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   UK1999  #23  York Minster  

Date: 7/29/99

        We drove back to Lincoln and saw the inside of the Minster (name given to a cathedral run by monks) and the tomb of St. Hugh (1136) whose body disappeared during Henry VIII. Went to the castle and saw the Magna Carta (got it on video - very tricky). From there we headed north to cross the large Humber River estuary by toll bridge then on northwest to York in Yorkshire (of pudding fame).
Very quaint little city and very historic. The Romans founded it (4th C.) and called it Ercolatum, later the Saxons had it until the Norse conquered it in the 9th C. and called it Jorvik, which was later corrupted to York. The House York (White Rose) and the House of Lancaster (Red Rose) battled for the throne (War of the Roses). Their Minster is huge and very beautiful and very well kept up inside and out.
Today I ran the wall surrounding York and then we left the city by car and made a circle visiting several fine examples of the ruins of great monasteries that were built from 1100-1300 and later destroyed by Henry VIII. They are massive giant skeletons causing the same sense of awe we had seeing the Greek temple ruins in Sicily and the Roman ruins in Italy. They represent a way of life never to be seen again. It was in these monasteries that the writings of ancient antiquity were copied, transcribed and saved during the Dark Ages.
Before that we saw the Castle Howard, still lived in by the 28th Duke of Carlyle, where the movie "Brideshead Revisited" was filmed - absolutely magnificent. After the Kirkham Priory and Rievaulx Abbey ruins we landed in the city of Thirsk and met all of Pat's relatives in the central market square. From there to the Fountains Abbey ruins and to the town of Harrogate for dinner before driving back to York. Marcia has been making me do some driving and I have to admit I am getting the hang of it, - no more white knuckles.
Tomorrow we see the York Castle and Museum and than north to Newcastle by way of the coast (Scarborough & Whitby) and stay at a place on the water called Whitley Bay.
We got a lot done today and we both feel great. Weather is cool but nice.

Ken & Marcia

Photo: Ruins of Fountains Abbey near Ripon
KJH                                                                                     Go To -> NEXT DIARIO #24 

Kenneth J. Hoffer, MD

KHofferMD@AOL.com           

York, Yorkshire, England

Sent 6-13-99

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