The Reluctant Adventurer – August 14

I had a late – and to be completely honest, reluctant – start to the day. I woke up at 11:00, mainly because I didn’t want the maid to wake me up again. Then I hung out in my room and read until 1:30. After I finished my book I thought about just starting another one and staying in today, but the thought of just being alone in the room didn’t really appeal to me. I’ve got plenty of time for that and not as much time for exploring. So I made my way to the bus stop and hopped on a bus for Exhibition Square again. I’d determined that I was going to start today’s adventure by visiting the city’s art museum. Sadly, I wasn’t entirely impressed. The paintings were mostly religious in nature, which was something I expected. There was a room dedicated to Nature and one to some more modern art, but neither room had anything that really blew me away. I like art, but nothing they had here was really the style I like. Don’t ask me what that is though.

After the disappointing visit to the art museum, I decided that I was going to see if I could get into the minster using a credit card rather than some of the borrowed cash I had from one of my coworkers. Yay MasterCard!!! I was able to purchase entrance into both the main part of the minster and the Undercroft as well for only 7 pounds. The minster is amazing. I took a lot of pictures of it. The really nice touch was that since this is Sunday they were actually having mass today. The choir was practicing in the Quire. Very pretty music, but I think it may have been in Latin because I didn’t understand a word of it. The stained glass windows were awesome. I can’t imagine how much work went into those. The architecture was just phenomenal. I hope my pictures do it justice. There are all sorts of memorials on the walls to fallen soldiers and the like. I took some shots of those. Then on the other side there are memorials to the old deans and archbishops. I got some of those as well. If you’re ever in York, don’t skip out on the minster. The Undercroft was very interesting as well. I got an audio tour headset when I went down there. I saw the old Roman streets and some wells dating to that time. The minster’s treasure house was down there as well, so I got to see all sorts of old chalices and bowls and other religious tableware. Plus there were also some rings and staffs of a couple of archbishops to look at. They had somewhat gaudy taste in jewelry. Just an opinion.

After the minster I walked down the street a little aimlessly until I found myself on Davygate. I looked to my left, and what did I see? Borders bookstore. On my way there I also stopped in what appeared to be the only Starbucks in town, but true to the Starbucks philosophy of taking over the world one cup at a time, there was also one in the Borders. Whew! Good to know that you don’t have to go more than a mile to get your coffee fix. I looked around the bookstore for a while, and I saw some stuff that looked really tempting, but I think the one interesting hardcover I saw will be coming out in the States fairly soon, so I resisted paying almost double the price I other wise would have.

Yesterday’s tour really took a toll on me, but I still had one thing I wanted to do: walk the town wall by the Mickelgate. I had to hike a little to find the start, but eventually I found it. That’s a seriously long wall. I did get a few shots of the minster from the wall and one of Clifford’s Tower, but other than that all I saw were some residential neighborhoods. Nice, but nothing I can’t see anywhere else.

After that it was time to find my way back to the hotel for some much needed rest. I’ve still got to pack all my stuff up because we have to change hotels tomorrow. And I’ve got to get up early to see if DHL can route my credit card to my new hotel. Otherwise I’ll have to see if I can swing by here on the way to our new hotel after work tomorrow. What a hassle.