Diary York

Diary York
Because Osama Bin Laden has been killed London is on high security alert. Gillian warned us to take a bottle of drink on the underground in case of stops. The train did stop several times and the driver announced there had been a security alert further down the line at Charing Cross causing hold ups. Our train was having to wait for the one in front to go at nearly every stop and then it was diverted to a different route but luckily our stop was still on the list, Euston, on the way to Kings Cross where we plan to get a fast train to York.
It was a relief to get on the train to York and know we were heading away from the high security alert although it wasn't actually stressful, more interesting, seeing police everywhere and underground inspectors with clipboards peering at things. Lots of tunnels that affected our ears as we left the city.
Saw many fields of a yellow flowering crop (rape seed?), a few sheep and a few towns plus a line of windmills and 2 sets of 4- 8 huge wide chimney-like structures spurting vapour we thought might be nuclear cooling towers.
When we arrived at the York railway station we discovered that our hotel was right next door. The Royal York Hotel is old and grand. Our room had an extra space as a dressing room.
After a cup of tea (yay, another hotel with electric jug etc) we went for a wander to see what we could find. We walked from 3:30 until 6:30 and it went very quickly. The Minster was just down the road and the Shambles, castle tower and the Jorvik Viking centre were easy to locate via lovely street signs. We'll visit them tomorrow. There were at least 4 Cornish Pasty shps so we shared a pasty there were 3 specialist tea and teapot shops but nosigh of the tea Kirsten wants. We'll have to go to the Buckinham Palace gift shop or Fortnam and Mason's. The last part was following the battlements along the wall back to our hotel vicinity where we found a burger restaurant advertising as winners of a few food prizes so we went in. The menu included NZ wines -1 was Vidal's rose and the red and white wines were Dsahwood. There was as Wellington burger and and Kiwi burger so we read more to discover they were part of a charitable UK trust for the Whakatane Kiwi.
In York a street is called a gate, gate is called a bar, a bar is called a pub. There are 4 bars/old wall gateways. We walked half the walls before tea and crossed over the Micklegate Bar. Near the Minster we saw a plaque saying where Guy Fawkes grew up. Coppergate was Coopers and woodworkers street. This is where the Viking centre is.
Big Peter is the name of the huge bell that rings at noon everyday and is so big it has to keep ringing until it stops of its own accord.