Le Chic En Rose

Back from our recent trip to the Uk and Germany and trying to get myself organised before we begin major kitchen and laundry renovations in a couple of weeks time! I thought I would write up my posts on our latest trip now whilst it’s still fresh in my mind and then go back to complete the lengthy series on Canada and Alaska (see here and here for those posts so far).

I spent about 10 days up in Yorkshire visiting my family. Of course I have blogged about this lovely area before but even so one always seems to find new things to do and places to visit. York is a perennial favourite of mine and I spent an enjoyable day out there with my brother. Despite its myriad attractions (see here and here for previous posts), I have never walked all the way round the old city walls before. I’ve taken the iconic photos of the Minster from Lendal Bridge and occasionally walked along a short stretch of the walls near the Castle Museum but this was my first complete circuit.

We strolled along at a leisurely pace stopping regularly to take photos and it took us about an hour and an quarter but according to the tourist information you should allow 2 hours (see here for more information). I’m quite sure we didn’t miss out any sections and we didn’t walk particularly fast so perhaps that is a conservative estimate. There are 5 main bars or gateways and you can access the walls at any of these main points. The history is well explained as you go round – the history of York is colourful, sometimes tragic but always fascinating and you get a feel for how the city has evolved over the centuries, a melting pot of different peoples, cultures and religions. Romans, Vikings, travellers from the Middle East, Jewish people, and opposing armies in the English Civil War have all walked here before.

The City Walls originated in Roman times but their course has changed considerably since then and they curve round what would probably have been the old medieval city. They are remarkably well preserved though there are sections where you just have to walk along a modern street for a little while before climbing the steps and rejoining the path along the walls. Dogs are not allowed unless they are guide dogs and you do have to exercise some caution as one side often didn’t have railings. Although they drop off to a grassy embankment I wouldn’t fancy falling off so do take care when passing people especially with elderly people and children. The steps to get on and off the different sections are also rather steep so might not be suitable for everyone. We arrived back near to our starting point at Lendal Bridge ready for a hearty lunch!

 

I was also very sad to read about the light plane crash in the Ketchikan neighbourhood the other week (see here). I had written about Ketchikan just before we went on holiday last month (see here). It’s a beautiful small fishing port, which relies heavily on the tourist industry for business – thoughts are with those affected by this tragic accident.

 

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