York

There is so much history in this town - Romans, Vikings, medieval and churches everywhere. Too much to see in a couple of days.
Yorkminster, the cathedral, is impressive. Very light and airy compared to some others I've seen. Its stained glass isn't so impressive though. 9 quid to get in too! But, the ticket is valid for 12 months... just in case I come back! It's the largest gothic cathedral north of the Alps apparently.



The Shambles is a famous street and is very cute, narrow and cobbled. The name comes from "Shamels" which were the stalls that butchers, who originally inhabited the street, used to display their produce. There's still one butcher shop there but most are now more geared towards tourists. There's a very cute sandwich shop about halfway along, not much bigger than a sandwich!



The streets of the old parts of York are not much wider than the Shambles and some are pedestrian zones only - makes for a very pleasant wander. Lots of shops and plenty of pubs.



I took a cruise along the River Ouse (pronounced ooze). It lasts about 45 minutes and isn't particularly exciting. There's not a lot to be seen along the short distance the boat travels.
I was going to do the Jorvik tour but there were too many schoolkids in the queue for my liking. Maybe today. Can't really come to York and not see some of its Viking history.

Later....