York

The charming little city of York was the agenda for today and I was sure looking forward to it.  Not just because of it's cobbled streets, medieval walls and ruins but also ...... I was going to ride the Hogwarts Express! 

While browsing for 'things to do' in York I stumbled across the National Railway Museum (pretty cool in itself) and saw that they housed one of the trains used in the HP movies.   At £1 for (an adult) ride, I safely stashed away some pocket money just for this special day :P

Here I am ready to board the Hogwarts Express!  Amongst the 4 and 5 year olds, I was the biggest kid in the queue.

Did I mention that this was the Hogwarts Express?

Good-bye Muggles!  I'm off to learn magic with Hermione, Harry and Ron for the term!

I'll buy a packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, thanks.

The ride lasted a whole... I dunno ... 60 seconds?  The train went forwards and backwards on the same railway track.  Biggest rort ever!  (Or if you are a HP fan, money well spent.) Unfortunately we didn't have much time to explore the rest of the museum which displays include the Japanese Bullet Train, Thomas the Tank Engine shop and other train-y stuff. 

We made our to the centre of York and drove in circles searching for a car park.  We knew we were in the depths of Ye Olden Days when we passed the below store:

Ye Mediaeval Adult Shop!  Yes, even those living the Middle Ages needed certain services.

We checked out the town and admired some ruins. 

Here I am, admiring away at the remnants of ... most likely a church.

Looking for shambolic action, we headed down Shambles.  Read the wiki entry for the interesting nerd details about the origin of the name.

The buildings looked like they were going to collapse on themselves and into each other.  If only all these tourists weren't around me, I would've thought I had gone back in time!

The gothic cathedral York Minster.  Kinda like Westminster Abbey in London I guess.

Clifford's Tower... a tower in the middle of the city.  Cool.

Afterwards, Smee and I decided to walk along the city walls.

All Smee needs is his chain mail and he'd be set to defend York from all those invaders.

Me and my (very fake) arrow. 

Another one of the entrances to the city walls.

York was quite the sweet, little city and if we had time I would've liked to have some afternoon tea and munched on some cakey at Betty's Tea Room.  They had elderflower cake available - yum! Oh well.  I'll just have to cake up elsewhere!