- It's not just the cabbies who are insane; pretty much everybody there is a crazy driver. I recommend looking both ways at least 15 times [ed: more like 50 if you're in Rome] before attempting to cross the street.
- Our B&B was outside of the city walls, but it was just off a street that took us straight to the Minster, which made navigation very easy. It was especially great for me, since I tend to lose track of direction when I leave the area around my home.
- According to Emily [ed: paraphrasing, of course], the folks who set up the Jorvik area of the city attempted to recreate the smell as well as the look of the old Viking city. I don't think I missed much by skipping it.
- Still a fan of vodka, but now I prefer it with grapefruit juice.
- Also, don't drink lots of alcohol before going on a long walk. Chelsea was actually tempted to pay the cover fee to a club just to get in & use the bathroom there.
- At some point in life, Corliss developed an allergy to most meats [ed: not sure if that's actually possible, may have been some other health issue], forcing her into vegetarianism. Which is why she was delayed at lunch... finding a vegetarian restaurant was apparently none too easy in York.
23 May 2004 (31 March 2008)
- Awesome! I put the bit about Corliss' vegetarianism under the wrong day. Don't you love correcting corrections?
- Also, it turned out that Corliss finished the wall walk on her own as well.
- The ruins were from St. Mary's Abbey: Founded by William II in 1088, walls built around 1266, and "decommissioned" under Henry VIII in 1539 (Thanks Emily!)
24 May 2004 (31 March 2008)
- The character was Silk/Kheldar, from David Eddings' "Belgariad" & "Mallorean" series.
- Timo Little was the guide's full name, if I remember correctly. And he actually had a degree in medieval history, which explained his interest in and knowledge of the period. If you ever end up taking a tour of the Minster, look for him.
- The people from York occasionally make fun of the people from London, since Yorkminster is also a cathedral (from "cathedra," the name for the bishop's chair) while Westminster isn't.
- Screw etiquette. If I had been holding my silverware the way I was used to instead of the way I was "supposed to," I never would have knocked my food on the floor.
- Backing up slightly, the crossing tower at Yorkminster had a wire "cage" over the top of it, apparently to keep people from jumping off. Must be a British thing [ed: the top level of Tower Bridge was closed while we were there for the same reason]... I'm much more likely to spit from a high place than jump from it.
- Backing up even further, many of the cool things in the undercroft were discovered when they were doing excavations to shore up the pillars that supported the crossing tower. I don't remember the exact weight, but Timo said that each of the four main pillars was supporting the weight of ten Boeing 747s.
- Still not sure how the whole haunted sink thing came up... I'm guessing there was alcohol involved. But haunted or not, their sink did turn itself on for a few seconds, and then turned itself off again.
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