York

Don't walk the walk (I did one day and it rained all day - talk the talk instead - the talk about history. The history of Britain is largely written here in the North. And it is mostly about invasions, wars, oppression and destruction - the stuff of life. In York you can see the impact of the Norse invaders at the Yorvik museum - and see all you want to see about their village life in 876 a.d. presented in a very rough Disneyland-type way (with stunning exhibits such as a highly constipated man straining to relieve himself in the street.


This top end of England is strewn with ancient castles and abbeys - most associated with Shakespearean characters like Richard III, John of Gaunt, the Lancaster, Gloucester, Hadrian, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Robert the Bruce and Braveheart (refer the lost books of Shakespeare).

Of course most of the castles, walls and abbeys have been destroyed by the winners of the wars who tore down the old structures to rebuild their own residences. They were very much into recycling until the dreaded English Heritage organisation banned this essential practice.

York Minster (cathedral) is the grandest structure to survive even though it has almost burnt down several times (the latest in 1984) and almost collapsed (in the 60s). Millions of dollars are spent annually trying to keep it in its original state. But it is worth seeing.

Two days of the walk to go. We arrive in Whitby then - where Cook sailed from - to Australia, and Dracula sailed to - from Transylvania. Being Kittys birthday I hope to get her to meet one of these Whitby illuminaries.