Drawing of Viking farm building looks like upturned boat (in a display at the Garden Museum in York. By the way, the Vikings never had horns on their helmets; this was a rumor started during Victorian times to to depict them in the worst light possible.
Last night I was wondering through some of the narrow winding streets of York in a light drizzle. I’d seen a sign in the York Minster (York’s huge cathedral), about evensong at 5:15, and since it was about that time, I wandered in and was directed to a section of the church with chairs running down two sides facing a center aisle. There was a magnificent organ, with stalactite-looking pipes ringing the room. A bell rang and about 60 high school students filed in and took their seats behind lighted candles on opposite sides of the aisle, facing each other. “It’s a girls choir,” the usher whispered to me, high school kids. They sang like angels, with wonderful organ accompaniment. The candles, the music, the sweet voices, it was a moment, in fact about a 10 minute moment. Then the priest walked in, da man, and started reading from the Bible, Lemme outta here! I slipped out the back into a kind of gated-off section, whereupon another priest arrived and graciously opened the door so I could get out into the main cathedral.
Whimsical masonry, quite different from the typical masonry perfection.
Last night we had roast beef and Yorkshire pudding in this inn. The room, with its black exposed half-timber framing, had an aura, a feeling of well-being, a mellowness from the life lived within over hundreds of years.
York is a wonderful old city. I love it here. It’s rich in history, and multi-layered. The ever-present tourists are here, but the city shines through. The brick masonry is outstanding.
Just got this from my son Evan:
“…just checking out my fave snowboarding mag webpage and i came across this guy named Mike Basich, he is a legendary snowboarder. Check out the house he built in the mountains of Donner pass!!!! really amazing!!! all built by hand using local materials and lots of rocks from the land, you’ll like the hot tub. https://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid27342176001?bctid=42829876001
Our little Chevy rental car is a winner. I wanted the smallest car possible due to the narrow roads (and driving on the left side). This cheap little Chevy Matiz is peppy, maneuverable, and economical. It sells for around £7000.