Saturday at Fountains Abbey

Yes, again! My sister had bought Explorer Passes for us from the National Trust, valid for eight days. Our first visit was on Tuesday, so we were well within that for our second visit on Saturday (25 July).

This time, we walked in on a slightly different route, entering the estate at the tea house by the lake and making our way towards the abbey on the other side of the river.

A sign pointed to the Banqueting House being open, and since I had been there many years ago but didn‘t find it open then, we decided to have a look. And that little detour was well worth it!

The view from the Banqueting House goes straight to the Octagonal Tower on the other side of the river Skell‘s valley. Nothing was left to coincidence here when the grounds of the estate were designed.

I love such puzzles and mysteries as the one about the painting of the (presumed) Sultan of Surat! 

Back at Marmaduke Huby‘s tower

By the time we had walked past the ruins of the abbey and reached the visitor centre at the top end of the estate, lunch was a good idea, and we still had a good choice of tables at the restaurant before many more people arrived. I enjoyed my Cornish pasty; a hot meal was welcome after having walked a while in the very windy weather.

At the shop I bought a few little souvenirs and then we walked to St. Mary‘s. We had timed today‘s visit deliberately to find the church open and had a good look around. We‘d been inside before, but that was years ago.

Floor mosaic in front of the altar

Spiral stairs leading up to the organ

Back at the cottage, a rest was followed by coffee/tea on the bench in front of the house. Food shopping at Aldi was next, and for our evening meal I made avocado on toast with a leafy salad and coleslaw.

I ended the day facetiming with my husband.

Friday in York

My sister-in-law, A., had Friday (24 July) off and took us to York. This beautiful city has everyone a visitor could wish for: History, beauty, culture, green spaces, a huge choice of shops and places for food and drink. Of course, it attracts crowds of tourists (such as us), and to reduce traffic in the centre (which is still very busy), the city offers a very good park & ride system. You don’t have to wait long for the next bus dropping you off at various points in the centre, and the return fare for one adult is 4 £.

We got off the bus opposite the Museum Gardens and had a leisurely stroll there while waiting for my niece B. (who lives in York) to arrive.

The Yorkshire Museum

The four of us then went to a large, recently opened independent bookshop - the dream of every book lover! Shelves from floor to ceiling line every wall in the maze-like rooms on two floors, complete with ladders on rails when you want something from the upper boards. 

If you want to look them up, here is their website.

After we‘d spent quite a bit of time (and a little money) in there, lunch was next on our agenda. We went to the York Minster Refectory, where we‘d been before on B.‘s recommendation. As at our previous visit, we were happy with the friendly service and delicious food. The Ploughman‘s Lunch I chose from the menu‘s Light Bites section could easily have served two! 

A stroll through The Shambles followed.

Scenic boat cruises on the river Ouse were on offer, and for the first time since we have made a day out in York a fixture of our holiday, we took this opportunity to see and learn more of the city. 

It was really nice and relaxing to just sit there, listening to the guide‘s more or less witty commentary and observing the scenery while the boat was tuckering along at a gentle pace.

Back on dry land, B. was ready to go home, and we walked her to her car before having tea/coke at a café opposite the Museum Gardens, where we boarded the P & R bus afterwards.

A. drove us back to Ripon, and although fields, meadows and gardens are parched from weeks without rain, it was still a nice drive through the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

Our landlord and landlady asked us over for a meal that evening, and it was especially nice to sit in their back garden in the golden evening light until it became too chilly to be comfortable and we retreated indoors.