July 10 – Today is our rest day, but there is so much to see! We are going to visit York Minster Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, built on the ruins of two prior churches starting in the 1200s. Gorgeous blue sky today.

Very light and airy inside, very simple main altar, with lots of medieval stained glass, so intricate that it’s hard to see the designs in the glass.

A serenely beautiful ceiling in the Chapter House.

An old dead guy, and a much jauntier dead guy.

The cathedral was stripped of all its Catholic saints, gold, frills and frippery when Henry VIII shut down his opposition in the 1500s, but they kept one saint on hand so that the cathedral would be a pilgrimage site. St. William of York is interred here. When the local bridge collapsed in 1153, nobody died, so he became a saint.

Rose window.

The Doomsday Stone, preserved from the earlier Norman cathedral. Toads and goblins.

I really like stained glass.

Then we were off to the Castle Museum, a misnomer as the castle no longer exists. The building was actually a prison, built on the site where the castle once stood. This tower is the only part of the castle that remains.

The museum has a carousel.

Inside was a strange collection of artifacts donated by Dr. Kirk, who used to accept interesting trinkets in lieu of payment for his medical services. The artifacts were arranged as Victorian street shops and rooms.

The museum had a room that commemorated the Sixties. We don’t need to remember that era – we lived it!

Old toys, bicycles and Punch and Judy puppets.

The Bear Arms. Ha!

Enough excitement for one rest day. Tomorrow we’re on the road again!