KidsTour2

In Nottingham, we visited the "Tales of Robin Hood", an interactive exhibit. It started with a tour in little trolleys on a track through scenes from Robin Hood's life, and the forests and villages of 14th century England. The next section was rooms with information panels (and figures where Brigitta could pose!)

Upstairs was a big room with lots of activities. Brigitta and Andres both took turns at shooting with bow and arrow, and earned certificates.

A few hours later we were in York. After settling into our guest house just outside the city wall, we walked in toward the city. Our gate through the city wall was Bootham Bar. Instead of going straight into town, we climbed the steps and walked a part of the wall, getting a magnificent view of the north side of the Minster.

We walked to the next gate, Monk Bar, and were surprised to find a new little museum in it. It's devoted to Richard III, and restoring his reputation.

We spent some time in the museum, and then came down from the wall. We ate dinner in the Royal Oak Inn, having their "family room" almost to ourselves.

As we walked back to our guest house we passed the West Front of the minster, which was then glowing in the early evening light.

We had arranged to meet a friend the next day . We had met him on a walk several years ago and kept up with him via email. He lives near York, and had offered to spend the day with us. We first went to his new summer-and-weekend house, a half hour's drive from York. After a pleasant coffee break in his back garden, we then drove through the countryside, ending up at the Hambleton Hills White Horse. We could see it from many miles away. We parked at the base and walked up to the top of the horse. From part way up it looks like a headless horse!

We drove back to York for lunch, eating at St. Williams College, an Elizabethan building behind the minster.

		After lunch we spent time in the Minster, and then went to the wonderful Railway Museum. There are many locomotives and rail cars, as well as interactive exhibits. Andres here was being a signal man.

and then through town, along the Shambles, a medieval shopping street. (Some of us particularly enjoyed the candy shops!)

We returned to Monk Bar to spend more time in the Richard III Museum. Monk Bar, as a city gate, has a portcullis, one of very few still functional.

Brigitta found a small staircase up to the executioner's cell. She disappeared up the steps, and then we heard her laughing. We took turns going up the narrow spiral staircase, and at the top found Brigitta with the sign she found there:


Andres managed to lock Alida and Brigitta into another small cell. (He eventually relented and let them out.)

An upstairs room (where carpenters were unfortunately working, with ladders and other equipment) was set up as a courtroom, with the "trial" of Richard for the murder of the princes going on, on an audio tape. Definitely interesting...

		The next morning we climbed the tower of York Minster. First you climb up in the wall of the south transcept, and then you cross over to the central tower.

From the top we had great views in all directions. Between the west towers we could see St. Mary's Abbey ruins, near our guest house.

After this, we visited Jorvik, an exhibit of 10th century York, when the inhabitants were Vikings. We "time travelled" on a little train through a Viking village, complete with appropriate sounds and smells.

Then came the exhibit rooms, all quite interesting. We finally dragged ourselves away, to leave York for our next stop, Fountains Abbey.