We had breakfast at one of the places in the lane right next to our hotel. There are three or four very similar places serving very similar food right next to each other so I don't know how they all make it. None have more than a table or two inside. It is nice to sit outside in the summer but I wonder what they do in the winter. Maybe close up and go to the beach. The lane is a bustling place in the morning and late afternoon. It is a cross through for people going to the tube and train station. They are all walking very fast to get to wherever they are going. I am glad I am not among them and can just observe. It's a great people watching spot. Anne and I particularly enjoy seeing what the women are wearing.
We get the 9:30 train to York from King's Cross. We wait until 9:30 to go because fares get much cheaper after 9:30. The train stations are such busy places full of people coming and going and waiting. If you are waiting for a train, you stand with the other multitudes of people beneath the big electronic board high up that lists the trains and what platform trains are leaving from. As soon as the platform is posted, everyone rushes out to the train and it is a bit of a free for all jostling to get on and find a seat. Finally, all are settled and the train leaves right on time. Woe to the person who might be a minute or two late! It is a pleasant two hour ride to York.
York is a very old town with remains of Roman settlement. Probably people were here even before the Romans. It is lunch time by the time we arrive and Anne takes us to one of her favorite little cafés. She and I have a delicious beet and feta tart with handcut fries. York is a walled city and we walk up on the wall walkway as far as we can gazing down into people's yards. Some have lovely gardens. We stroll around the old part of town with narrow streets and shops and restaurants galore. The second stage of the Tour de France has just taken place in York and it was a real happening for this town. There are brightly painted yellow bikes placed all over - on the sides of buildings, next to posts, in flower beds, etc. plus many of the businesses have cycle themed window displays.
We make our way to York Minster Cathedral. This is one of the premier cathedrals in Europe and it dominates the landscape. It is huge and imposing on the outside. The inside is massive but delicate and airy with its gothic architecture. Anne has spent a lot of time here as part of her month long seminar here in York and she is able to tell us interesting facts about various aspects of the cathedral. Of particular interest to me is the restoration of the stained glass windows. The huge window at the East end of the church has been removed panel by panel and is in the process of being painstakingly restored. Various displays talk about how this is done. Each panel is carefully researched and an attempt is being made to restore the panels to their original appearance in medieval times. New methods of restoration allow for restoring to original condition. About 600 hours is spent on restoration of each panel and there are probably a hundred or so panels. Each panel can cost 25,000 pounds to restore! The East window is scheduled to be done in 2018. One of the stained glass windows on the side of the church has been restored to test out new methods before using them with the much larger East window. One can easily see the difference between the old and the newly restored window. A big dome allows one to enter and see a selection of the restored East window panels. They are beautiful.
One thing that Anne showed us which I had never heard of is the graffiti that are scratched into the columns of the cathedral. She shines a light on some she discovered during her seminar. Some are crosses, some mason's marks, some are names and dates. She says there is a project going on to photograph and catalog all the graffiti in European cathedrals. Apparently, it was acceptable to do this during the Middle Ages. People did it to wish for healing or a safe journey or who knows what other purposes. Since the columns were originally painted, this graffiti would have showed up much more than it does now. Isn't that interesting?
We are ready for a cup of tea so Anne takes us to a lovely little tea room where we have our pots of tea and I have a sinful treat - a freshly baked, still warm from the oven, scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam. I figure I have to have one scone with clotted cream while in England!
We make our way back to the train and rush with everyone else to get seats for the ride back to London. We go to dinner at Huaira Indian Restaurant on Judd Street in our neighborhood. We ate here last year. I think it's about the best Indian food I have ever had. We are given heated plates and the food arrives piping hot and freshly prepared. The Indian place we went to a couple of nights ago was good, too, but I would give this place a mark above that one. It has been a lovely, relaxing enjoyable day. My pictures are pretty crappy but I'll include a few.
his saw.
Interesting because the glass is mostly grays and blacks with
just a little bit of color, apparently an aesthetic of some religious
Group.
In the Cathedral.
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