We set out in the rain, glad we weren't walking around Edinburgh in it. We've been weather-blessed on this trip, so far. The landscape is green sweeping fields with some grazing. Travelling south it became much hillier and rougher with stone walls & homes.
We had a quick photo stop in Jeddburgh, near the border, where there is a large, well-preserved ruined abbey. As we got nearer Hadrian's Wall, Adam told us we were likely seeing bits of it all around, since locals have been helping themselves to the stones for their houses and dry-stone walls for nearly 1500 years since the Romans left. And of course we were driving on a road that was built on an old Roman Road.
The largest remaining bit of Hadrian's Wall isn't so very large, but we found it behind a hedge next to a walking path.
Our service centre lunch stop offered McDonald's, so we went for it. It's becoming very windy, but much warmer than it's been, with clouds scudding across the sky in huge banks. It's the remnants of one of the Atlantic hurricanes from last week.
York was our big destination for the day. Adam led us in a circle around the main parts of the city, then left us to explore on our own. Larry and I headed straight into
the cathedral and spent most of our time there.
The stained glass, dating back to at least the 14th century, is amazing, and the various restorations of the cathedral and the windows fascinating. To say nothing of the Roman and Norman remains that can be seen in the crypts -- not human remains, that is, but foundations and walls and so on. Within a short time the organ and its 5000+ pipes will be disassembled for restoration and go silent for about 2 years. We were fortunate to hear the organist warming up for Evensong. Later we sat outside for the carillon concert before returning to the bus to go to Bradford for dinner and the last night of the tour.
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