A Holiday Away . . .

The British word for 'vacation' is 'holiday,' and, as I type, Isaac and I are returning from a very enjoyable holiday spent in Yorkshire, England. We stayed at the beautiful Clarence Gardens hotel in Scarborough, which was a delightful experience in and of itself: the website boasts spectacular sea views, and our room had a view like none I've ever before experienced. Here's Isaac reading through the guide to Yorkshire in our beautiful bay window (the view is almost as amazing as he is!) We ate supper in the hotel the first night, which was delicious and simple, and enjoyed several lovely English breakfasts on the ensuing mornings.

On our first full day in Scarborough, we awoke to the stunning view mentioned above (every sunrise was gorgeous, but I didn't try to capture one as no camera would have done it justice). We attempted to visit the castle (closed Mon-Wed) but ended up simply walking along the streets. During our stroll, we found the grave of Anne Bronte and, later, the Marketplace--an enormous two-story building containing dozens of market stalls and quaint little shops. Being a bit hungry on account of our walk, we took advantage of some amazing food (at startlingly low prices!) in the cafe in the vaults. (Isaac said the vaults were like a dollhouse). Note the very low ceilings. (We had tea, soup, quiche, and an "English Breakfast" for under £5, which is an amazing deal!)

On Wednesday, the second day of our trip, we visited the (relatively) nearby city of York. Alas, some of the sights we'd hoped to see were closed due to snow, but we spent many hours in the gorgeous Gothic York Minster/Cathedral, which was stunning. The crypts of the cathedral have been reworked into a chronological museum charting the development of the site from its origins as a Roman garrison to its later churches and, of course, this eventual building.

After our cathedral trip, we wandered the city for a while (it is possible to take a walk along the old city walls, but this was closed due to snow and ice, so we shall have to return), stopping by the Shambles, a medieval-esque street (according to my guidebook) that is (also according to my guidebook) the most visited street in Europe (I have my doubts).

We returned to the cathedral for an amazing Sung Eucharist service celebrating Epiphany. The choir was stunning, and the building itself only contributed to the atmosphere of peace, thankfulness, and even repentance. What an amazing night!

On our way back to the train station, we were distracted by this "grown-up pub," a tiny little tavern filled to overflowing and containing the widest assortment of ciders on tap Isaac and I have ever seen. I tried a sweet red scrumpy cider called "Ruby Tuesday," and Isaac had something a little more manly (whose name we have both forgotten).

Back in Scarborough, we spent a sunny Thursday trekking around more streets and taking a stroll on the beach. One of the truly amazing features of that town is the juxtaposition of very, very old things with very, very new ones. Here's the castle, which stands dominant over the entire town, exerting its ancient influence on the seaside taverns, casinos, and other sites for modern entertainment.

This morning dawned pink and lovely and snowy. Isaac and I again attempted to visit the castle, cosed again (this time due to weather), so we took a long walk along the coast and had fish, chips, and tea in a pub close t the train station.

The waves on our walk, which was and were truly gorgeous.

We're finally only a few hours from home on the train, and are looking forward to the relaxing weekend ahead before I jump back into my typical research schedule on Monday!