york

I had the misfortune to stay at the Hilton with the worst beds ever in a Hilton. Otherwise a nice hotel right across from the Clifford Tower and the Castle museum. However York itself was a different story with lots to see and enjoy.

York also has the national railway museum with several royal trains maintained for viewing. You get to see how the rich and famous traveled before private jets.

To get in the mood of York and especially the surrounding countryside I brought a Peter Robinson novel. Detective Banks who long moved up from London to suburban Yorkshire has no shortage of cases to challenge him. Piece of My Heart combines insights into life in the 'shires with a train trip from York to London as he investigates a case that leads back to a sixties rock festival with Pink Floyd and a Syd Barrett type character from a local band. A fun read revisiting the sixties rock history.

But the highlight is the huge Minster cathedral - the largest in northern england and co-opted by Henry VIII to be his northern england church and so spared his wrath of destruction.

Inside are various chapels based upon earlier buildings surrounded by huge stained glass windows some predating the technology to create red stains on glass.

They practice the Minster bells every Tuesday and you can hear them from outside or at some local restaurants (including the Cafe Concerto) during dinner.

Its also fun to take the tower tour to climb to the top of the cathedral and view the city. There is also a tour of the crypt so you can tour the Minster from top to bottom.

The Minster is famous for its Rose window.

The clock has two knights below it that ring the chimes with their swords every quarter hour.

One of the rare places where the city walls are still mostly intact. It's great to work around the city.

York's center is a maze of shopping, restaurants (check out funky El Piano and the neighborhood French La Rustique), and history. Including this famous landmark overlooking a store front York Red Devil.

Next stop Fountain Abbey

Or return to UK