A few more days in York

We never intended to spend more than a few days on the Ouse, but York just grabbed my attention and we never tired of wandering around those crowded streets. Packed full to overflowing, with tourists and locals, culture and history, with independent expensive eateries and shopping opportunities, and places for tranquillity and bustle alike. Mooring by the riverside museum gardens was empty during tnhe week

but came alive at the weekends when it felt like the huge cruisers emerged from the nearby marinas to show off their finery, we felt like a minnow along side them. There is a craft and art street fayre held on summer Saturday’s, and we were lucky enough to be moored directly opposite “dexdigits” a “yarny” who is a spinner and a dyer, of course we made friends and I took my wheel out to spin along side her.

Spinning in York

York is undoubtedly a very expensive city. I find it hard to comprehend how families can afford to do it all. We decided to find our usual starting point for an interesting place-the guided walking tour. And surprisingly it was free. Unsurprisingly, York’s history covers such a long period, there was too much information to take in. With hindsight we realised just being in the centre and absorbing what was around us was fascinating. I guess the buildings were what grabbed my attention. Obviously the grandeur of the Minster was the most startling.

The South window

But there was such a diversity from the old riverside warehouses to the ancient ruins of St Mary’s Abbey, and the new offices built to complement it’s surroundings.

The old new and ancient

Not all museums charge an entrance fee, ironically, the railway museum is one we’d have been happy to pay to visit, and it didn’t disappoint us. Old locomotives are generally the most photogenic, but stepping inside the Japanese bullet train and seeing how modern carriages had evolved over our own lifetime was and interesting.

York railway museum

I took myself off to see the only NT property in York, the Treasurers house. Originally it was built to manage the churches assets in the 10th century but has undergone many transformations since. Its last private owner used it to house various art works and furnishings that appealed to his family until he bequeathed it to the NT

The treasurers house

Fascinating as the centre was, being boaters it was the River that provided us with the most entertainment. Their were a number of interesting vessels showing off besides the fancy cruisers.

Pirates ahoy

But of course my favourite was the ice cream boat.

Ice cream in style

And on our final day we got prime viewing for the annual Dragon boat races.

The York Dragon boat Races

This little selection barely scratches the surface of what we enjoyed in York. We attended concerts, ate out, made friends, had visitors, walked the wall, saw firework displays, attended a service with archbishop John Sentanu, the and generally felt like we’d been on holiday. The detour was well worth it.