Day 20 - Ease on down, ease on down to York!

Having had two terrific nights in Edinburgh savoring the festival it was time to head south again, destination York. The weather that had been so kind to us the night before for the Tattoo had deteriorated and by the time we hit our first stop at Abbotsford we were travelling in genuine Scottish mist.
Abbotsford is the home of the great Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott. It is located a couple of hours from Edinburgh in scenic rolling hills. The guide that showed us round the house was very very enthusiastic in his telling of every last detail of the life and death of Scott and what happened to his estate after he died and the like. Master of the rhetorical question, he was describing the extensive library, giving a blow by blow of every artwork and we discovered that Scott was quite a collector when we hit the final room of the house where there stood two full suits of armour, the keys to the castle of Mary Queen of Scotts and every imaginable gun and sword that you care to think of.Unfortunately no photos allowed inside so the best I can do is the small thistle from the garden and the outside of the house! It was an interesting stop on what proved to be a bit of an ordinary day.

Lunch was early and we stopped at another one of those woolen mill tourist rip off places. Apparently it was that or a burger king style service station on the motorway. So lunch was uneventful and we clambered back onto the coach for the rest of the trip into York, crossing the border back into England in the mist and the rain. By the time we arrived in York it was fine and sunny and that made exploring this fascinating ancient town much easier. As Chris had been to York before he was keen for us to head off to the Viking museum or Jorvik. This museum highlights the Viking occupation of the area from around the 8th century when it was actually called Jorvik. (It was as close as you’d get to barbarians Morry!) The Museum is brilliantly interactive and recreates Viking life in an underground ride, much like a Disney Epcot ride. It also has a lot of archaeological artifacts and information about this fascinating people and their impact on East Anglia as a trading people. Top stuff.

Leaving the museum we wandered up thru the Shambles, the old butchers’ row which has buildings dating back to the 11th century. It is a very whimsical place and then over to York Minister , the biggest Gothic Cathedral in Britain. Wow!. This one was not actually bombed during WWII but they took all the stained glass out and put it in a bunker to protect it. There was a singing group practising and the voices sounded absolutely angelic in the fantastic acoustics of the cathedral. WE then kept mooching around York, walking the city walls and stumbling across the ruins of an abbey and hospital, just sitting there off the main street. We never cease to be amazed by the history unfolding before our eyes. Then back on the bus for our trip out of town about 10 miles to the Ramada hotel. This used to be a stately home that has been extended and converted into a hotel and it was very nice indeed. Dinner was even silver service and there was a piano bar as well. Very shmick! And so to bed day 20.