Fountains Abbey & York

Fountains Abbey was our first of many ruined abbeys, and I still have yet to forgive Henry VIII for dissolving these places, allowing them to rot. But even in its ruin, Fountains Abbey was truly magnificent. This was a holy spot for me and I am still amazed to think of it. And while walking through its gardens, I felt incredibly that I needed to be wearing some sort of Regency Era dress. It was one of those sorts of gardens. 

The abbey was just a stop along our way to ye olde towne of York, which is a city of wonder. It's a mad city, but mad in an entirely different way than Edinburgh, which I do not even know how to explain. But in York I discovered a lot about how there is truth in all things. 

A couple girls {Bess and Lexi} and I went out into the city on our own before meeting up with the group for our tour of York Minster, and this is where I first experienced the Shambles. The Shambles is a street in the heart of town that is the central shopping area and has existed forever, and is wonderfully reminiscent of Diagon Alley. There are parts of the street that date back to the 14th century, and there is a portion of the street where if you and a friend were to stand in the upstairs windows of opposite buildings, you could touch hands. Wondrous!

My first view of York Minster occurred before my visit to the Shambles, and nothing could have prepared me for its glory. We were walking along the Roman wall {yes, the Roman wall} that surrounds the city, and as we came around a bend, BAM! there was the minster. It is monstrous and gorgeous and astounding. Though I visited many cathedrals along my trip, York Minster still remains my absolute favorite. It was a stunning edifice inside and out. We also had the opportunity to attend Evensong in the cathedral and it was one of those experiences that I will cherish always. 

-KB

P.S. In York, we also came across crowds
of drunk men in suits {having just returned
from the horse races}, and all I have to say
is that Americans wear horribly ill-fitting
suits.