Travels > The UK > Touristy days of fun

Fri 11.9.2009 by Liz

On Wednesday us visiting Aussies were taken to York! Our first visit to a walled city where the boys and girls separated for the day; the girls went shopping and the boys made very productive use of their time at various pubs. :)

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We walked the cobbled streets of York's laneways lined with apparently Medieval style shops. I bought a gollywog for Mika (my nephew) from a "ye olde" toy shop and later some jewellery for my wedding outfit. The other girls did their last minute wedding purchases too.

We later adjourned our shopping with a spot of afternoon tea (so vey English of us) at Betty's, York's swanky, posh tea house. It even had a sign stating you cannot use your mobile phone while in Betty's. After leaving Betty's, Isla called to check if the boys had not gotten themselves arrested or into any brawls. Upon answering his phone, Alastair initially states "I'm not meant to use my mobile in here"... hang on... no, the boys aren't at Betty's, surely not. Yes they were, and there is photographic evidence of this too.

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Jamie who had arrived in the UK from Australia and made the trip up from London to North Yorkshire this same morning was somewhat in his own state of delirium that Jack had ventured through when we first arrived. Displacement and fatigue makes quite a strange combination of sensations and more often than not, produces some funny results - in this case transforming the normally quiet and reserved Jamie into hyper-extrovert party Jamie! But more on that later...

After reuniting with the tea drinking fellows, we met up with Isla's brother, Ed, and his girlfriend, Gabbie who took us into their home and then as filling up most of the available space in one's house with a pack of half crazy, half drunk, volatile Australians (and South American) is not the best idea for preservation of one's house, back out for a delicious Tapas dinner. So tasty! We managed to get back to the train station to catch the last train home.

Jack and I returned to camp in the Moors again, being too late to check into the caravan park. That was what we needed to do the next morning, desperately needing washing facilities for both us and our clothes. Like seeing a slice of Al's previous life, being in and around Isla's hometown was incredibly fascinating and truly insightful for us to see this side of our friend we'd come to know and love in Australia. Isla's mother {name} was also a lot of fun to talk to as well, telling us many stories of what of Isla the teen rebel in the 90's.

The weather in North Yorkshire by Thursday was continuing to improve upon itself with every day. Again - it was fantasticly warm and sunny, showing off the countryside in all it's brilliance. Jack and Jamie went running once more in the Moors for the morning while I had a good sleep in.

With her wedding two days out, Isla was beginning to feel the stress of things not yet organised, food preparation, balloons and party stuff, Alastair etc. etc. Isla however, quite the headstrong and independant type, dealt with it all fairly well nonetheless. Hopefully we were able to help out where we could... After joining Al, Julietta and Jamie on walk around the surrounding Osmotherly countryside, Jack mowed the lawns (he loves anything that destroys stuff) and then he and Jamie used the van to ship the wedding drinks supply up to Helmsley. That van was becoming very convenient indeed and both of them were treated to a fantastic sunset while driving across the Moors. We all joined together at a local Osmotherley pub afterwards for dinner. So much food! Especially since Jules and I had a "tiny snack" waiting for dinner.

The gang at Castle Kirby
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It's Friday now, one day before d-day and many arrivals of more guests from near and afar. One from particularly afar, Yuji, Al's Japanese friend, is staying with Jamie, Jack and I in the affectionately named "Haunted House". It's Isla's family friend's holiday house which they very kindly allowed wedding guests to stay in. Although unexpected and also full of ghosts, it's a welcome step up from the back of the van!

I think Isla's dad is a little worried about the letting the Australians loose in the Haunted House and that it might not make it through the weekend with the walls intact but we've assured him we'll be on our best behaviour and even refrain from drinking alcohol whilst inside. This meant that drinking was to take place down the road at the Osmotherly pubs and it was here this night that Jamie, at the height of his travel insomnia and delirium became the life of the party and took over Osmotherly with an appetite to party that we'd never seen from him before! If you were a local and didn't have drink and a chat with Jamie that night, it was because you stayed at home out of his sight! It was a great night although kudos to Yuji for bearing with the accents he couldn't understand. We literally had to drag Jamie, kicking and screaming back to the Haunted House and fearing we'd have to chain him to the wall to make sure he'd get at least a couple of hours sleep before the wedding tomorrow.

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