August 22 Day 26 - York Day 2

York day two was our first full day in the city - and it was a full day indeed!

The first thing we wanted to do was take a walk on the city walls York has more miles of intact city walls than anywhere else in England and some sections date all the way back to Roman times - the 2nd Century! The walls have four main gates - or "bars" as they are called in York (they call gates "bars" and streets "gates...go figure) - that will lead you into the city center.

Constance on the wall having a peek into someone's backyard...just kidding, but there were what looked to be townhouses on that side of the wall.

Constance having rest on the wall.

After our walk on the wall - well a small section of the wall - I had the brilliant idea to walk along the river Ouse (pronounced ooze!) until we made our way to the York Castle Museum. Unfortunately, we had a problem finding a path to the river - we could see it but couldn't find the way to the path that ran alongside it. After walking for a few minutes we did find the path along the river, but it wasn't a very nice section of the river...certainly not the portion that was meant for a leisurely stroll. Once we came upon a rather steep set of stairs we opted to get off the river path and head for the main street where we first happened upon a street named Margaret...



...where I forced Constance (a.k.a. Meg, short for Margaret) to let me take her picture...

and then we happened to run into the dapper older gentleman from the day before! He was so nice. We stopped and chatted for a bit and discovered he was visiting from London for a christening (since we arrived in London two days ago I've been expecting to run into him again).

Eventually, we did make our way to the York Castle Museum, but we first stopped for a look at (and for me a climb up) Cliffords Tower.

Yes, that's me at the top...I ran the whole way - at least two steps at a time...

Cliffords Tower didn't seem terribly interesting - until I read this on a plaque at the bottom:

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.

The mob grew so great and upon reaizing they'd never get out alive, they decided to set the keep on fire. Miraculously, there were some who survived only to be massacred by the waiting mob the next morning. I am so ignorant of so much, but I did learn something today. 

Right across the street from Cliffords Tower was the York Castle Museum which wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be! I expected a tour through a castle with royal artifacts and paintings and portraits, but what we found was a museum chock full of information about everyday life - how people (British people mainly) have lived throughout the ages. From Victorian times to the groovy 60s, from pop culture to prisons!

Constance in the stock...I forced her into this one too...

This was the only picture I took at the York Castle Museum...but isn't it a grand one?

After the stock, we headed for York Minster...

The first York Minster was built the year 627...this one here took something like 250 years to build!

I believe it's one of the largest - or finest according to some - of its kind...

 

The Nave...

The ceiling from the middle of the cathedral...

One of the many grand stained glass windows...

The massive organ pipes!

And then there's this guy who stands amongst 14 other statues in the Quire Screen (this leads into the Quire (choir) room) - they are said to be 15 kings of England, but I thought it looked like he was looking at his nails...

And thus ends our first full day in York. What better way to end our day than a fancy dinner right in our own room?

Complete with authentic Yorkshire wine...classy I know...