What have the Romans ever done for us?

Eboracum. Eoforwic. Jorvik. York. Bob keeps calling it the Venice of the North, not because of the canals (that's Manchester), but because it's gorgeous, and apparently is overrun with tourists every summer. We liked it a lot, and would like to live there.

It's not an entirely silly idea - we really liked the look and feel of York, and it looks like there is work for me there, or in Leeds which is a feasible commute from York. Unfortunately the work prospects are not so rosy for Bob, so we'll have to think hard about it.

In dot points, before I fill the page with photos of gargoyles:

• the Richard III Museum is amusingly naff;
• the Yorkshire Museum is very good, and has a great collection of Roman finds - we overheard one of the curators talking, and saying that you can't dig a hole in York without finding something significant;
• Barley Hall is a very intelligent restoration and reconstruction, with absolutely stunning quality of recreated artefacts, all very well presented;
• We spent a lot of time wandering around the Shambles, bemused by the number of chocolate shops, and delighted by the number of tiny pubs with delicious pints;
• we didn't have the chance to tour the Minster, but I did take a lot of photos of the stone outside.

There were Hats in Barley hall

Hats to try on!

We like Hats!

Barley Hall exterior

Ok. Now for lots of photos of the Minster, and from near the Minster

Approaching the Minster

Near the Minster 

Boer War memorial, in immaculate Gothic style

Entering the Minster

Old School buildings behind the Minster

The medieval wall is pretty well intact, spared during the Civil War, and not too much altered since. And it follows pretty well exactly the line of the original Roman wall, and includes some of the foundations of that wall. Plus you can walk around almost all of it.

Oh yeah. And I took a lot of photos of the Minster exterior. There were gargoyles and gothic decorations.

And now we leave you in Ediburgh. We've not seen much other than a lot of food, as we huddle in a very nice hotel, resting for Christmas. That's our real present this year - a day and two nights of doing nothing. Merry Christmas to you all.