York! What a place!

The USA should rename New York, as they really can't improve on the old York. Maybe it should be called "Nearly as good, but not quite, Newish York".

Again, another case of gorgeousness overload and of not being able to walk 100 metres - if that - without getting out the camera. If my camera battery lasted longer, I wouldn't need to turn it off at all.

My day starts with a walk along the River Ouse from the youth hostel into town. As I get closer to the city, I pass canal boats, rowing races, and other boaty things.

I access the city via steps that form part of the old ramparts that still wall part of the city. And lo and behold, at what use to be an ancient toll building on the bridge to collect venue for access into York via the bridge, it is now a lovely cafe that caters to my every need for a substantial brunch. I sit in the window box that overhangs the River Ouse and look out through lead light windows as I eat my bacon and eggs.

But, being the cat lover that I am, the highlight for me is the York Cat trail. And York also has not one, but two, cat specialty stores. Can you believe it?

The cat trail takes you around a good size piece of old York and provides a wonderful overview of the city.

Cat statues on buildings evidentally go back to the times of plague in an attempt to frighten mice and rats away from homes etc. And more lately, maybe pidgeons ... (DUDE, wrong way! To your left! Look left!) OK, this is clearly a duplicate of the previous statue, but think "context, context, context" and it HAS been tilted somewhat.

But the more modern cat statues date back to about 1920 when Sir Stephen Aitcheson placed two on a building he owned.

Then later in 1979 a local architect, Tom Adams, who since 1950 has used a black cat as his logo, decided to use them as a 3d logo on buildings he designed. A sculptor was commissioned to create different cats for different buildings. Jonathon Newdick (what an unfortunate name) is the sculptor and a new cat has recently been added to the trail at the second cat shop.

Gotta love this one. The cat on the left is smaller as the house it is on is actually numbered "1/2" and the building on the right with the bigger cat is numbered "1". (This isn't the first case where I have encountered a building numbered as a half ... only in the UK)

What a great marketing idea for a city, as I spent at least two hours going through York looking up particular buildings (and businesses) to find the cats. Also in the pamphlets promoting the cat trail, marketing opportunities abounds ... hmmm ... could Townsville set up a similar thing with ... um ... what? ... maybe, crocodiles? Considering our basketball team name and mascot and all??

(Look carefully for the black blobby on the red roof) But back to the marketing idea, shhhhh ... don't tell anyone until I get back and pitch the idea to Townsville Enterprise. In the meantime, artworker friends, you may want to start working on your crocodile concept designs ...

Then I take in the National Trust Treasury House and really enjoy the story of the eccentric owner and his grand vision of things back around the turn of the century. This dude donated the property to the National Trust providing they did not change anything - and he even nailed studs into the floor to delinineate where each item of furniture had to remain.

And Chris and Leigh, another thing that you would have enjoyed here in York. I found myself in the midst of a major bicycle race.

Whilst you may have enjoyed the race, I could only curse as the barriers and spectators ruined most of my piccies ...

And look - even a bike cafe!

While on the cat trail, I encounter the Quilt Museum but it is shut on the day I am there. What I really like is the vegie and herb garden they have developed on the footpath and the open invitation to anyone to pick the produce. They also have a beautiful, serene garden in the grounds that they keep open even when the museum is shut. But it gets better again as York has a craft trail through the streets of York - which I didn't get to do.

Bad pun alert: On my back to the hostel, I found this handy lane.

Inspiration for Led Zep? Gateway to nowhere?

Confused bee can't tell the difference between fabric and the real thing ...

Possibly the real McCoy with a ghost selling tickets?

Another bit of history. This is the Burton Stone which was on the outer city limits and during the plague in 1600(ish). Villagers would leave money (de-germed with vinegar) in a rock hole to pay for any food etc that might be left there to feed the quarantined villagers.

Here are some random piccies of York:

View from the top of the previous city wall.