The early coach ride from Newcastle to York, England was pleasant!  Especially so because I still had beautiful music running about my brain from the evening before.  That and the rolling green countryside dotted here and there with sheep and cattle made for a very quiet peaceful trip!

The coach stopped at the curb across from the York station so we gathered luggage; trudged across the busy street and qued up (that’s British for ’stood in line’) for the next taxi.  A delightful gentleman dropped us at the Ramada on Mickelgate Street and a pleasant room overlooking the parking lot of several businesses and a slip of a glimpse at the tower of the famed York Minster!

The weather was warm and it did not appear that rain was in sight, so we ventured downtown (just a brief walk away across one major bridge spanning the River Ouze (pronounced “ooze”).  When we rounded a corner on our search for “The Shambles”, we discovered a broad street with a tree & bench-lined thoroughfare on which to perch for a few moments while I studied the trusty map.  To our delight there was a middle-aged gentleman singing & playing a ‘mean’ guitar perched on the steps of the outdoor toilet building.  He was quite good as he entertained all with songs from the Beatles & Simon & Garfunkel, etc.  Not “The Voice” mind you; but very good considering he must have been a local chap and making extra pounds entertaining weary shoppers who stopped to rest and take in his pleasant voice, etc.

Wha-la, we found it!  The narrowest and one of the oldest (if not the oldest) streets in York.  One building had a very noticeable sag and well-deserved I might add since it dated from somewhere in the 1600’s!  Most of what we would call “downtown” is pedestrian only with narrow sidewalks; cobbled center path & charming buildings with considerable vintage on them.  We strolled the short Shambles & at an intersection discovered a large outdoor market (I love them - don’t you?).  Harold bought fresh peaches & I languished over cappucino at a nearby outdoor food & beverage cart.  I tried to enjoy at least one (1) cappucino daily as they taste much better over the pond than this side - wonder why?

We continued our leisurely stroll down narrow cobbled streets lined with shops of all kinds, including one that sold “suits of armour”.  There were the familiar of course, but the ones that took my eye were the quaint boutique shops that sold local or regional goods.  At one point, we were enticed into a fudge shop with the offer of a “free sample”.  Turns out the fudge being made & sold there dated to sometime in the 1800’s and has been a consistent feature of that location throughout the years.

We resisted the temptation to add fudge to our shopping bag!

There it was!  We turned the corner and before us was an awesome view of the entrance to one of the world’s most famous Gothic cathedrals - the York Minster!  It is HUGE to say the least.  And what history it holds. 

Before wandering across the busy street that runs in front of the visitor entrance, I stopped at the York Minster store to purchase a few items for the g’children at home and found delightful quaint enameled earrings for g’daughter-headed-for-college next month that are made by a local fellow (everything else said “made in . . . .” and I don’t mean “England”).

Inside the Minster, one is overcome with it’s size.  The center tower rises well over 75 feet (if memory serves me correctly) and the nave and quire seem to go on forever.  First I insisted we visit the “Crypt & Treasury” in the excavated basement area.  You see the Minster project began in the days of the Roman occupation during the time of Constantine & his determination to Christianize the Roman world.  When locals engaged in a costly project to save the minster from further deterioration; they discovered a treasure-trove among the ancients who began this massive building project sometime in the 4th C. AD (again, if memory serves me right).  In fact, a huge statue of Constantine stands on the grounds of the Minster near the main entrance.

We hung out upstairs for quite some time, because a performing arts group was rehearsing a production that would appear later that day on the BBC!  They are a group that plays the ancient instruments, including lyre & harp.  They were delightful!  We weren’t the only onlookers to the company’s rendition of the story of Daniel from the Bible since the music and exquisite voices of their small choir filled the huge building from end to end.

The highlight of our first day in York was attendance at Evensong - the evening service of the Church of England (our version is the Episcopal Church).  We qued up at 5:00 p.m. and were ushered into the Quire portion of the Minster and sat in the magnificent wooden & padded seats built along the side of the Quire just inside it’s massive doors.  Above our heads were magnificent intricate wood carvings shaped into tiny “tent-covering” shapes and on the walls behind us were what I can only assume were family names, as well as names of different royal charters such as the “Royal Order of the Garter”.

This particular service was sung by a men & boys choir and their voices were awesome!  Most likely the service has not changed much since it was first introduced following the Reformation and Henry VIII’s break with the Roman church.  Composed mainly of different Psalms sung by the choir, it was inspiring beyond description and a major highlight (at least for me) of our trip.  And of course, there was the magnificent organ that rings out via over 700 (or is it 7000?) pipes. 

We concluded our evening with a search for food!  In a town that has more pubs & cafes than one can imagine, we searched & searched for a place to eat.  Either closed for the evening (?) or the fish fryer was not working (fish & chips you know) or some other difficulty.  We finally found a pub with food and settled in for a taste of the local brew and recommended indigenous food.  It was great!

Thus ended our first, partial day in York - the heart of Yorkshire, England.  This medieval walled city is a delight; especially if ancient and old English history is a particular favorite and that description fits me!  Tomorrow I’ll wind up the travelogue by sharing our walk on the city walls from one “bar” to the next!  And take us from York back to Edinburgh via train and our last evening on the other side of the pond.

Hope you’re enjoying vicariously traveling with us.  I’ll get back to usual banal banter (don’t you just love aliteration?) the weekend.  But the memories of the UK, the warm (more than just warm actually) folks, ancient edifices, rolling green hills & rocky crags will linger for quite some time.  And the Russell memories may last a lifetime as I continue to hear him singing in my head each morning I awake!

Have an awesome day with much love & an exciting positive adventure or 2 along the way.

Linda, a fellow journeyer