We are now starting day 3 in the land of gesticulating arms, ice cream and where even the men are stylish. Weeks let alone days are zooming past and between spending days busy and my new evening alcoholic problem (everywhere I go there is a glass of vino awaiting me) web time is not getting a lot of action other than researching the next place so for the next few weeks at least I will reference back and forth.
Post Amsterdam was a quick 24 hour turn around of washing the winter clothes before heading north to York with one brother and his brood to visit the youngest and his family. Steve was given the option of having some time off after 4 months with one Abel but he’s a sucker for punishment and threw himself into a week of 10 Abel/Dunns
After 21 flights we have now moved firmly to train action. Steve yesterday was cursing the internet when attempting his third try of booking our tickets with Italia-rail while on hotel wifi which like most places is temperamental at best. Italia-rail is at least a lot cheaper than the UK version. In the UK ‘Trainline’ holds all the cheap UK tickets but it’s not easy for booking multiple legs such as Kings X- York- Edinburgh –Kings X. Nor is it cheap but does, on these long legs give you a reserved seat. Unfortunately none were seated next to each other but negotiations with other passengers at different stops meant we at least got the kids sitting together.
York is the most stunning of cities with it’s cobbled pedestrian streets and York Minster. Our huge 5 bedroom apartment via Airbnb was literally in the Minster grounds in Purey Precenters Court and we beheld a 1000 year old vision outside our little windows – the Minster.
We are very fortunate to visit York every time we come to the UK and have already done much of the ‘touristy’ items. It’s big on history. Where does one start – Romans or Vikings? Move forward 500 years to the building of the Minster? Take a ghost night time ghost tour and work through the Victorian era? Visit the most haunted pub in York (Golden Fleece). Visit the pub of Guy Faulkes or as we did this particular time, take the kids the eldest 5 (and I don’t mean the adults) to the York Dungeons. This was surprisingly very good. It doesn’t have the big drop and boat ride of the London dungeons but instead uses atmosphere and actors to set the scene. I have only two arms yet most of the time 3 or 4 kids were hanging off them as I tried to make my way from one room to the next. Without doubt the scariest part was locking us in a mirrored maze for 3 plus minutes in the dark with booming sounds. Even I was trying to keep my heart from pounding.
At that point, for this morning, I must sign off. The alarm has gone off and we are off to either Capri or Amalfi on a boat this morning and I must wake the family. I’m a bit vague as I only booked everything yesterday for our 4 days here. I meant to organize everything on Tuesday but instead spent a very long afternoon at St Katherines Dock in London with my Morgan Stanley boss from 1988. The rain caused us to drink more than our original one bottle……
Thus I arrived into Sorrento with only a vague plan but got everything booked yesterday morning while walking around Sorrento. Thank goodness for the internet and some dedicated bloggers who are happy to give detailed reviews.
Will update as we go!
Photos are of York Minster, Our View from our hotel in Sorrento and our first Gelato.
