More York

It's kind of odd.  I spend all week thinking about what to post, planning to do it on a Sunday evening, when I take a break from schoolwork.  But then Sunday comes along, and I have a hard time finding things to write down.  Not what to write about, just what to say about it.  Weird.

Anyhoo, more about York. 

Within the walls of the city there are very few cars, and most of the streets are not accessible to them during day hours by law.  It is understandable, really, as most of the streets were built up during the late Medieval era, and there is usually only room for one vehicle to pass, without room for pedestrians.  Even with these toy cars you can park by picking it up with one hand that seem to be popular here.  But that's a rant for another day.

The buildings are a really interesting mix of modern and medieval right next to each other, and sometimes in the same building.

Here's a close up of a couple of the faces, just because.

This wonderfully well preserved and cared for Tudor building (is that right?  I need to bone up on my architectural styles) with fun painted faces and delightful stained glass is also, as you can see, a TK Maxx clothing store touting the latest styles.

I passed a realtors' on one of my trips being lost within the city and found an ad in the window for a building like this, only not so ornate.  You can own your very own Tudor building in the walled city of York for a mere 795,000 pounds sterling.  And, according to some men we spoke to in a pub where we had lunch, one of which was the owner of the establishment, you have to have Council Planning permission to paint, change the floors, or drive a nail.  And should you want to update to modern conveniences like electricity, you have to move a mountain of paperwork. (Actually, all the buildings have electricity, I'm sure, but you can't change anything about the historic aspect of the place when you renovate.)

One of the more interesting sections to get lost in - trust me, you will get lost - is The Shambles.  Starting out as a poor section of town that housed butchers and the like, the streets are small and winding, with straight lines apparently a concept that hadn't occurred to the early city planners...if they existed.

See what I mean about the cars?

Evidence of the butcher's shops are in street names...

(There is a spider's web around the piglets, which gives me the giggles for some reason)

...and the ancient butcher's hooks that can still be seen on or under the eaves of some of the shops.

I like this building.

And the detail on this one, that started out as a booksellers.

The historic information plaque for it is helpful.

And who wouldn't like a Tudor building that is so old it sags, next to a pub called the Golden Fleece with a large gold sheep hanging as the sign?  Or maybe that's just me.

Here's a close up of the sheepie:

There is also a Roman Bath museum that we didn't get to that is housed inside a pub (where else...This is Britain, after all), and all kinds of strange little shops.  But ten pictures is probably enough for one blog entry.


Next week, churches!