York, July 20, 2013

We both slept in late this morning--it was the sleep of the dead, and we are doing much better today. We had breakfast at the hotel--cereal, yoghurt, fruit, and coffee. Marthe had many good requests for assistance, and many of our immediate needs were met readily and easily by the staff of the hotel. They even were ready to do our laundry for a reasonable price, and that was the best request of all fulfilled, since I did not cherish spending my day at the laundromat instead of exploring the city. The landlady lent us an ironing board and iron, and when we returned late in the afternoon all our clothes had been returned to us folded and in good order. Although our hotel room is very small, we are coping nicely and dividing and conquering our various individual and collective territories. This morning, after breakfast, Marthe and I walked towards the center of town, and there we parted company. While Marthe went shopping and exploring, I went to the York Minster for an exploration of that site from 9-12. It is the seat of the Archbishop of York, and is Britain's largest Gothic building and home to countless treasures, including an estimated half of all the Medieval stained glass in England. In addition to the main body of the church, a tour of the building , which took 250 years to complete, should also include the foundations, crypt, chapter house, and an ascent of the great central tower. The first significant foundations were laid around 1080, and it was from the germ of this Norman church that the present structure emerged. The oldest surviving part, in the south transept, dates from 1220 during the reign of Archbishop Walter de Grey, who also began work on a new transept in 1260. A new chapter house appeared in 1300, and there are 44 seats around the octagonal walls where the governing body of the church met to discuss policy. The roof of this structure was particularly amazing, as there is no central column holding up the roof, but instead an ingeniously designed wooden vault suspended from the timber structure higher up. The nave was particularly impressive, as it was started in 1291 and is the widest of any Medieval cathedral. I also climbed the central tower--275 steps up winding, narrow spiral staircases with a panoramic view of the city at the top. And the stained glass was extraordinary. The east window is currently being refurbished, and there was a great exhibit on its restoration as well as the stone restorations which are constantly in progress. And there were so many beautiful grave ornaments and catafalques, and the quire, with its exquisitely carved choir stalls, was especially impressive, as was the Quire Screen containing the sculptures of the 15 kings who reigned during the construction of the Norman cathedral of York. Then, at 12:30, I met Marthe at the Cafe Concerto, celebrating 18 years as a favorite haunt of local "Yorkies". It is opposite the York Minster and has a music-themed atmosphere, and the food is fresh and very good. I had a squash soup with French bread, and Marthe had a sandwich. Afterwards, she walked with me to scope out a boat ride, but decided instead to go have a massage. She went her way, and I decided to go to the Museum Gardens which house the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey, the medieval Hospitium, and the Roman Multangular Tower. The ruins of St. Mary's Abbey lie within the Museum Gardens, and eventually became an important Benedictine foundation. It was from here that disenchanted monks fled to found Fountains Abbey, which I am going to visit tomorrow. J.M.W. Turner actually painted the ruins several times during his lifetime. While passing by one of the Jacobean houses on the grounds that obviously had been refurbished as an outdoor theatre, I noticed people sitting on the grass, obviously waiting for a performance to begin. I inquired and found out that the Theatre of the Dales was presenting a 45-minute truncated version of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," which I proceeded to watch and enjoyed immensely! Strolling back to our hotel afterwards, I decided to climb the stairs at Petersgate to do a short walk along the remaining city walls. High above the tangle of ancient streets, I could soak up the city's atmosphere in peace as I walked. Narrow steps disappear through medieval stonework at regular intervals, enabling you to get on or off as you like. Then I went back, and by that time it was almost 5:00. I took a small nap, then began this blog. Marthe Skyped with Josh, and afterwards we were going to take the City Boat on the Ouse River, but didn't quite make it--one minute late. We stopped by a little restaurant and split a plate of pork, potatoes, and carrots, then wandered through the darkening evening and took some great pictures of architecture or storefronts and their displays. Tired, but it has been a superb day, Marthe is not going with me to Fountains Abbey tomorrow, but I am off early, so will be on my way. With best wishes, Sylvia