BUTTERTUBS, BLUBBERHOUSES, GIGGLESWICK, WIGGLESWORTH & A VIKING TURD!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 – Garstang – So maybe I caught your attention with the blog title?   As  Geoff says “all will be revealed” and now that the trip to York is past I am ready to share the experience with you!

First, the weather has been bitterly cold, windy and wet since we got back Monday afternoon.   Today it is sunny and arctic cold with a cold breeze.  It is pretty to look out at the sheep in the pasture but I was just outside and it is mega cold!

So, on with the trip:

Starting last Friday, October 14, we headed up and over Swaledale (part of the Yorkshire Dales) and it wasn’t raining but there were low lying clouds so I couldn’t see some of the sights as clearly but it was still pretty.   We drove over an area called Buttertubs Pass and it was hilly and, of course, lots of the drystone walls along the way (I have been reading about the expert wallers who built many of these over the centuries)—I am still in awe of the walls!

Near the Blea Moor:

Then the Ribblerailway viaduct:

Heading into the Buttertubs Pass area:

I took tons of pictures of these stone barns—they were everywhere along the roadway:

The unusual shapes of the stonewalls:

We stopped in Reeth for lunch at the Copper Kette and had delicious carrot/butternut squash soup with homemade bread!

Then off and over the Yorkshire moors:

Then past Bolton Castle:

Onto the city of York (it has medieval walls around the outside of the city—just a few portions have been torn down):

We arrived at our city hotel “53 Hotel” that was near everything!:

That evening we went to an Italian restaurant nearby called “Totos” and had a great meal!

I forgot to take a picture of the food—crab filled ravioli and our starter was deep fried mushrooms—here is proof it WAS good:

On Saturday, October 15, we spent the day exploring York sights—what a beautiful city and it was a beautiful day!

The Minster Cathedral n the distance:

And close up:

I lit candle for my Gramma Zukowski (Geoff is pointing at it) & requested prayers for all the Zukowski family:

Some city history:

Gatehouse over River Ouse and the river:

Yours truly pointing at the “Clifford Tower” with my trekking pole:

We had a wonderful dinner that night at Khaa San Thai Restaurant—the king prawns over rice noodles and  cashew nut beef/veggies over coconut were so yummy I forgot, again to take pictures—but I did get a shot of the dessert which was pineapple deep fried with vanilla ice cream and it was the perfect end to the meal (unfortunately I can't find the picture--don't know where it went!!!)

Sunday, October 16 we have another sunny day in York but some white clouds overhead, too—we walked down the block and through a shopping area to “Jorvik Viking Center” which is “Copppergate--the Viking Dig 1976-81” where they have unearthed literally thousands of Viking artifacts and a whole village.   They recreated the village and have life like animated people showing what life was like back in the Viking Age and the funniest part of the trip through the village (on a people mover with narration) was at the end of the village where they showed some of the day to day things like a well and nearby was an outhouse—made of twigs and about two feet tall—they had a villager grimacing and grunting inside the “loo”—it was great!  Photos were not allowed during that part of the trip.

However, we get off the people mover and there are displays of actual artifacts and almost the first one I look at is:

Yes, that is one well preserved Viking turd!  You should enlarge the picture by clicking on it and read about the info they found out about their diet, etc., from this turd.   I told Geoff I was going to take a picture and he said to me “You can’t take a picture of a turd!”, I said “Wanna bet?”  And then I asked if I could take non-flash photos of the artifacts and they said yes, of course…hence my prized photo of the Viking turd!  (Sorry if this is offensive to anyone—I thought it was priceless!)   Here are some of the other artifacts I photographed:

Bone/skulls where wound evidence shows:

We walked around the area and looked at some of the other sights of York (Merchants Hall, other old buildings and churches and an old medieval street called “Shambles” that is even narrower than usual!) , had a bite to eat from Thamas the Baker’s shop, did some shopping and people watching, then I wanted to walk at least part of the city wall so we did!

This is the River Foss that runs into the River Ouse:

Now for the city walls walk:

Then above the walls, a hot air balloon appeared:

We ended our walk with the city seal set in the gate:

The day ended with another great meal this time at “Jade Palace” and with Geoff drinking the soy sauce:--I think I have saved some shots somewhere "secret" because now I can't find them!!!  Oh well!

Monday, October 17, we say goodbye to York and head out of town.   First interesting thing is that Geoff says we are going over “Blubberhouses”—I say “what?” and he says it is the name of the area we are passing through—I think it is a very unusual name but another one that I like!  Then he tells me to look for the “golf balls”—here is what he meant:

It was formerly an US listening base but now it’s RAF (Menwith Hill)!

Pretty scenery around the Wharfedales:

We take a loop around an area and have lunch at an old Appletreewick pub:

Love those old toilets with the upper tank and pull chain:

Then on to Bollton Abbey (although I didn’t get a great picture of it as we drove by):

Then we headed to “Settle” since someone here thinks you say “Seattle” like “Settle”!—an interesting village with a cafe called “the Naked Man”—but after we leave there I see a sign for Giggleswick—we never go through that village but I just like that name—sounds very Harry Potter-ish!

Geoff decides to take me down some one lane roads and gets up on one that he has to stop and open and close gates—many of them until we get to Wigglesworth!  Which is another name I really like!

Hahaha--last time he decides to go on a route that starts with one fence!   Of course, I just take pictures all along the way—very entertaining--for me!

Then he stops by this phone booth near Dunsop Bridge and says that it marks (with a plaque, too) the very center of all of Great Britain--the Queen has visited this place twice--once in the 1980s and recently in 2006—you would think they would have had one of those red telephone boxes here, wouldn’t you?  They have them everywhere else!:

We carry on over the Trough of Bowland and I run out of battery so this is it:

Shortly after this shot we end up back in Garstang you don’t really miss anything here.

Tomorrow we head to Liverpool for the day and night to catch some Beatles memorabilia then back to Garstang until we leave for London.  I know this is a long blog, but I had to share my favorite new places and that ancient turd with you all!

Love, Geoff & Sue (outside Wetherspoon's, York) xo