Mikey and Paigey: York

York was the next stop on our four day get a way. I didn't know what to expect when we first arrived. I had read up on this a bit and I expected a cramped, medieval city. But York held wonders on its cobblestones.

We found a pastry shop that although failed miserably in the meat pie department, excelled in the desert pastry department. Just think, 5 Yum Yums for only 99p! Could there be anything sweeter? We sat in a graveyard across the street from the pastry shop and made 3 consecutive trips inside to gorge ourselves once more on the flaky, buttery goodness.

After we tramped toward the York Minster but got distracted along the way. Distraction number one? A store full of environmentally friendly and fair traded goods. It was incredible. I've never seen recycling done so right. I purchased one of these to make Days runs with. I think it just screams York. Don't you? Distraction number two: a bookstore.

I walked in and immediately felt like every book in the place was soon to fall in on me and bury me in a mound of literature. Thankfully the crookedly shelved books stayed put as I wound through the narrow corridors absolutely crammed with pages, spines and bindings. I don't know how many floors the tiny shop had but it felt like a vertical stack of 6 rooms absolutely congested with novels, anthologies, compilations, volumes, manuals, treatises, storybooks, paperbacks . . . it was a wonderland. We got lost for over an hour and I emerged empty handed but with a sketchbook full of titles.

I stole a peek out the window.

The bookshop was adjacent to York Minster so we headed over to the big site. Not wanting to pay to enter, we decided to go to Holy Communion to get free admission. Resourceful and educational. I think yes. We planned to meet up at a big, better known, impersonal and ordinary bookstore for a spot of hot chocolate and a comfy chair to read in. I got conned into shopping for a few hours before we finally wound up at a cafe. Half of us got kicked out so we moved down nearer to the shelves to read and eventually found ourselves situated neatly around a large table. We were there for almost 3 hours. It was gloriously relaxing.

Just a view from the here.

We snagged some gourmet burgers for dinner and then headed home after a tiring day of exploring. The YHA in York wasn't near the standard set by Edinburgh, but the company was better and soon her and I found ourselves snuggling in our bunk bed.

The wall.

The next day we decided that the inner city had nothing left to offer us. Instead we walked the entire length of the partially reconstructed medieval wall surrounding the city. The walk was beautiful and it made me vow to have a garden when I grow up. There was so much to feast on while we were walking I got distracted by the cracks in the walls. Sometimes my eyes spend too much time inching their way along I felt like I had to drag them to keep up with my pace.