UK and Japan 2010

Woke up relatively early (with slight hangover headache) so got up and did computery stuff.

First stop was the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest. The GPS took us around the long way to the road we needed to be on (lame), so actually went past it on the first loop because it brought us in from the north instead of the south that we were expecting. #grunt. Anyways so went in (£3 parking) and of course there's a whole visitors centre setup with bows and arrows etc for sale. Went for a walk to find the tree, which would have been quite pleasant, except for all the screaming kids. The tree itself is huge - well at least in girth anyway. :)

Robin Hood and Little John fighting

Sherwood Forest

The Major Oak

Next we went a little out of the way to Chesterfield to see the church with the crooked spire. Cute and all, but it did take at least half an hour out of our day.

Chesterfield's Crooked Spire

Bolsover Castle

And then onto York. I was hoping to get there around lunch time, but everything else took so long we didn't arrive til around 2:30pm and didn't get into the town to start exploring til after 3pm :( So I was a bit stressed that I wouldn't be able to do the couple of things I wanted to. In the end Cliftons Tower got dropped off. So wandered in through the west gate and through the old town up to the minster. It was enormous! Obviously not as an enormous as Cologne's (we've been totally spoilt by that cathedral!!) but still pretty huge. Paid the £8 each to go in, and I paid £5 to go up the tower. Wandered around inside (you can take photos in this one hurrah!) then went up the tower at 3:45pm. The tower was pretty cool, I enjoyed that. After that I went back down and found the sweetie and we wandered off again.

St Pauls Church, York

Micklegate

River Ouse

All Saints Church

Newgate Market

Roman Bath Museum

Stained glass windows inside York Minster

Ceiling of York Minster

York Minster

Beautiful stonework

York Minster

View from York Minster

York Minster

The next stop was the National Railway Museum. I wasn't counting on the Hogwarts Express still being there, but I asked when we went in and she said it was! So did a wander through the Great Hall, and up there back was the Hogwarts Express!!!!! There was much squeeing on my part :)

Guy Fawkes Inn - birthplace of Guy Fawkes

High Petergate Road

River Ouse

Tunnel through to the National Railway Museum

Loco 737

Duchess of Hamilton

Hogwarts Express!

Me and the Hogwarts Express!

Hogwarts Express!

Stu and an early bullet train

Thomas the Tank Engine

Channel Tunnel cross section

The Warehouse was filled with all sorts of cool railway artifacts

Platform 9 3/4

Victoria Line cross section

Finally, around 5:30, we went looking for food. Wandered back into York and found an all-you-can eat Chinese buffet, so went in there for a decent variety of food.