ye old england - a day in york

York has been used as an area of settlement from before even the Romans time. It's also somewhere I've wanted to go for a long time, for a fairly bizarre reason. When I was in primary school we used to have "computer units". This was when the class would divide into groups and we would get a certain amount of time per day to play an educational computer game. I remember one of the games went back in time to York, England, and it always stuck in my mind so that when I thought of cobbled streets and old England I thought of York. 

So in December I finally made the journey to walk the streets I have seen in probably terrible 90s computer animation as a child. It was obviously much better than I imagined. 

York Minster

Hanna and I took the train down from Edinburgh for the day, a journey of about 3 hours (book in advance kids, or its veeeery expensive). 

Once there we wandered around and found an old pub to have traditional English breakfast in. What we really wanted was eggs benedict but it seemed like in York has not heard about this just yet! 

400 year old pub

Full English breakfast!

York Minster is one of the main attractions, but we just popped our heads in since you have to pay to do a full tour. I generally find the outside of churches more impressive than the inside anyhow! 

York Minster on a beautiful day

Entering the church

More York Minster.

There are green signs all around the centre of York to help you find your way, or if you're us, give you ideas of where you can go so you can then Google map it since the signs seem to send you in circles... 

We checked out the old Castle, then headed down to the Jorvik Viking Centre. This was a highlight and definitely worth the money, since the one off fee gives you a years membership. I'll definitely be making use of that one...

Walking around the streets of York

The view by the river

Old Castle

Hanna and I

York used to be a Viking city once upon a time, and beneath the streets they have dug up the remains of old houses and much more. The museum shows you these as well as skeletons and other artifices. However, the best part is definitely the ride through the recreated streets of Jorvik. You sit in a suspended carrage and float around the streets meeting the Vikings and seeing there houses with commentary through speakers in your ears. A bit creepy at times but very cool. 

Then it was back above ground to the still old looking cobbled streets and buildings, one of which we entered for afternoon tea and I had major vertigo since the whole room on the third story sloped down towards the street. These buildings would never be allowed in New Zealand!

In one of the small alleyways

Old buildings down the Shambles, the oldest street in York

Buildings on the Shambles, some from the 14th century

Old and new and York Minster in the background

York Minster

View from where we had cream tea

Cream tea!

Yorkshire pudding shop

Old style buildings

Buildings like this are all over York

After a debacle with not having booked train tickets back and delayed trains I wandered around for awhile longer and headed back to Edinburgh. A day well spent!!

x