Day 2

Warning!

I know that this is a day late and does not include all the details that I enjoyed along the way.  Literally, I could write for days and not fully communicate the fun and tell you about all the things I have learned.  Therefore, this will hopefully give you the high points and communicate to you how amazing this time in England has been.

As I am writing today the sounds, of the city, are calling me to sleep.  It has been a long, fun-filled day.  After eating last night, we crashed in preparation for today.  We woke up, ate breakfast, and I took off from the train station straight to York, where I spent the entirety of my day. York has taught me many things about English life and History, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Knowing in advance that York was full of sites and adventures, we had purchased a York Pass to get me into several locations.  Many places do not open till ten, so I walked most of the old City wall and just breathed in the city.

 

The first site I visited in York was the Minster.  The size, beauty, and intricacy of the art in this old building are astounding.  Each window has its own story to tell, and on every surface, you can find an immense amount of detail.  In the Chapter House off to the side of the Minster, there are over 100 faces and figures graven into the stone that are no bigger than my fist.  Each window has hundreds or even thousands of bits of glass held together with lead. The roof of the Chapterhouse is made from interlocking 800-year-old wood beams and covered with lead shingles.  I took the Hidden Tour into the attic of the Chapterhouse and the connecting hallway, both of which were built long after the Minster.  There was an actual Medieval flushing toilet in the room above the hallway to the Chapter House!  It was there so the Master Architect would not have to leave the room and climb down two stories of stairs as he designed the great windows that are now in the Minster and other churches of the area.  On the floor of this hidden room, there are many window designs etched into the floor from years of designing.  The rest of the Minster was gorgeous as you can tell from the photos.  If you really want to experience the Minster from across the Atlantic go check it out on Google Earth from street view.  They have done a respectable job of capturing the inside of the Minster.

Next, I did the River Tour and the Chocolate Story.  The River was beautiful and carried me through the City to see the sights.  The Chocolate Story was an interactive tale of how Chocolate came to be produced in York, the Chocolate City.  Some of these chocolates have gone around the globe, such as KitKats, and become a staple food in some countries.  Along the tour, I got to taste cocoa beans, 100% cocoa, and various kinds of Chocolate-covered delights.  Between these two sites, I was thoroughly relaxed and happy.  They made the busy day of walking all over York a delight instead of a strain.

Another landmark I visited while here in York, was Clifford’s Tower and the old Castle of York.  This castle within the city walls is small for the era in which it was built and is more of a large mansion.  One portion of this mansion was used as a prison.  Over time, more and more space was needed for the prison, so they converted more of this mansion and the surrounding land into a prison.  After the prison closed, a historically minded man collected artifacts of York and England to make a Museum.  Eventually, most of the outer wall of this area was knocked down and two-thirds of this mansion was converted into a museum, while the remaining portion is a Court of Justice to this very day. 

            Papa joined me for the evening and we went through the Viking exhibit. A generation ago on the piece of land that the museum now sits there was to be a building constructed, but as they dug for the foundations they discovered ancient artifacts from the Viking age.  Apparently, there had been a Viking village here in York before it became a city, but it was buried by the river to become a treasure trove of preserved artifacts.  Archeologist took over the site and excavated the area until they had found all that there was to see in this little piece of York.  They found whistles, knives, human skeletons, dye, coins, and a variety of machines and ancient mechanisms.  The had locks with only one key that could open the door!  It was so neat to get to see how these people lived through what they left behind.

Finally, we ended the day with a walk along the northern wall of York and some supper in town.  It was so beautiful to walk on the wall alongside the gardens!  Truly, peaceful and beautiful.  Having been so busy during the day, I fell asleep almost immediately as I entered the hotel room, but I woke up and am now finishing this up for all of you wonderful people back home.  I am so sorry It took so long to finish this, but as you can probably tell my days here in England are full of activity.  I pray that all of you will have a Blessed day!