From New York to Old York

At one of Jacob’s boy scout meetings, I met a parent who was English. And when I got the opportunity to go to the UK I asked her where is the one place to go if you were visiting, and she didn’t hesitate in telling me about York. York is in the north midlands (about 90 minutes from Derby) and is full of history. Founded by the Romans, was site of an emperor’s coronation, taken over by the Vikings (who named the city Jorvik), and was the home of the largest Gothic church north of the alps. The city sits within walls that are almost 200 years old! So when Len asked for ideas of where to go on Sunday, I suggested that we drive to York.

We went early to hit the Jarvik Viking museum when it opened. The city was doing some digging years ago and found a preserved Viking village. All the artifacts were protected by peat moss (including a large Viking piece of excrement, yuck). The museum was a combination of resort ride, exhibition, and medieval faire. Informative, but not really presented in depth. I was able to find a gift for Jenn in the souvenir shop, a souvenir beer (Rudgate Battle Axe, made from an old Viking recipe) for myself, and then a bottle of Harviestoun 18 (stout aged in whiskey kegs that held 18 year old scotch) next door at the Whiskey Shop.

We went through town to find the pub recommended by the Good Beer Guide, the Ye Olde Starr Inne. We found the pub, but they weren’t ready to serve food No problem, I got a John Smith and sat back and relaxed to some Sinatra music. We decided to head over to the York Minster, the famous Gothic Cathedral in town, but first stopped at a particular shop along the way. I found the type of store that is close to my heart, The Bottle Shop, a store that carried specialty beers from all over the country. I found a bottle of Old Hooky, an old ale from Hook Norton that I was looking for. We found the Minster (it really is quite hard to miss), and it was truly breath-taking. To think a structure that magnificent could be built in medieval times. As we toured the cathedral, the choir was practicing in the narthex, what a treat! We decided to go get some lunch, and headed through a shopping area known as the Shambles. The Shambles was a market street that had been operating since the 13th century, and reminded me a lot of the Bryggen in Bergen, Norway.

We were now really hungry, and stepped into the Three Tuns for lunch. A tun is a large keg (holding ~260 gallons). They had more than three different beers, so I assumed the name was from their legacy. I had the Brakspear English Pale Ale to wash down the ploughman’s lunch, while Len got a Marston’s Dragon’s Tale. Both were excellent. We then found the York Roman Baths (conveniently located under a pub), and while Len went on the tour, I enjoyed a Tetley’s while sitting on a bench in the square. It was a crystal clear day, the sun shining out through the blue sky, and I just sat there people watching, soaking in the experience and finding hard to believe that I was in England.

We were now ready for the challenging climb of the Minster tower, some 287 steps through a tight spiral to the top. But the view was definitely worth it. You could see the outer walls of the city, and the lands beyond. We followed that feat with a less strenuous walk around the walls. What a treat, seeing the Minster from so many different angles. We made it over to the Last Drop Inn, a York Brewing pub. We missed the last call for food, but were able to enjoy a York Spring Fever ale and a Centurion’s Ghost to wash down some pickled eggs.

It was a great weekend, a true blessing. - 5086

"The best beer is where the priests go to drink." – Anonymous