10 Hours in York

I'm currently on the train from York back to London (I am loving wifi on the trains) after spending a 10 hour layover in York. The University of York is where Pat went to get his PhD in developmental genetics 2 years ago. I got to see some of the campus, along with the beautiful Ouse and Foss Rivers and the pub-filled, cobble-stoned, ancient town of York.

Person:

I've been having camera issues so I couldn't get a good shot, but we went into a shop called Raffi's Spice Box where a guy put together curry spices for me into a ready-made package of authentic vindaloo curry spices. I plan on making some curry with it in our apartment in Spain. The guy was really friendly, and took the time to talk to me about what makes a good curry, and some of the differences between all the different varieties they had at the shop. They offer mail-order spice mixes, and I think I might give that a try if I like the one I got.Place:

We spent some time walking through the York Museum Gardens today, which are a large public space on the River Ouse with beautiful lawn, trees, flowers, and historic buildings. The most impressive of the latter was the ruined St. Mary's Abbey. I really enjoyed walking around as the clouds covered the sky. Pat says it's even better in the summer, when you can buy an ice cream and sit on the lawn beside the river.Food:

I seem to be indecisive on this lately, but I'm trying some fantastic foods. There are two for today. The first is the bread made at a signless bread shop called Via Vecchio on the Shambles in York. Pat and I shared a small loaf of pesto bread and thyme-green olive bread. They were fresh, doughy, and full of flavor. My other favorite food for today was a warm stem ginger sponge cake that I had as part of afternoon tea at Betty's. It was served with a toffee sauce and creme fraîche. The British have a reputation for bland food, but one area that they love to pack in the flavor is the use of ginger. This cake was powerful and oh so yummy. High tea is of course tea, but it is served with small sandwiches and pastries. Even though they are small, they are extremely rich, and I was stuffed by the end. It's an evil, evil meal.Here's a bonus picture of me obliging Pat and raising my pinky finger while drinking my tea. Adults that are reading this should email me for another version of this picture.