Ye Olde York

On Friday, February 25 eight girls stepped off a train and began a 30 hour adventure in York. Six of us booked beds at the same hostel with the other two across town. When we arrived we asked if we could be put in the same room even though our bookings indicated otherwise. After almost an hour at the front desk, the man behind the counter managed to place the six of us in a 10-person co-ed dorm. We went out for a group dinner at a pub, and then spent a relaxed night in. We all went to bed early so we would be well rested for our one day in York. I was disappointed to here from one of the women staying in our room that this was one of the nicer hostels she had stayed in. Apparently the hostel we went to in Edinburgh was deluxe. I think I will be investing in some shower shoes!

York minster

On Saturday we woke up at a reasonable time, had breakfast and all reconvened at York Minster, an amazing cathedral. We didn't want to spend the money to do a tour, so we were only able to stay in the entrance, but it was still amazing. I am so impressed by all the arches and detail work inside the cathedrals. It's hard to imagine how these buildings were possibly built so long ago with so little technology. All the more impressive. From there we walked over to an old building that had been converted into a restaurant. The sign outside said that we were welcome to come in and look around, so we wandered the halls looking at the local artist installations. There was also a great garden in the back! We could see why it was advertised as one of the best places to get married in the area. The garden had a staircase that led up to the York City Walls. The walls surround the entire town and walking along it gives some great views of the cathedral.

Viking Battle

We hopped off the wall when we saw that lots of people were gathering in the museum garden. When we walked over we saw that there was a viking battle going on. We knew that there was a Viking Festival over the weekend but we hadn't expected to see much of it. It was very fun to watch the people dressed in Viking attire battle the Anglo-Saxons in the middle of town. When we left the Anglo-Saxons were winning, but I think the Vikings won in the end.

Next stop was the National Rail Museum. We really only went because it was free and we had heard that it was Harry Potter week at the museum. We were able to see a mini version of the Hogwarts Express, take a photo with Dumbledore, and admire the live owl exhibit.

Shambles

After lunch we all separated and Megan and I wandered through Shambles, an old street with cute shops and a street market. I bought some chocolates and a blood orange. The weather wasn't great, and we escaped a downpour by stepping into the Disney Store on the corner. It was fun to walk around and there were lots of things I wanted to by, mostly food. Megan ended up buying a ring that was made out of the handle of a spoon. The man selling them was from Zimbabwe and was playing some really good music in his booth. I have made lots of new music discoveries since I got here. So far the list includes Thomas Mapfumo, Mogwai, The xx, and I'm always open to more recommendations! I love music!

It was a nice end to our journey, and we were all ready to head home. Sunday was a day of recovery. My feet were definitely spent! But the fun never stops.