Hello!

After a long break, including a short break in the UK, and another short break to recover the threads that were dropped during my absence (fix garden, do housework, catch up laundry - you know the drill!), I am back at my desk once more.  


Except that it was to attend a funeral, our trip to York was wonderful.  We met two of our aunt's grandsons with whom we have been facebook poking, and it was nice to finally see them in person.  We stopped with said aunt and uncle in their 2 bedroom pensioner flat (in a single bed! oo-er!) in Holgate with their lab cross, Candy. She made sure we all got some exercise, if not walking then rubbing her chest.



We landed in drizzle, but that was Manchester, and that is Manchester all over!  As we drove up to York the weather improved and remained mostly good for all of our trip except Monday morning - obv - because that was a bank holiday!  We spent part of that day in a mall (indoors you see) and spent some of our cash. Sunday night we had met the bereaved relatives in a pub (because that's what you do in York) in Marygate.  It was lovely and mostly empty, so we took over the section in our typical family fashion and had a lovely time.  Monday evening, our cousin came to her parents with her two little dogs, and I went with cousin and aunt to the horse track where cousin walks her dogs.  So we walked 2 miles with the dogs, then popped over to see her place.  I slept REALLY well. The funeral was Tuesday midday, held at the crematorium and emcee'd by the youngest vicar ever. Then we all went to the Woodsman pub in Bishopgate for the wake.  The nice thing about funerals for the elderly is that everyone agrees that they'd had a good, long life, and although they'll be missed, we're mostly okay with it.  So we cry a bit and then get on with visiting.  People come from far and near for weddings and funerals, so you see many that you'd normally miss.  I think people should have a pre-funeral party when they get up in years, and then they could enjoy the party as well.


Wednesday we had a wander through the market and the Shambles in the old part of York. Some guys had a shop with freshly blended fruit juice, some sort of a smoothie bar, and it was amazing to have a tropical fruit blend - it was so refreshing! There was a minor misunderstanding about rendezvous points which led to some panic and yelling, but we got it sorted in the end. That evening we met the cousins in the Lamb & Lion pub in Low Petergate, and strolled up the road (after they'd be lubricated with a few pints- I was drinking club soda and lime), to STRADA, a lovely Italian joint with thin crust pizza and gratis liqueurs after supper. 


Thursday was up early for train/plane connections. By the way, the train from York to Manchester Airport was brilliant! WISH WE HAD THAT IN TORONTO!!! At the airport we were informed the plane had been overbooked and asked if we wanted to stay an extra night in Manchester.  I suppose that's alright if you know/live in/ like Manchester, but once my case is packed successfully, I just want to get home.


Congratulations to both pilots on our smooth flights, and thanks to the wonderful flight staff of Air Transat.


If you're wondering about all the 'gate' names of locations, York was a walled Roman city.  Each section is named after its entrance to the town.