York City Walls
York Minster
Treasurer’s House
York Royal Theatre
The Shambles
York Castle Museum
I suppose if my time in York had to be summarised into two images, it might be these two – that of the city walls, and York’s winding and narrow (though this particular one isn’t fully narrow enough) alleyways. It’s perhaps most striking that a set of walls can be such a joy to use, both as a point of reference, and just a means to wander from.
Its interesting how most people spend a day or so in York, and my folks and I spent three there.
We had an immensely relaxing time in York, especially after a (overly – I admit) packed itinerary in both London and Paris (though this isn’t entirely by choice, it’s just because everything closes so early in York). And we were fortunate to be staying in an apartment-ish setting in York, so there was always somewhere comfortable to retreat to in the evenings.
I suppose the charms of being in a small-ish town is the ability to walk to anywhere – nothing was more than 20 minutes away from where we were, it was easy to get to know the city’s streets quite quickly (at least enough to get by).
I still don’t quite know what to make of York Minster; grand as it was, it still just felt like any other cathedral. Perhaps it was the rain that we experienced that day, or it was the other sights from the previous portions of our travels that left me feeling a little jaded. Still charming, in its own subtle way I suppose.
The rain does make for some lovely pictures though.
A trip to York wouldn’t be complete without a stop by the Shambles, but in spite of its intrinsic charm, something about crowds of tourists, jostling about with oversized brollies, does not quite make an enjoyable experience. Tea at Betty’s was also equally packed, though far more delightful.
I suppose that’s it for York.
musings 