Monday at Bolton Abbey

On Monday (29.07.2924), our lovely landlady had the day off and spent it with us. We didn‘t want to sit in the car for hours and therefore chose to visit Bolton Abbey, which is about 45 minutes away.

We‘d never been there, but Julia had been as a little girl with her parents.

Once again, it was a perfect summer‘s day with sunshine and fluffy white clouds in an azure sky. 

The entire Bolton Abbey estate belongs to the Duke of Devonshire, and we expected having to pay for admission to the abbey ruins. Instead, a ticket was only required for parking, which was a surprise.

A short stroll through the village brought us to one of the paths leading down a slope towards the river Wharfe and the abbey.

Many families were heading straight for the river, having picnics on the banks and playing by and in the water, but we wanted to explore the ruins.

This is where the duke lives when the family are here.

The adjacent church is still in use, and luckily, we arrived there just as the local vicar started to give a brief historical overview and a tour. We liked him very much; he explained things with charm and humour, putting them in a wider (political) context.

The church has some unique features, among them the back wall painted with plants representing the life of Jesus.

We then walked around the ruins, eventually making our way towards the river where we crossed the foot bridge (not the stepping stones - they were beleagured by families with children) and started on a woodland path with beautiful views of the abbey.

It was lunch time when we crossed the river again, arriving at the Cavendish Pavilion, just right for a sandwich and cold drink.

From there, we took a path along this side of the river and then an uphill bit to the fountain of remembrance. Beautiful views from there again.

By now, we were ready for tea/coffee (and cake), finding both at the most beautifully located Tea Cottage in the village.

Unfortunately (or luckily?), the village bookshop was closed due to them being at a book fair in Ilkley or something.

The drive back to Ripon through beautiful Wharfedale and Nidderdale marked the end of our day out with Julia - definitely to be repeated in the future!

Eating Out on Saturday and Sunday

Saturday (27.97.2024) morning saw us doing a spot of housework at the cottage, mainly hoovering.

Our friend and former landlady Sue picked us up in time for lunch at the garden centre in Killinghall. Lunch at a garden centre doesn‘t sound particularly exciting, does it - but this is not just any garden centre café, it is the Paradise at Daleside, with Michelin-starred chef Frances Atkins. You can look her up on www.greatbritishchefs.com.

Booking is essential there, as it is so popular. Staff is very friendly and helpful, and not the least bit snooty. The atmosphere is welcoming, not over the top, and the food is simply fabulous.

After our meal, we had a wander round the garden centre itself and were impressed by how beautifully presented everything was. There was a section with rare plants, which I found very interesting. Of course we didn‘t buy anything - I don‘t have a garden, and besides we would have had to somehow get our purchases back to Germany on the train. But it was nice to look at.

In the afternoon, we went to visit Mary for a while, again sitting in her back garden.

Returning to the cottage, we were invited for a drink in the garden with our current landlord and -lady; her daughter and her husband had come for a visit, and we stayed for a chat until we‘d finished our drinks and then let them get on with their cooking. Lovely people, all of them.

I took off for a very brief walk in the evening light before my sister and I had our own evening meal - very light after the sumptuous lunch we‘d had!

Don’t you think this building looks like something out of Harry Potter?

A Rebus mystery on TV was our entertainment that evening.

Sunday (28.07.2024) was very warm and sunny again. A little after 11, my sister-in-law picked us up for the drive south to the Barnsley area, where most of the family live and where we were having a family gathering at the Burntwood Court bar & restaurant.

It was so good to see the aunts, uncle, cousin, my other sister-in-law and her husband! A total of 9 meant that the gathering allowed everyone to participate in the conversation and catch up with everybody, not just the two or three people sitting closest to you, as it can be the case with larger gatherings.

We had our meal inside and then moved to the patio for coffee/tea, and afterwards  drove the 10 minutes or so to Thurnscoe where we spent another couple of hours at one of the aunts‘. 

The roads were busy, but we were back in Ripon by 8:00 pm, with no major hold-ups. I needed to stretch my legs and went for a short walk in the evening sun.

Ripon Cathedral looks particularly beautiful this time of day.

A different view of the cathedral.

Like the day before, my sister and I didn‘t want much to eat that evening; a selection of Wensleydale cheese with crackers was just right.

Friday in York

Another day of unbroken sunshine at a pleasant 20C; we had arranged a trip to York for Friday (26.07.2024).

My sister-in-law had the day off and drove the three of us to the small end-of-terrace house her daughter and her boyfriend bought last year. They moved in in March, and there is still a lot of work needed, but it is habitable now with a lovely modern kitchen, and my niece‘s good taste is evident throughout.

We left the car there and walked into town along the river, on a pleasant path occasionally shared with cyclists and dog walkers.

The river Ouse

Ice cream vans are common, ice cream boats are special.

It was lunch time when we arrived in the city centre, and The York Minster Refectory was the perfect place for our meal. We had the dog with us; Ruby is a quiet, friendly old girl and absolutely no trouble. A table outside provided plenty of space for us to sit and and Ruby to stretch out underneath. The food was very nice, and service attentive and friendly.

Our table was to the left just outside the range of the picture.

A stroll around offered many sights of historical buildings, some of them beautifully quirky. The statue of the late Queen Elizabeth is a new addition to the minster‘s front.

The Shambles were way too busy for our liking.

My niece lead us to a hidden gem, Bedern Hall. It is amazing how peaceful and quiet the city can be, just a few steps off the beaten track. An elderly lady gave us a brief oral history of the hall, then we were free to look around.

Ice creams were next before we made our way back to my niece’s place, this time on the other side of the river. 

The three of us plus Ruby were soon in the car again and on our way back to Ripon. A beautiful day with plenty to see, and a nice walk along the river.

Thursday With Friends

For the first time since our arrival in Ripon, we saw a bit of rain on Thursday (25.07.2024). It wasn‘t more than a drizzle in the morning and didn’t last long.

We went to the market for a good look around but only bought cheese from the Wensleydale stall and a loaf of sourdough from a baker‘s stall. 

Late morning we were expected for tea/coffee at Sheila‘s house, and happily sat in her beautiful garden with our mugs and biscuits, joined by her husband and Tabs, the sweet little tabby cat she‘d rescued a couple of years ago.

Hollyhocks in Sheila‘s front garden

Back at the cottage, we had a light lunch of the bread and cheese we‘d bought earlier from the market, followed by a brief rest.

Next, we went on a short tour of some of our favourite shops, The Little Ripon Bookshop being a firm ‚must go to‘ on our list. As usual, we did not leave without making a purchase.

We were ready for coffee/tea at the cottage after that, and then I had plenty of time for blogging and catching up with other bloggers‘ posts.

Our former landlady and previous owner of the row of cottages that comprise Box Tree and Matchbox cottage had invited us for dinner at her place. We spent a most pleasant evening at her beautiful house, enjoying her company and the fabulous food she‘d prepared - a cheese soufflé that looked like a picture in a cook book, and tasted just as great as it looked. I was very impressed, since I‘ve never attempted making a soufflé myself.

It was late-ish by the time we had walked back to the cottage, but O.K. and I had not spoken in a few days, only exchanged text messages, and so we ended the day with a facetime call, which was lovely.