Day 7 York City

"Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day,
teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.
give a man a bike and he will realise what a waste of time fishing was."

Desmond Tutu

The things you can do riding and watching a bike race.

York (Jork, comes from old Danish, Jorvik) is a walled city, situated on the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. The city was founded by the Romans in AD71 (Eboracum). It was the capital of the Roman province and later the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jorvik. The original Roman wall is within the medieval walled city. After the Romans decline Germanis tribes sailed up the river, then Vikings took control as this was an important river port for trade.  Then William the Conqueror recaptured the city. Boy they all had a turn!

Micklegate Entry

The previous night after returning from Ripon, we freshen up and head for something to eat. Within the walled city was a pub called The Guy Fawkes Inn, what a cracker of a place, the whole place was going off like a bonfire. (Guy Fawkes was born and educated in York), that’s him the one who tried to blow up the Hoses of Parliament. Moving on from this little keg of powder we stumble across the Bella Italia. Maybe this is a good omen Peter, after all Ross (Jedi Master), started the whole thought process of riding in Europe many years ago. Ross where are you! ' E by gum that were a taysty dish lad.' Thanks for the dream Ross.

Festivities in York

Today of course the race starts in the town of York where we are staying. May I say what a nice little B&B we are staying in run by a local boy Phil  and his wife Theresa. Phil has lived and this house since he was two, and over the years acquired the adjoing property and converted them into what it is today, and he lives in one section of the B&B. We were staying just outside the wall, approx 100 mts. The race itself winds itself around this spectacular medieaval city, through its famous gates as you enter each part of the city, along its narrow streets such as the Shambles, past the minister out through one of the gates and past the top of our street.

Shambles

This is our kind of town, they make doors to suit me and Peter

The caravan procession of major sponsors, music, merchandise being dispensed into the crowd, and many other sideline amusements complete the full course each day. Tim,(big brother) today was a multiple fly past of a Lancaster Bomber and a Spitfire at about 300 feet around the city streets of York, ah the sound of those Merlin engines makes you burst into song! Land of Hope and Glory. The crowd continues to increase and we meet with two local York boys who no longer live in York but are visiting their mother. Tony now lives in Koln and Guy lives down in London. They  provide us with in depth knowledge of York. After our history lesson from Tony and Guy we head inside the wall for a ...........no I can't say I may be giving the wrong impression why we came on this tour. After we parted we walked the market areas bustling with people, music, acts etc. and found a spot to watch the completion of the stage on a screen near by. Wonderful day, back to the B&B to pack the bikes away.