Old York, Old York

After an amazing weekend in Budapest I was suffering post long weekend depression and dreading heading to work and was already looking forward to the next weekend. The weekend in April was a bit of a double edged sword. On first hand I was super excited to spend a weekend visiting York with Lauren while we visited her family friend but before that could happen I had to say goodbye to another good friend who's visa had run out.

Candra and I met through my friend Shea at Oktoberfest and it wasn't long before we bonded over a few steins of beer then and again in Austria for Christmas. It was another end of an area and I was sad to say goodbye to another good friend. After drinks at her place followed by a bit of a boogie in a pub nearby there were a few tears and a goodbye.

Luckily for me I had something to look forward to and was up bright and early to get the train to Leeds on Saturday morning. Lauren and I took the two hour train and were picked up by her friend Di who she had worked with in Australia. We quickly dropped our bags off at her gorgeous house in Weatherby before driving straight to York. Once we were there we wandered through the town centre, checking out some markets, walking along the river before grabbing a quick bite to eat. We ventured down the tiny little cobbled crooked streets and checked out the 'Haunted' pub for a beer. It was still pretty chilly outside so it was good to get away from the breeze for a little bit.

Once we had recouped we decided to have a wander around the roman walls that surround the inner city. The York Walls are a great way to see parts of the city as you can look down on the streets and sidewalks as well as out to the wider York City. The 'climbing' of the York walls tired us out so then it was onto a cute little Tea shop for some scones and a nice warm cuppa.

The afternoon was spent tucked up in Di's couch with another warm cuppa watching TV while she pottered around. Its always nice to go and visit someones 'home' rather then a shared flat and it was so nice and peaceful in a smaller town.

Once her husband had finished we worked we met him down in their local pub for a quick pint before dinner at the local italian. The dinner was delicious and we were all pretty decadent having starters, mains, desserts and lots of wine. It was a perfect evening to finish of a great day exploring a new city and we crashed into bed pretty quickly after getting home.

We were treated to a cooked breakfast the next morning before heading off for a wander around some Estate home grounds not too long a drive from Di's place. We spent a couple of hours wandering through the woods, across fields, passing by streams and up and down hills. It was refreshing to be out in the clean air and even though it was chilly spending some time in the sun. Once again after all the 'hard' work we deserved a drinks so we found a cute little pub nearby and spent the afternoon chatting over a cider and packet of crisps. Just another thing I loved about the area is the local watering holes!

I am now a massive fan of York and it was the perfect cure for my post holiday depression. A little bit of sunshine and a great chance to stretch my legs and explore a quieter place was brilliant and I hope its not the last time I get to check out the place.