Whitby and York: October 2008

I went to visit my friend Sheila, and stayed with her lovely grandparents for the weekend. They lived two hours North of London, by train, near York. We took a drive to the small town of Whitby, which was once the main whaling port of North England. The drive was very picturesque and beautiful. When we arrived in Whitby, the first thing I noticed was the Abby up on the hill; St. Hilda's Abbey. It was a beautiful, warm day, and there were families strolling along the river, enjoying the last nice days before winter. We stopped and I had my first taste of fish and chips since I got to England! I had waited to have this meal up North, because I was told it taste better than the fish n chips from London. What better place to have fish n chips than from a fishing village! It was delicious. Fish, chips, mayonnaise and mushy peas! Not the most healthy meal, but definitely tasty and very filling. After this meal, Sheila and I took a short boat ride through the village. We got back to land and walked through the winding, cobblestoned streets. The town had a very gothic feel to it., We then climbed the 199 stairs that led up to the parish church of St. Mary. There is an eerie looking churchyard on the East Cliff that gave Bram Stroker the inspiration to write Dracula. After a very pleasant, fulfilling day, I had a nice nap on the drive back.

York

Later that night, we went club hopping in York. It was quite cold, but nevertheless the streets were filled with people, dressed to the nines, and the bars and clubs were packed. Though, it cannot compare to clubbing in larger cities, it was quite impressive.

Sightseeing

York is a small, walled city in North London. It's main sights include Clifford's tower, which is a proud symbol of the power of England's medieval kings. Originally built by William the Conqueror to subdue the rebels of the north, it was burned to the ground twice, before being rebuilt by Henry III in the 13th century. The tower takes its name from one grisly incident in its long history, when Roger de Clifford was executed for treason against Edward II and hanged in chains from the tower walls.

York Minster is the largest Medieval Gothic cathedral north of the Alps and a treasure house of 800 years of stained glass.

There are quite a few good stores for shopping, though a lack of time and money prevented me from really exploring them in too much detail.

Since it was another beautiful day, Sheila and I took a walking tour around the city. We visited the city, and then had a Sunday roast by the water. Then it was time to say good-bye to Sheila and her grandparents, before just barely catching my train back to London!