Tuna
Tuesday 11 June 2019
A leisurely start to the day today, made better that it wasn’t raining. Yet. We are staying in a nice apartment in the heart of York, so everything is in walking distance.
There is a rich history in York from Viking, Roman, Norman, Tudor, Plantagenet and cold war. Today started with the Vikings. We went to the Jorvik Viking Centre which provide a really good ‘museum’ to understand the Vikings in York their culture. The awesome thing about this is you learn it by going on a ‘ride’ through a well designed and informative display. You climb into a ski lift/gondola lift thingy and it takes you through the interactive display. Some would say cheesy, and they would be right but it was really very informative and quite well done. You learn quite a bit about Viking daily life. In the museum part they have a variety of artefacts, including a fossilised turd.
Next stop was the Shambles. This is short street with building that lean over the road and look like they are about to fall over. There is the theory that it was the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. Therefore, there are now about 4 shops that sell only Harry Potter themed items. There was also the shop that sold GoT themed stuff, which was quite hilarious. GoT Cluedo and Monopoly, t-shirts with witty comments and tankards.
A wander further up the cobbled streets was the Richard III Experience at Monk Bar. Now don’t be mistaken this isn’t a themed bar or pub. In the olden days a Bar meant gate. So, the Monk Bar is one of the four gates of the roman wall that would give you entry into York. Fantastic little museum. It really is clear that GoT was inspired by (and plots taken from) English history.
Sore feet, time for lunch in a fantastic vegetarian restaurant. Post lunch we went to York Minster. It is a fabulous church/cathedral with soaring ceilings, stunning stained-glass windows and a crypt.
Sore feet and knees, it was time to head homewards, via the whisky shop which we’d spotted beside the Viking centre in the morning. I am in need of whisky to help me with the cough that I acquired from The Albatross whom acquire it from some unhealthy person on the flight from Brisbane to Perf before we left home.
A nip of whisky and now it is time for sleep.