Day 2, Wednesday September 28, 2022
After being awake since early Monday morning Sydney time I pretty much went to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow last night. The bed is so comfy and the house so quiet.
A cold start to the day and a lovely walk through the village and the fields. I must find out what all the hedgerow plants, berries, and weeds are – I certainly took enough photos of them.
Today, though, it’s all about York. After a slice of toast for brekky (fabulous Bluebird sourdough with an artery-inducingly thick spreading of Yorkshire butter and the raspberry jam we picked up from Castle Howard) it was off to York – via the Park and Ride at Monks Cross. York is one of those cities where you don’t even think about driving into, so the park-and-ride option (at £3.50 return) is a no-brainer…
Our first stop in town is Betty’s Tearooms for late morning tea/early lunch/do we even need a reason? There is a queue but it moves quickly and it’s not long before we’re guided to a table.
I think it’s the law to order Fat Rascals at Betty’s so we do. We also request pikelets with marmalade and a Yorkshire Curd Tart to have with our tea. While we both find the rascals a tad too crumbly and loved the pikelets as much as we did last time, I declare the curd tart my new favourite thing to eat and make a note to have a go at making them for myself when we get home.
Given that it was release day for Philly Barker we spent a good amount of time in the Antiques Centre. It’s made up of multiple stallholders, or, rather, cabinet owners, each sort of specialising in something. I was excited to see a “Mouseman” ashtray for sale as “Mouseman” furniture could possibly be featured in the next instalment of Philly #nospoilers.
We’ve already done most of the touristy things on previous visits, so this time we just wandered, stopped for a pint and wandered some more.
The York Food Fair is on and while there are foodie events scattered around the centre of York, the main stalls are set up in Parliament Street – where they hold the Christmas markets each year.
We share a viking burger before wandering some more.
Our final stop for the day is Marks & Spencers where Grant bought a dinner suit for the cruise. At £99 it’s far better value than it would cost him to hire one on the ship.
Dinner tonight is at The Blacksmith’s Arms in Westow where we celebrate the official launch of Philly Barker.
After sharing an entrée (duck liver pate) Grant had haddock and chips with mushy peas (a real Yorkshire portion) and I had pork belly with blackberries, mash, cauliflower, kale and a red wine jus.
Tomorrow we’re off to Stockton-on-Tees and North Yorkshire…
This post is an excerpt from my travel journal… you’ll find more in the series here.
And Anyways... 
As I’m reading your post and admiring the photos, I am thinking “Man, I would go for the Viking burger, FOR SURE…” and then to read that is what you guys chose… 🤣
Too funny!
I couldn’t figure out what a Fat Rascal was, though. One thing for sure, the food looked delicious!
Deb
We actually baked fat rascals in book club. It’s a cross between a fruit scone and a rock cake… a Yorkshire thing.
I can vouch for them. Fat Rascals are delicious! ❤
That sounds like another lovely and delicious day!
Thanks Joanne…
A lovely day of eating Jo. I could have drooled as I was looking at your photos. I have Philly on my Kindle for early in the New Year. Looking forward to diving into it.
Spoiler alert, the next instalment won’t be quite so tasty… of the blog series, that is. I hope you enjoy Philly.
Jo, you must take SO many photos when you’re travelling, but I love how that gives you the opportunity to group them in a meaningful way – your blog is going to be so great for you to look back on in the years to come with all your travel memories. This one just looks so “English” and I can see that you loved every minute of it.
You don’t want to know how many photos I take!
Stunning photo of your traveling mate walking beside the hedgerows. Hope you are able to identify all the lovely plants. There should be an app – and maybe there is – where you take a photo of a plant and the app tells you what it is. I could sure use that!!
Looks like you guys found some delicious alternative activities to the touristy things you’ve done on previous trips.
There actually is an app (I’ve since found out). It’s called…wait for it…PlantNet.
Your descriptions and photos are all so vivid I felt like I was there right along beside you! ❤
Awww thanks.
York – I have been there so many times and never tire of it, but we haven’t been for what must be 13 years. Sounds like you had a lovely day.
This time we debated whether we needed to go and really there was never a question.
Oh my – that pork belly dinner of yours looks so delicious! Your travel posts are always so enjoyable Jo. You write them so well – bits of history and stories and lots of fabulous photos. Love the countryside around where you’re staying and love the buildings and streets of York. I would be in my element doing a bit of urban sketching around there!
Thanks Min… you would be in your element.
York is my favourite English city, we got married there. We always stop at Betty’s whenever we are in town. Your pictures brought back some great memories.
Thanks Darlene. It is the most beautiful city.
I had to re-read your post to not ask if you’re travelling again, and whether it isn’t colder in York now since I know the UK has the same severe weather as we have!
I see a holly with red berries in your 2nd photo (in the gallery) and the last one which is a white hedgerow plant, is a cow parsley. We have plenty of them here too. I’d say all your first 3 photos there are different holly plants.
It looks like you had a good time in York with a lot of nice walks! The nature pics, of green fields and gates, are lovely! And I’m a big fan of those old buildings.
Thanks Susanne! I love the name cow parsley…and I really do love hedgerow plants…
I really did enjoy following yours and Grant’s tour when you did updates from there…and loved the photo of Grant walking in the field. Evocative. I am destined to be an armchair traveller so glad I know you who shares this kind of words/images. You do it all such justice!! Thanks for being part of the Wednesday’s Words and Pics group with your post this week. It’s the last link up for 2022 next Wednesday, 21 December, and I hope you get to add a post again! The link up returns on Wednesday 4 January 2023. Warmest wishes, Denyse.
Thanks Denyse…I’m glad you’re along for the trip.
Gorgeous pics. How good are Yorkshire Puddings? YUMMO! Is the white flower Queen Anne’s Lace? I know have that poem in my head. Weird stuff that goes in in child hood never comes out…but don’t ask me what I did yesterday…
They are the best.
What a fabulous first day! York for the win. I had to laugh when you said take the park and ride… the only city we drove in and got lost was York! And how is it that no one commented about a yorkshire pudding beer? H.m… not sure how that sounds. Love that you went to Betty’s — I just read about it on two separate books. Lovely photos and such a nice writing style.