This morning I woke up a bit cranky with quite a headache.
Not a fun way to start off. After a hurried breakfast, we (our group of 35ish)
marched along the river into York.
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| york, york minster in background |
The goal was to attend the Sung Eucharist at
York Minster and I fully intended to, even though I really didn’t relish the
thought of another Anglican service, but when I walked into the building, it
was so crowded that I just couldn’t do it. I whispered to my friend—“Wanna
ditch?” And he agreed, so we darted out of the cathedral and into a small café
called Brew & Brownie.
It ended up being a very good decision, for the café was
absolutely lovely and we found out later the service was 2 ½ hours long (they
were ordaining new deacons, apparently). For all those concerned about my soul, don't worry-- I read my Bible. Hebrews chapter 2, to be exact.
Anyways, I fell in love with the café.
It served me an excellent Flat White along with a fruit scone, butter, and jam.
Jeff chowed down on a huge stack of “American pancakes” with “streaky
bacon”—which is actually REAL bacon. See, if you order bacon in England, you
get a slice of ham. We discovered the secret—ask for “streaky bacon.” It’s a
lot tastier than it sounds, believe me.
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| a man & his pancakes are a beautiful thing |
Afterwards, we wondered through the city of York. It’s a big
city with a small town feel, and I was really digging it. A bit touristy in
parts, but tons of side-streets and alleys to duck into and explore.
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| i may have gotten a bit carried away... |
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| this guy, doing his thing |
Used
bookstores, antique shops, and cafes are in abundance here, and Jeff and I
found quite a few unique places, as well as the regular Urban Outfitters and
Topshop.
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| street side tea sampling |
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| the bowler, a vintage fashion store |
We just enjoyed the sights and sounds of the street for a bit,
meandering up and down, checking out art galleries with Japanese prints,
tea-shops, and bakeries. The Imaginarium, The Bowler, Yorkshire Soap Company stood out as
some of the highlights.
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| imaginarium |
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| york soap company-- these are all soaps! |
Around two, we headed back to York Minster Cathedral for a
tour, which ended up just being a self-lead walk-around kind of thing.
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| look at all that gothic architecture |
It is
the second largest Gothic Cathedral of Northern Europe, and it has quite a
history. A church has stood there since 627 AD, and most of the one that stands
there now was built in the 1200’s and 1300’s. It has survived fires, looting,
and other natural disasters, and stands as a testament to Gothic architecture.
The organ and stone carvings were beautiful, and the stain glass was marvelous
as well. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day, so we didn’t get to see the sun
streaming through, which is always my favorite part.
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| the organ |
We were going to head up the tower, but realized it was five
pounds extra, and I didn’t feel like paying for a ticket. I ducked down into
the crypt for a look-around before Jeff, Chris, and I headed back to the
hostel. However, it started to rain, so we took shelter in a tea shop, ordering
a Nutella milkshake and a pot of spicy chai tea.
After the rain abated, we
walked back along the river-front, arriving at the hostel around four. Tonight
is going to be home-work central, unfortunately.
Thanks for reading, folks.
Cheers!
By the way, I really love the use of the word “cheers” in
this country. It can mean “hello, goodbye, thanks, etc” and the Brits toss it
about cheerfully. It’s really something I enjoy and will try to implicate when
back in the states. Watch out, fellow Americans.
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