York - Uk's Wall city!!

First of all....I have to give some "kudos" to the British Rail system.  It like the European system is an "on-time" departure/arrival system...period.  The trains in the UK are similar to Europe...fast...efficient...plentiful....but I notice a class of service that is not there in all of the European Trains...and Amtrak - well they are not even in contention....Amtrak is like a ride at the carnival...yeah or a big joke.  Now...I should like to point out...NE corridor Amtrak is way different than the rest of Amtrak....but still not in any way could I compare them to what I have found in Britain.

Okay...enough of trains....how about YORK!!!  No...no not NEW YORK City....but The City of YORK in the UK.

 And what one may first notice is the city is a city of wall....like 2 miles of wall....and it has been here over 2000 years...plus one of the world's greatest historic monuments.  For example....

However to me the most striking part of York and certainly because of it's height the most visible...is the York Minster.  It is the largest gothic catherdral in Northern Europe.  Has about 1000 years under its belt....Plus all the history of Roman, Norman and Viking past...some even buried in the Crypt.  Here is the the Minster....

As I was traveling in the city today...I have another very small church with an interesting story.  The church below has a large door on the left....now look to the right....see the small door just below the second set of windows from the right?  That small door is called the "devil's" door.  Now...they say..that during a baptism if a baby cries...that small door is the exit for the devil..that the baby is trying to be rid of....nothing was said if the baby does not cry...but one assumes the devil stays with that kid!!  So look for the door.....

The railway (yeah..back to the trains) station here dates back to the 1860's and was the largest rail station in the world when it was first built.  Today it does not claim that same fame....but it is rather unique...

And what else in the UK...but pubs....so tonight I am headed up the street from my hotel...oh,let me show you the some pics of the "Lady Anne Middleton Hotel"....

It is just along the River Ouse that flows thru the city....

Tonight....a pub crawl....no...not really....but there are a couple down the lane....my first stop is almost next door...

and then on to....

....and that ought to do me for then night!!!

Okay...I leave York tomorrow to head up to Scotland....first stop is Edinburgh....and meeting up with a former fellow traveler....Barbara Paterson....she and her husband David have invited me to their home for dinner...I will have more on Barbara once I get to my Edinburgh blogging....

Here are my parting shots from York....