July 10, 2012
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York, Revisited
I've been to York a few times, as I have friends who live there. I don't tire of the place at all. It's so interesting, beautiful, and old. It's rich in history from the pre-Roman era through the English Civil War and it remains an important city for England, at the very least for its heritage. It's been the backdrop of Shakespeare plays and has been at various times a seat of power for the country.
But first a word from my non-human hosts.
That's Zack, the Maine Coon; Zephyr, the Bengal; and the newest addition, puppy Vesta, the Basenji.
The Ouse, one of the main rivers of York. You can see the "Eye of York" there in the background. It was there when I was last there, and has returned for another spell of time.
English gardens along the River Ouse
The outdoor market. Closed Monday's apparently. But that little alley is awesome.
Average York street scene. The young and the old!
A monkey-puzzle tree. I'd only ever heard of them, but never seen them. They're amazing.
Lupins! (Stick with it to 2:10 to 2:35and it will make more sense)
The Treasurer's House. Originally built around 1750, it fell into terrible disrepair, until a Victorian eccentric bought it and renovated it in order to show off his antiques. He totally changed the house around, moving fireplaces, removing floors to create a giant mideval feast hall, and various other modifications. He also gave tours to show off the house and his collection, which is still there today, along with his renovations.
But apart from being an interesting house, it's the site of the best ghost story I've heard in a long time. Contrary to the link, the cellars are now indeed open (as are the attics, but you have to get there early, as they're guided tours only).
St. William's College, near the minster. William is the partron saint of York (back before patron saints fell out of favor in England around the Henry's Dissolution of the Catholic churches in 1539). It's reputed that on his return from exile to York, the crowds of people that turned out to see him over-stressed one of the wood bridges, and it collapsed. St. William blessed the river and the fallen people and all souls survived. The cynic in me wonders if it was a nice warm day after a drought; on the other hand, given that rivers were also mideval sewers, it probably is a miracle, although no one said anything about dying of typhus afterward.
Interior of a fantastic pub called Guy Fawkes where we had dinner. It's the birthplace of the eponymous notorious plotter whose visage is now most recognizable as the mask from V for Vendetta. Really good fennel risotto, which probably says something about the arc of history.
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