My Lucky Cat
I am a few weeks behind on this blog, but I still wanted it to be shared!
When my parents were here, we made a stop in York for a couple of days. York is a beautiful, ancient walled city. The city has been around much longer than our country has been and the walls that were built to protect this city can still be walked along. There are quiet, narrow pedestrian roads through the center of the city where buildings as old as the city even lean towards one another.
On our first night there, we found a great pub that had at one point been the wine cellars to a great abbey. The pub was well lit, despite being underground, with curved ceilings made of brick that created a unique atmosphere. This was just the first of many gems we were to discover in the ancient city!
On our way home from the pub, we walked along the nearly deserted cobblestone roads, noticing signs in the shop windows or interesting names of streets. I also noticed a couple of small cat statues - one on a window sill and one sort of in the side of a building just above the entrance way. As a cat lover, I was thrilled to find these other little gems, and I quickly decided that I did in fact like York!
We really only had one full day in York, so we made the most of it! We started off wandering through the street markets and then the Shambles, a couple of streets in town that are well-known for their age, narrowness and the way the buildings lean in on one another.
While passing along the shop windows, I noticed another cat on the side of a building next to a drain pipe. In the store below, we noticed pamphlets about "York's Cat Trail." Of course I picked it up and was overly excited when the cat trail turned out to be a map to find all of the "hidden" cats throughout York! Why cats you might ask? Well, here is how the pamphlet describes it: "Cats have played a part in York’s history and luck has been linked with them since records began. Cats always land on their feet and having nine lives is a piece of luck that we can all relate to. Statues of Cats have been placed on buildings in York for around two Centuries, although statues since removed or rotted are thought to date from medieval times. The original Cat Statues were placed on buildings to frighten away rats and mice which can carry plague and illness’. They were also thought to ward off wandering evil spirits and generally to bestow good luck and good health on citizens who needed feline friends to ensure a good nights sleep in old and temptingly chewy timber framed buildings!"
With my treasure map in hand, we set off towards York Minster, one of the grandest cathedrals in all of England and enjoyed spotting several cats along the way, thanks in large part to the map. These cats were not all too difficult to spot, but like any good treasure, you wouldn't see them unless you were looking for them.
We were able to get a guided tour of the cathedral where we learned much more than we would have by just wandering through, then it was off to climb the tower. Remember, if there is a tower to be climbed, I must climb it! :) We walked through the gardens, the abbey ruins, along the ancient city wall, and through an ancient castle, spotting cats all along the way. We went to an evening service at the Cathedral before finding a delicious tapas restaurant for dinner.
Our time in York was very short, but also very sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and would highly recommend it to other people, and it wasn't just because of the Cat Trail, although, if you have kids who love spotting things or there is a kid inside of you who, like myself, gets a thrill out of little things like spotting statues of animals, pick up a Cat Trail Map. And just like me, I'm sure you'll be lured in to buy your own Lucky Cat!
When my parents were here, we made a stop in York for a couple of days. York is a beautiful, ancient walled city. The city has been around much longer than our country has been and the walls that were built to protect this city can still be walked along. There are quiet, narrow pedestrian roads through the center of the city where buildings as old as the city even lean towards one another.
On our first night there, we found a great pub that had at one point been the wine cellars to a great abbey. The pub was well lit, despite being underground, with curved ceilings made of brick that created a unique atmosphere. This was just the first of many gems we were to discover in the ancient city!
On our way home from the pub, we walked along the nearly deserted cobblestone roads, noticing signs in the shop windows or interesting names of streets. I also noticed a couple of small cat statues - one on a window sill and one sort of in the side of a building just above the entrance way. As a cat lover, I was thrilled to find these other little gems, and I quickly decided that I did in fact like York!
We really only had one full day in York, so we made the most of it! We started off wandering through the street markets and then the Shambles, a couple of streets in town that are well-known for their age, narrowness and the way the buildings lean in on one another.
 |
| The Shambles |
While passing along the shop windows, I noticed another cat on the side of a building next to a drain pipe. In the store below, we noticed pamphlets about "York's Cat Trail." Of course I picked it up and was overly excited when the cat trail turned out to be a map to find all of the "hidden" cats throughout York! Why cats you might ask? Well, here is how the pamphlet describes it: "Cats have played a part in York’s history and luck has been linked with them since records began. Cats always land on their feet and having nine lives is a piece of luck that we can all relate to. Statues of Cats have been placed on buildings in York for around two Centuries, although statues since removed or rotted are thought to date from medieval times. The original Cat Statues were placed on buildings to frighten away rats and mice which can carry plague and illness’. They were also thought to ward off wandering evil spirits and generally to bestow good luck and good health on citizens who needed feline friends to ensure a good nights sleep in old and temptingly chewy timber framed buildings!"
With my treasure map in hand, we set off towards York Minster, one of the grandest cathedrals in all of England and enjoyed spotting several cats along the way, thanks in large part to the map. These cats were not all too difficult to spot, but like any good treasure, you wouldn't see them unless you were looking for them.
 |
| Do you see the cat? |
 |
| This cat was overlooking a rooftop full of pigeons! |
We were able to get a guided tour of the cathedral where we learned much more than we would have by just wandering through, then it was off to climb the tower. Remember, if there is a tower to be climbed, I must climb it! :) We walked through the gardens, the abbey ruins, along the ancient city wall, and through an ancient castle, spotting cats all along the way. We went to an evening service at the Cathedral before finding a delicious tapas restaurant for dinner.
 |
| York Minster (York Cathedral) |
 |
| Herman was thrilled to find a cathedral model just his size! |
 |
| View from the top of the cathedral |
 |
| From a top the tower! |
 |
| The "wide" pathway up to the top of the tower |
 |
| On the ceiling of the cathedral. It was redone during Victorian times, and as she was quite modest, even Jesus is being bottle-fed by his mother. |
 |
| York Minster |
 |
| A beautiful little statue inside the cathedral: St. Anne teaching Mary to read! |
 |
| Abbey Ruins |
 |
| Walking along the wall |
 |
| One of the entry ways into the grand city |
 |
| Herman again enjoyed the perfect, Herman-sized model of the castle! |
 |
| Inside the castle |
Our time in York was very short, but also very sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and would highly recommend it to other people, and it wasn't just because of the Cat Trail, although, if you have kids who love spotting things or there is a kid inside of you who, like myself, gets a thrill out of little things like spotting statues of animals, pick up a Cat Trail Map. And just like me, I'm sure you'll be lured in to buy your own Lucky Cat!
I'd never heard about the cats before! Pete and I will have to make a trip to York!
ReplyDeleteDo you mean Pete the Cat?!?! I just love him! I have met his owner, wait, I'm sure Pete has no owner, rather Pete's "servant"!
Delete