At King's Cross 7 a.m.
To be honest, I was really worried and didn't have much confidence to pull it off. I had to rely on myself to find directions and so on and make sure I didn't miss the train. But fret not, people here are friendly and you just have to ask the station attendants who would gladly help you out. The information screen was huge and well, informative enough. Your platform number may only appear when it's near boarding time, so don't worry too much if there isn't any number yet on the screen.
By the way, King's Cross is a SUPER BUSY station. You can barely walk in there during off-work hours. Scary!
We booked our tickets in advance on East Coast website, a 39 pounds return trip - cheapest that I could find. You have to collect the tickets beforehand at the ticketing kiosk, by just inserting your credit card and keying in your booking number your tickets will automatically be printed out for you. Easy peasy. You get your train tickets (most important!), your seat reservation ticket as well as a receipt ticket.
Pretty empty train to York. It gets filled up slowly as the train headed north, York being the last station. Takes about 2 1/2 hours to reach the city.
First thing we arrived was to look for this building known as City Art Gallery. I actually printed out directions from Google Map and I'm glad to say that I found this place with no problem at all. Thank God for Google Map. =D 
This was the reason I came to the Gallery - free walking tour of York by the Association of Voluntary Guides at 10.15 a.m. I haven't done this thing before so I was quite worried that no one would show up, since it was already 10.10 a.m. and still no guide in sight. But right on time an old man showed up and introduced himself as our guide John (if I'm not mistaken, sorry). FINALLY I COULD TAKE A BREAK!
Truth be told, I didn't really prepare for a contingency plan had the guide not showed up, so if that really happened, my mom and I would potentially be stranded and our trip here would be a total waste. lol
The Bootham Bar (a gatehouse). This scene is directly opposite the City Art Gallery. Awesome isn't it! Such history. I likey!
York is basically an ancient medieval city once ruled by the Romans and Vikings. What is really interesting about this city is the many walls that line and protect around the city, earning York its 'walled city' name. It's like a mini Great Wall here seriously!
By the way, I breathed mist in York! My first! At first I was wondering who was smoking near me, but then I realised it was actually my own breath! Weird haha.
Our first stop was York Museum Gardens.
Unfortunately it was raining that morning. It started as a drizzle but then it got heavier as we walked. It was raining throughout our 2 hours journey, and stopped when our tour ended. What the heck?
Anyway, we had about 10 people in the walking tour - a few Australians, Welsh, Irish, and us 2 Asians. These people just appeared out of nowhere after my mom and I met the guide - and to think we were actually worried that we might be the only ones there. A crowd is always more fun. :D
In the gardens lie the Ruins of St Mary's Abbey.
Look how gloomy it was.
And also the Multangular Tower which forms part of the ancient walls.
(I came back here after the tour to take pictures, that's why it looks so much brighter. I didn't take much photos during the tour since it was raining and I was listening to the guide explaining the history).
Inside the tower.
Random coffins just lying around on the ground.
The walls getting higher with each century as the rulers built their wall fortress higher and higher to protect the city.
The garden is full of squirrels who are not afraid of humans. Whistle to them and they'll come to you expecting food.
My secret garden. It looks magical, right? :)
Narrow walkway.
The crosses on top, this whole thing reminds me of movies set in medieval times - like Robin Hood? Joan of Arc? It's so surreal being here and seeing history in real time - not in museum or anything, just plain existing as part of society. This is what I love most about York.
After the stroll in the gardens, John brought us up to the Bootham Bar and took a loooong walk around the city.
A very narrow long walk I must say, everyone walking in one line like children following an adult lol.
Beautiful sceneries await you here.
Interesting looking building. We were showed many old buildings with historical value but I forgot most of them. Oops.
The majestic York Minster - really gothic and simply majestic. We were blown away when we saw this. The structure is so amazing!
Of course the tour didn't bring us inside, we came back here again later.
I think it costs about 9 pounds to go inside, which we didn't as it was a lil pricey and we didn't have much time. But we could still get a peek at the front entrance.
Had a look at the beautiful stained windows.
Look at me, soaking wet from the rain.
The Shambles, our last stop before the guide called it a day. It was 12pm.
The Shambles is an ancient market street where you can still see remnants of old shops from centuries ago.
Really crooked shop.
Thanks to our amazing guide who gave us a really insightful, first-look at the city tour. He didn't even want our tips and asked us to donate them to the cathedral! Such an informative experience and it gave me more confidence to navigate the city on my own after that.
I found Jorvick Viking Centre on my own.
I found Clifford's Tower.
I found this. I think it's a museum.
No idea what they were doing here in the compound.
Already in the festive mood in early November.
And of course, I found THIS. The most popular cafe here, just look at the queue.
It's called Betty's Cafe Tea Rooms, an old-school 1920s-style tea room.
Felt like we were the only Asians around in the city. x.x
Obviously we ordered their most famous afternoon tea set. Beautiful isn't it?
It's not cheap but I tell you, the tea was the best, smoothest ever I have tried! And the scones were awesomeeee! Even the sandwiches were great. The only thing that was normal was the cakes. But it's all well worth it - after a long day walking, what better way to chill the English way, with great tea and scones. ♥
You can find a lot of sign posts like this in the city, you might as well never get lost here.
Mansion House. Explanation below.
I can't stress enough how beautiful York is. History well blended in with society, you can hardly find modern buildings here, if at all. This city is simply ancient. And I love it the way it is - this is what I truly want to see and feel; well preserved history still living in broad daylight, no boring modern structures or heavy commercialization to contrast its historical beauty. It's a very different experience from say, London or Rome.
Ahhhh so haunting.
I can imagine seeing this in old black-and-white photos.
Honestly I can't comprehend how people live here, seeing and breathing history every minute they walk. lol
I think this city is really good for ghost walks eh.
River Ouse.
See the walls lining up the city.
I truly enjoyed my short trip here. It's a small place and pretty easy to navigate around on foot.
And it's so different from anything else I've seen. A city but not quite a city that I'm used to.
Definitely one of the best highlights of my UK trip. Highly recommended for those who love history and would like to experience the feeling of walking through a living, ancient city.
Time to say goodbye - York railway station.
Took the 4pm train back, and this time the train was full. Surprisingly the rain made my hair really smooth. Usually my hair always gets frizzy in cold, damp weather.
Of course it's King's Cross so how can I miss this! It's a fake platform thingy with half trolley in wall built just for Potterheads like me. =P
Back to London, the forever crowded M&M shop.
With its ridiculously priced items.
London is still beautiful no doubt.
Four Seasons! The famous roast duck restaurant! Where I wanted to eat on Day 1! Half an hour wait for a table - it's madness.
Again it's all worth it despite the price and wait, it's also the most awesomest roast duck I have tried! Not kidding, the sauce was soooooooo addictive! wtf
After dinner, we went walking in SOHO area.
And we checked out the gay area. Can you see the name, it's G-A-Y. There was a really pretty boy there promoting the bar or something.
Do you know this gay bar?
Ku - award winning gay bar. Really?
Anyway, this area is super crowded with bars and people drinking. Pretty dangerous haha. It was interesting though to see them gays hanging around with not a lady in sight.
Bottom line, loved York, loved my lunch and loved my dinner. A fantastic day, all planned by yours truly. Damn I feel power! XD
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