Trip update: York, England
I'm going to try to make this entry shorter, because we're already halfway done with Edinburgh (which I am LOVING) and if I take as long to post as I did for Bath it will be the end of the trip before I get this up =P
One of the first things we noticed about York was how the vibe of the city was so dramatically different from Bath. With its bustling metropolis and yet even more ancient-feeling streets, the older part of the city almost vibrates with history--a more violent and chaotic history than Bath, to be sure.
In the center of the city stands the formidable and beautiful York Minster Abbey, sky-piercing spires visible from miles around.
It is seriously HUGE.
After getting into our (rather posh) hostel and grabbing some pub grub, we walked along the defensive wall that still partially surrounds the city.
A view from the wall with the Abbey in the background.
York has been called the most haunted city in Europe by many, and for good reason. That night, my mom and I went on one of the (VERY MANY) ghost tours of the city. We opted out of the more garish theatrical ones and went for a more historical storytelling tour. Our guide was a great storyteller who had been doing the tour for 29 years, so he had a lot of anecdotes he'd heard firsthand over the years to share. It was very fun and creepy, and whether or not you believe in that kind of thing, it was easy to imagine some of the scenes he described as twilight fell over the city. York really has a vibe like no other I've experienced, except maybe Boston, and other areas where there's been lots of history and bloodshed. It's very nearly a living thing--the memories almost seem to pulse from the cobblestones like the ghost of the city's heartbeat.
After we finished the walk and grabbed some food, I ended up making friends with some people that were staying at the hostel. Earlier in the day I had left a note in the common area with a time I'd be back, asking if anyone wanted to grab a drink with me and chat. I ended up going to a pub nearby with a very nice Aussie bloke, Tristan, and one of his dorm-mates in the hostel, Malica from Bristol, who was in town for a psychology conference (yep, right up my alley!). They were both a delight to talk to and it was nice to hang out with people around my age. We had fun comparing the differences in our cultures and home countries as well as comparing accents!
The next day, mom and I made our way to the York Castle museum. It was in the same square as this plaque (at the base of Clifford Tower):
On the night of Friday 16 March 1190 some 150 Jews and Jewesses of York having sought protection in the Royal Castle on this site from a mob incited by Richard Malebisse and others chose to die at each others hands rather than renounce their faith. ISAIAH XLII 12
Just a small portion of the city's bloody history. So tragic. You can read more about what happened here.
We both really liked the museum, which had a huge mix of history across the ages. They had a recreated Victorian street and a lot of things on exhibit from that era, which I find fascinating.
We got thrown in prison for being too American.
They had a section of the museum where you could enter the old prison cells, and when you did, projected inmates would begin playing on the walls, telling their stories. Pretty cool.
Next, we walked across town and had a picnic in the park in front of the Yorkshire Museum, next to the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey. Everyone was out enjoying the sun!
We went to the Yorkshire Museum and were quickly bored. The exhibits there weren't nearly as good as those at the York Castle Museum.
After, we had some tea and a pastry (man, England does not lack in pastry items, I'm amazed that anyone weighs less than 500 pounds here) at a cafe along the river. Then we went to the York Minster Abbey to catch the evensong which was being sung by a visiting high school choir. It was beautiful and very stirring.
By that time that was over we were pretty tired from our active few days, and ended up spending most of the evening in a cafe, sipping wine while I used the internet and mom read a book. It was really relaxing. I also experienced my first English rain :)
Later that night I once again hung out with Tristan before packing to leave on the train the next day.
Overall I really liked York, and would definitely visit again, although the nearly visible presence of the history is almost unsettling in many ways.
Don't miss:
* The York Castle Museum
* The historical ghost tour
* Exploring the city centre on foot as much as possible, and going into as many of the eclectic cafes and pubs as you can!
You guys may notice that I don't talk as freely about my emotions as I usually do in my entries...that's because I crosspost to my public travel blog =P
One of the first things we noticed about York was how the vibe of the city was so dramatically different from Bath. With its bustling metropolis and yet even more ancient-feeling streets, the older part of the city almost vibrates with history--a more violent and chaotic history than Bath, to be sure.
In the center of the city stands the formidable and beautiful York Minster Abbey, sky-piercing spires visible from miles around.
It is seriously HUGE.
After getting into our (rather posh) hostel and grabbing some pub grub, we walked along the defensive wall that still partially surrounds the city.
A view from the wall with the Abbey in the background.
York has been called the most haunted city in Europe by many, and for good reason. That night, my mom and I went on one of the (VERY MANY) ghost tours of the city. We opted out of the more garish theatrical ones and went for a more historical storytelling tour. Our guide was a great storyteller who had been doing the tour for 29 years, so he had a lot of anecdotes he'd heard firsthand over the years to share. It was very fun and creepy, and whether or not you believe in that kind of thing, it was easy to imagine some of the scenes he described as twilight fell over the city. York really has a vibe like no other I've experienced, except maybe Boston, and other areas where there's been lots of history and bloodshed. It's very nearly a living thing--the memories almost seem to pulse from the cobblestones like the ghost of the city's heartbeat.
After we finished the walk and grabbed some food, I ended up making friends with some people that were staying at the hostel. Earlier in the day I had left a note in the common area with a time I'd be back, asking if anyone wanted to grab a drink with me and chat. I ended up going to a pub nearby with a very nice Aussie bloke, Tristan, and one of his dorm-mates in the hostel, Malica from Bristol, who was in town for a psychology conference (yep, right up my alley!). They were both a delight to talk to and it was nice to hang out with people around my age. We had fun comparing the differences in our cultures and home countries as well as comparing accents!
The next day, mom and I made our way to the York Castle museum. It was in the same square as this plaque (at the base of Clifford Tower):
On the night of Friday 16 March 1190 some 150 Jews and Jewesses of York having sought protection in the Royal Castle on this site from a mob incited by Richard Malebisse and others chose to die at each others hands rather than renounce their faith. ISAIAH XLII 12
Just a small portion of the city's bloody history. So tragic. You can read more about what happened here.
We both really liked the museum, which had a huge mix of history across the ages. They had a recreated Victorian street and a lot of things on exhibit from that era, which I find fascinating.
We got thrown in prison for being too American.
They had a section of the museum where you could enter the old prison cells, and when you did, projected inmates would begin playing on the walls, telling their stories. Pretty cool.
Next, we walked across town and had a picnic in the park in front of the Yorkshire Museum, next to the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey. Everyone was out enjoying the sun!
We went to the Yorkshire Museum and were quickly bored. The exhibits there weren't nearly as good as those at the York Castle Museum.
After, we had some tea and a pastry (man, England does not lack in pastry items, I'm amazed that anyone weighs less than 500 pounds here) at a cafe along the river. Then we went to the York Minster Abbey to catch the evensong which was being sung by a visiting high school choir. It was beautiful and very stirring.
By that time that was over we were pretty tired from our active few days, and ended up spending most of the evening in a cafe, sipping wine while I used the internet and mom read a book. It was really relaxing. I also experienced my first English rain :)
Later that night I once again hung out with Tristan before packing to leave on the train the next day.
Overall I really liked York, and would definitely visit again, although the nearly visible presence of the history is almost unsettling in many ways.
Don't miss:
* The York Castle Museum
* The historical ghost tour
* Exploring the city centre on foot as much as possible, and going into as many of the eclectic cafes and pubs as you can!
You guys may notice that I don't talk as freely about my emotions as I usually do in my entries...that's because I crosspost to my public travel blog =P