When planning my ambitious itinerary, I needed to choose an overnight stopping point somewhere between Edinburgh and London, since driving straight through would have made for a very long and horrible day. For no particular reason, I chose York. It ended up being a great choice as this little town had a lot to offer.
The next area I explored was the Great Hall. It had locomotives from all different eras and from different parts of the world. That huge room led to a storage room, the Warehouse, which was filled with thousands of train-related relics. Not sure why I don't have any pictures from inside the Warehouse. I'm guessing photos weren't allowed in there.
Thankfully the rain stopped, so I was able to take a nice stroll in the old town. The architecture of the buildings and the layout of the town were unlike any I had seen on my trip thus far, making York a worthwhile destination. The town was just teeming with character.
For the first time on the entire trip I ate dinner early. So early in fact that there was hardly anyone else in the restaurant yet. After checking out the menus at many different places, since I had lots of time to be picky, I settled on Biltmore Bar & Grill (http://www.biltmoreandoscars.co.uk/the-biltmore/). It had a bar on the first floor and restaurant on the second floor, which had an atrium that overlooked the first floor. I had been craving steamed mussels for a few days, so I ordered them as an appetizer. Holy cow though! I ordered the small version, and it was HUGE! And when I say huge I mean way more than meal's worth, let alone an appetizer. It was so good, but I was sooooooo full afterward. I pretty much had no room left in my belly to fit my dinner, which was a vegetarian special. There certainly was no room for dessert!
Side note: It appears the restaurant has changed a little bit since I was there, as the old website directed me to a new website (the one I posted above), and the menu is different. Still looks the same though.
After leaving Edinburgh, the route I chose along the A1 took me near the eastern coast of Scotland and England for a little while, so it was nice to see the view of the water. I was hoping to do a little sight-seeing even before reaching York, and decided to stop in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumbria because it was along the way. My high spirits were quickly diminished by rain showers and confusing parking rules. I planned to catch a view of the city's walls and bridges, but it no longer seemed worth it. After doing some souvenir shopping in the town's Information Centre, paying to use one of the public restrooms (since the IC didn't have any), and becoming cold and wet from the gloomy weather, I went back to the car and continued onward.
Fun fact: Berwick-upon-Tweed is the northernmost town in England. So, hey, at least there's that!
Not a good sign when the only pictures you take in a town are of the public restroom.
When you pay and the door closes, you have about 5 or 10 minutes to do your business.
I rolled into York at about 3pm or so. After checking into the Bed & Breakfast, I went out to explore even though it was still gloomy, since it was now or never. I soon saw some geese and baby geese while walking, and thought this was so cute. I quickly learned though that gray geese are EVERYWHERE, which also means there are geese droppings EVERYWHERE, so watch your step. (It gives a new meaning to York Peppermint Patties.) The geese also move very slow and don't seem to be too afraid of people or cars, so it makes driving down the street very frustrating.
So cute, until you realize they are so annoying.
Even though it was closing in less than an hour, I decided to check out the National Railway Museum (http://www.nrm.org.uk/). Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Knowing I'd have to rush through the museum, I started in the Station Hall. It was set up to look like an old train station, down to the very last detail. It was really neat! I kind of felt like I was at the Disneyworld of trains. You can peer through the windows to view the inside of most of the railcars, and they are very elaborate and swanky, especially the royal carriages.
"Vanity car."
It was like I stepped back in time.
The next area I explored was the Great Hall. It had locomotives from all different eras and from different parts of the world. That huge room led to a storage room, the Warehouse, which was filled with thousands of train-related relics. Not sure why I don't have any pictures from inside the Warehouse. I'm guessing photos weren't allowed in there.
Entering the Great Hall.
The wheel must be 5'6".
A Japanese bullet train. This is the only place you can see one outside of Japan.
You can go inside of it too.
Unbeknownst to me, a little foreshadowing of my trip to Japan in September.
I think this was the original Enigma code breaker machine.
Really old train.
Could this "Out of Order" sign BE anymore British? I love it.
Me and a plethora of trains.
Signs of various stations throughout the country.
Time was up as I was leaving the Warehouse, so my tour of the museum had to end there. Whether or not you entered the museum as a train lover, this museum will make you one. I particularly liked it for it's nostalgia. Upon leaving, I deposited a £10 note from the Bank of Scotland in the donation box. (Side note: My B&B hostess in Edinburgh said that some businesses, especially in the south of England, will refuse to accept Scottish notes. So I figured this was as good a place as any to spend it so I didn't run into any problems later on.)
York Minster.
Even their Tk Maxx has loads of charm! (Side note: Yes, that says Tk Maxx, not Tj Maxx. If you want to know why, click on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.J.Maxx).
For the first time on the entire trip I ate dinner early. So early in fact that there was hardly anyone else in the restaurant yet. After checking out the menus at many different places, since I had lots of time to be picky, I settled on Biltmore Bar & Grill (http://www.biltmoreandoscars.co.uk/the-biltmore/). It had a bar on the first floor and restaurant on the second floor, which had an atrium that overlooked the first floor. I had been craving steamed mussels for a few days, so I ordered them as an appetizer. Holy cow though! I ordered the small version, and it was HUGE! And when I say huge I mean way more than meal's worth, let alone an appetizer. It was so good, but I was sooooooo full afterward. I pretty much had no room left in my belly to fit my dinner, which was a vegetarian special. There certainly was no room for dessert!
Side note: It appears the restaurant has changed a little bit since I was there, as the old website directed me to a new website (the one I posted above), and the menu is different. Still looks the same though.
An ocean's worth of mussels.
My vegetarian dinner plate in front, and the English's take on fajitas in the back.
I did some more exploring around town after dinner, before heading back to the B&B to rest my feet and re-do my packing since I would no longer be living out of a car starting tomorrow.
The sun setting on what I believe is Lendal Bridge over the River Ouse.
Clifford's Tower.
The next morning I was up bright and early to get a jump on the day...and hopefully the traffic down to London.
Another morning. Another full English breakfast.
But once again I opted for the lighter breakfast option.
Next up: LONDON!
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