Until I’d started this trip I’d forgotten the great distances to be walked in airports and some train stations. London’s Kings Cross Station seemed to go on forever especially when transferring from another line. After obtaining my ticket to York I decided to go to the toilet. I would not like to have had a significant disability affecting walking or else it would have been impossible due to distance. I then discovered that to “spend a penny” now costs 30p, about 60 cents. Think I was in primary school when I last had to pay for the privilege apart from a couple of places in Vietnam. I had booked a seat on a quiet carriage and despite heading to the platform as soon as the platform number was displayed was only just settled when the train departed as my carriage was the end of a very long line. The previous night I’d watched a program on one of the cheap shop entrepreneurs, his foray into new markets and his fastidious attention to presentation and shop cleanliness. While the train was just grubby and showing signs of wear, had it been one of his shops, he would not have been happy. On a positive side there were very few passengers and the trip was smooth, uneventful and over in almost 2 and a half hours.
One of a number of wind farms in the train corridor
Solar Farm
Hay stacked in field, also found as large round bales
The hostel is well located in the middle of the walled city of York surrounded by numerous very old and picturesque buildings. The lift doesn’t work so its shanks pony up 2 flights of stairs to another cubby house bunk, albeit a slightly more accessible one than that in Copenhagen. I had requested a lower bunk and staff was organized enough to select and place an A4 notice of reservation on it. I’d got my reserved lower bunk in Copenhagen too but another old duck who had done the same and had even received confirmation missed out. This hostel is very well presented and maintained and has won awards. However, it is sandwiched between 2 bars and the nightlife goes on for hours. Given it is the start of the weekend the head banging music will continue till about 2am.
Hostel kitchen
Used to train minor clergy hundreds of years ago
York Minster There had been a uni graduation and many young people and families were wandering the streets and having photos taken
A very expensive face lift for York Minster courtesy of he Lotteries Fund