Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Durham and York




Before leaving Durham, we returned for a more in depth look at the Cathedral. A tour was just beginning, and we took advantage. What a great guide we had. He was a retired physics teacher who was also a Friend of the Cathedral. He was so clear and detailed in his description of both the history of the area and the Cathedral. He spent 2 hours with us. One of the best parts was seeing the tomb of Bede the Venerable.
We arrived in York mid afternoon. York has the most extensive remaining walls, called bars, of any English city. We entered through the Micklegate Bar. Our hotel is located directly across York Castle and a close walk to the Minster. The walk is through a great old city. Huge slates and cobblestones cover the area and make for small plazas and pedestrian streets. Boutiques, pubs, restaurants line the streets. York Minster, pictured above, is the largest Gothic Cathedral in Northern Europe. We stayed for even song and will return tomorrow for a guided tour. A few pictures are at Flickr.