Tag Archives: cathedral

Farewell 2023

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We’ve come to the end of 2023. I was able to see some beautiful things this year like flower fields and the Peaks, as well as some truly wonderful art. But sadly the end of this year is a one with war ongoing in too many parts of the world. I pray that people find peace, justice and safety soon.

Here are some of my favourite photos from 2023, looking back is always a nice way to end a year. I wish you all Happy New Year and pray that 2024 is filled with peace and happiness for all of us.

York

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I visited the city of York for the day. York is one of the oldest cities in the country and is known for it’s cathedral.

We looked around the shops and the markets in an area called The Shambles – one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in Europe. It has cobbled streets and was very busy. I came across the York Chocolate shop where a well known brand started up. And yes I did buy some.

We then visited the Cathedral. We didn’t go inside but the exterior was quite beautiful.

Next we decided to take a boat ride down the River Ouse. The weather was lovely and we took in the nature and the sights. The emblems on this bridge caught my notice.

After stopping for a quick lunch we finished the day with what I thought was my favourite part of York – the city wall walk. Walls were erected around a city to protect it and the ones that remain intact around York are longer than any other city in England. We found a set of steps and made our way along the wall.

Some wall sections ended quickly, others went on for much longer. It was quite interesting to see the old stone walls were right above modern day houses and gardens with some residents waving hello as we walked by.

We spent an hour or so walking and then made our way back to the car and home. The whole walk takes about 2 hours and I’d like to do it again in full one day
I enjoyed my visit to York but there’s lots more to do and explore and I hope I can come back one day to do just that.

Rochester Castle

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I visited Rochester in Kent recently with family on an afternoon out. On arrival we decided to have a look around and came across the grand looking Cathedral which is the second oldest in England.

Inside there were lots of pretty stain glass windows and statues as well as other historical artifacts and features.

After looking around we turned towards Rochester Castle, which was built in the 1080s and still looked like it was standing strong despite being a ruin.

The castle stands on large grounds where lots of families were having picnics, playing games and just enjoying the good view and weather. Inside the castle you could the large building blocks that made it, giving an indication of just how old it was. I can imagine it must have been cold and dark in the evenings and difficult to get around with its steep, narrow, spiral staircases, and long hallways.

As we carefully climbed the staircases we reached the roof and could see a lovely view of River Medway on one side and walking around to the other, Rochester Cathedral which sits across from the castle.

It didn’t take us too long to see the whole castle as there weren’t any rooms, mostly corridors and landings from one staircase to another but it let us imagine what it would have looked like when it was in use. It was a nice afternoon out and we enjoyed experiencing and learning about something new.