Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Oh the grand old duke of York...
...he had ten thousand flapjacks... not quite but I wish he did! I am addicted already! They seem to be the national snack food, like museli bars but heaps better, I eat them whenever I can, you can get chocolate ones, fruit ones, yogurt ones, caramel ones, butterscotch ones... and just plain old oat ones too! Anyways, on to more interesting and less trivial things...
I am indeed in York, I arrived after one night in Leeds having said a temporary farewell to Scotland. On my last day it came out lovely and sunny, and - dare I say it - even WARM, heck I got down to a tshirt even! Pity I spent most of it on buses getting from Edinburgh back to Talamh (where I was for the festival) from there I got a ride to Leeds... oh have to mention Bilston before I get started on England. Its another of these protest sites I seem to have spent most of my time at so far, just out of Edinburgh and in a patch of woodland destined for destruction by a big new by-pass (sound familiar?!) they want to put through, So people have been living there for two years, building amazing tree houses and funky structures at ground level too - I even got a climbing lesson to go up to one, probably 2 stories high so not hugely impressive but it was a first for me, pulling myself up rope and then absailing back down. About 20ish people live there - its also very close to heaps of bio-tech, like where Dolly the sheep had the joy of being cloned...
Right, so, down to Leeds (with a stop off at Gretna Green for legendary chips with curry sauce in the park across the road from the chippie) then the next day caught the train to York. This is where Sophies parents live, so we went to stay with them in their beautiful house they are currently doing up. Unfortunately Soph is sick with the flu but its all old-hat to her, so been exploring the town solo the last 2 days... there is so much history in this place you'd think it was illegal (haha I such a history nerd). First off I went to the Minster (I made the mistake of calling it a church, which after going there it clearly isn't!) it's the biggest one in Northern Europe and boy it sure is massive! I think a couple of Christchuch Cathedrals could fit inside and still have plenty of room to move! When I went in a choir was singing at a service so the whole thing was extra breathtaking and awe-inspiring, Went down into the crypt, where you can see the remains of foundations from the Roman church (its where Constantine was named Emperor of the Empire and Christianity was given the all OK) and the Norman church on top of that too! I may just be a buff but being in a place that rich in history is pretty darn cool and very humbling.
The streets in York are rather neat themselves too, cobbled and more like lanes. And there is the city wall that still exists in fragments, and in places you can climb up and walk along it - very pedestrian friendly! Won't go on but the other place I went to was the remains of York Castle, its just a shell now on a mound but you can climb up and look out on the city and sort of imagine what it was like 900 odd years ago!
Saw my first squirrel today! Very exciting but probably couldn't have screamed out "tourist" any louder if I had had a flashing like above my head! taking photos and looking fasinated at this big rat with a huge furry tail.
In the market I found a lady from NZ selling jewellery made from Paua, Pounamu etc it was sprisingly comforting speaking to someone with the same accent as me and having a chat about home!
Totally missed ANZAC day altogether over here of course - no public holiday with everything shut till 1pm - but next Monday there is a Bank Holiday for May Day...
Tomorrow night we are going out to see Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy for Sophies Birthday - its the first day out over here, however the reviews aren't that great.
Next move is to go to Newcastle for the Newcastle fair on Sunday and to stay for a week or so, sorting out WOOFing stuff so I can get on to that.
Will keep you all posted of course... hope you are finding my ramblings semi-interesting! Hoping that life for you special people out there is groove-tastic, missing you all and all the fun you are having without me!
Love and flapjack kisses, Claire
PS another vocab word: tat - which means your stuff/gear etc is used lots and lots!
I am indeed in York, I arrived after one night in Leeds having said a temporary farewell to Scotland. On my last day it came out lovely and sunny, and - dare I say it - even WARM, heck I got down to a tshirt even! Pity I spent most of it on buses getting from Edinburgh back to Talamh (where I was for the festival) from there I got a ride to Leeds... oh have to mention Bilston before I get started on England. Its another of these protest sites I seem to have spent most of my time at so far, just out of Edinburgh and in a patch of woodland destined for destruction by a big new by-pass (sound familiar?!) they want to put through, So people have been living there for two years, building amazing tree houses and funky structures at ground level too - I even got a climbing lesson to go up to one, probably 2 stories high so not hugely impressive but it was a first for me, pulling myself up rope and then absailing back down. About 20ish people live there - its also very close to heaps of bio-tech, like where Dolly the sheep had the joy of being cloned...
Right, so, down to Leeds (with a stop off at Gretna Green for legendary chips with curry sauce in the park across the road from the chippie) then the next day caught the train to York. This is where Sophies parents live, so we went to stay with them in their beautiful house they are currently doing up. Unfortunately Soph is sick with the flu but its all old-hat to her, so been exploring the town solo the last 2 days... there is so much history in this place you'd think it was illegal (haha I such a history nerd). First off I went to the Minster (I made the mistake of calling it a church, which after going there it clearly isn't!) it's the biggest one in Northern Europe and boy it sure is massive! I think a couple of Christchuch Cathedrals could fit inside and still have plenty of room to move! When I went in a choir was singing at a service so the whole thing was extra breathtaking and awe-inspiring, Went down into the crypt, where you can see the remains of foundations from the Roman church (its where Constantine was named Emperor of the Empire and Christianity was given the all OK) and the Norman church on top of that too! I may just be a buff but being in a place that rich in history is pretty darn cool and very humbling.
The streets in York are rather neat themselves too, cobbled and more like lanes. And there is the city wall that still exists in fragments, and in places you can climb up and walk along it - very pedestrian friendly! Won't go on but the other place I went to was the remains of York Castle, its just a shell now on a mound but you can climb up and look out on the city and sort of imagine what it was like 900 odd years ago!
Saw my first squirrel today! Very exciting but probably couldn't have screamed out "tourist" any louder if I had had a flashing like above my head! taking photos and looking fasinated at this big rat with a huge furry tail.
In the market I found a lady from NZ selling jewellery made from Paua, Pounamu etc it was sprisingly comforting speaking to someone with the same accent as me and having a chat about home!
Totally missed ANZAC day altogether over here of course - no public holiday with everything shut till 1pm - but next Monday there is a Bank Holiday for May Day...
Tomorrow night we are going out to see Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy for Sophies Birthday - its the first day out over here, however the reviews aren't that great.
Next move is to go to Newcastle for the Newcastle fair on Sunday and to stay for a week or so, sorting out WOOFing stuff so I can get on to that.
Will keep you all posted of course... hope you are finding my ramblings semi-interesting! Hoping that life for you special people out there is groove-tastic, missing you all and all the fun you are having without me!
Love and flapjack kisses, Claire
PS another vocab word: tat - which means your stuff/gear etc is used lots and lots!
# posted by claire @ 1:34 PM 
