Leaving York

Then there is the River Ouse (Yorkshire). Apparently there is more than one Ouse; not surprising as it means 'water'.

I’m always fascinated by the structures one finds alongside of bridges.

At some point we needed a sit-down and found another tea shop and had a cream tea:  scones with either whipped or clotted cream and strawberry jam.  I couldn’t finish my share – far too rich!

We went to the Jorvik museum where we looked at the bones that archeologists found in the 1970-80s in a find that went all the way back through the Viking period, which is between when the Romans left in about 430 and when the Normans came, in 1066. I’d not appreciated that there was a Viking era of actual residence here– I’d always thought of them as the hit and run type; sack and pillage and leave. So I learned something new.

Finally, Bill pulled out all the stops and took us along to ‘What a street!”

Then we headed to find a pub to eat.  There was lovely Tudor pub called the Punch Bowl, but it was full.

There were two to choose between. I thought naming your place ‘Ye Olde Starre Inne’ was pushing the quaint-e-ness a bit far, but as the Punch Bowl was full, that’s where we ended up – having fish and chips and peas, only about a million calories.  Hopefully I burned a few of those walking the streets of York.

I know it is nuts to try taking photos out of a train window – it’s all moving so fast –

but it was the colours that I mainly wanted to show you.

The English country side is really lovely and you don’t always see this from the roads.

Also, I managed to snap Durham as we slowed to stop at the station there.  On the right we have Durham Cathedral (Norman, not Gothic. York Minster is Gothic). On the left in similar stone, Durham Castle, home of Durham University College. Yep, that's the place that made Bill Bryson their Chancellor.

We should go back for a visit some time - it's only 15 minutes from Newcastle by train.