To go Back at any time,
use Browser's "Previous Page"
Arriving at Leeds-Bradford Airport, we were greeted by our former neighbors and good friends, Frank and Flo, who made this one week visit so special. It felt like coming home! With no schedule to meet, we simply set our own pace, returning to memorable spots, getting reacquainted with former neighbors, dancers and friends, and, generally, taking it easy.
Showers were frequent during our stay in Harrogate. Nevertheless, more than once, we meandered through Valley Gardens, a local park we always enjoy. With no bright sunshine for competition, the flowers were the centerpiece:
Taking a train to York was an easy decision to make. The city has charm and history written all over it. York was founded almost 2000 years ago by the Romans (71 AD), captured by the Vikings (866), and in the time of Richard II, nearly became the capital of England (1390’s).
No one can go to York without visiting its magnificent Minster:
Having admired the nave many times before, we opted for a tour of the undercroft, which has been changed and improved since we were last here. The audio tour was excellent. Remains of the Roman headquarters beneath the Minster are extensive and always exciting to see. The exhibits are very well done.
We find it fascinating that Constantine became Roman Emperor while in York. He was with his father, Emperor Constantius I, when his father died in York in 306. Constantine had no choice when his army acclaimed him the new emperor --- at least that’s what he said.
With the rainfall slowing, we clambered up the city wall for another peek at York Minster and the adjacent gardens:
As you can see, the wall walk is wide and mostly flat.
The only real danger is bumping into tourists who doze standing up .... well, could be he’s calculating the pressure exerted by all that rainwater in kilograms per square centimeter.
Leaving the Minster, we wandered about York, making sure not to miss the Shambles, a narrow and picturesque medieval street:
To be sure, there’s much more to the wall walk than the fraction we did between Monkbar and Petergate. Here’s another particularly enticing stretch:
Boat tours on the River Ouse are an alternative way to experience York. The Ouse passes close to the city center, providing a unique perspective:
Still with time to spare, we took in York’s National Railway Museum, a splendid collection of old locomotives and railway paraphernalia:
Besides looking at this beautiful machinery, you can traipse under a locomotive without getting dirty ...
... or learn how they function from this exceptional cutaway:
Stephenson’s Rocket, built in 1829, was the most advanced locomotive of its day:
(Constructed in 1979, this is a dolled-up replica of the original on display in London’s Science Museum.)
Lastly, with Frank and Flo making it possible, we returned to Fountains Abbey, strolled the water gardens and enjoyed lunch there once more. The sky held pretty clouds and the breeze a hint of warmth, making for a lovely day, the best all week.
Of all the abbey ruins we’ve encountered, this is our hands-down favorite ...
... and there is no better way to potter about these attractive grounds than in the company of fun-loving, well-traveled and good-hearted friends:
