can you see the brick wall in front of the houses? That is the flood levy built to protect the houses.  Could you imagine the uproar if one of our councils wanted to do that, and guess what it worked.  While UK was under water these house were fine.

Families of ducks that are as big as geese are everywhere

This building was flooded in the last flood.   Like a lot of towns the old wharves and riverside land is being redeveloped for housing and restaurants.

Started by William the Conqueror.  He razed the town after 1066.  The Vikings were here for many years, and there is a Viking Museum which we didn't go to.

Railway station

This shop has a sign, no photos, so I pretended I was taking a photo of the street, but it has the best floral decorated bicycle in the front window.

Back home and a bit of a foot rest for me and a pa nap for John, before we drive into town for dinner, found Eat Italian, and they have the very best pasta dish that I have ever eaten.  And pasta is not a favourite of mine, but the seafood raviolli is so delicious. But with so many choices, lots of pubs, who knows.  We might just have to do as the locals do.