Day Four-Part 3~The Shambles

Continuing on our travel journal we are still on Day Four, our first day in York. Again we packed in a lot on this day. Walking from the section of the city walls that we completed we found ourselves at the Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate that led us through the alleyway to The Shambles.

1-1/2 is a fun address to have.

By the time we got to The Shambles all the shops were closed and that meant fewer people. I’ll share this excerpt from the British Express;

The Shambles is often called Europe’s best-preserved medieval street, although the name is also used to collectively refer to the surrounding maze of narrow, twisting lanes and alleys as well. The street itself is mentioned in the Domesday Book, so we know that it has been in continuous existence for over 900 years.

There is some debate on whether Rowling was inspired by The Shambles for Diagon Alley but stores are taking advantage of the popularity of the series with store fronts and merchandise for Harry Potter fans.

The name “Shambles” comes from the Saxon “Fleshammels”, which means, “the street of the butchers”, for it was here that York’s butchers had their shops. Notice the wide window sills of the houses; the meat for sale was displayed here. Several former butcher shops still have hooks where meat was hung.

We were happy to have seen the Shambles without it being overcrowded as in the photo below that I took from the hop on hop off bus on Tuesday afternoon.

From the Shambles we continued on along streets heading to the Cathedral and wondering where our next meal would be.

We spotted the cathedral off of High Petergate at the end of Minster Gate.

Adding to the history of York is the fact that Constantine the Great was proclaimed Roman Emperor here in 300

We tried a couple places along High Petergate to see if there was room for us for dinner to no avail so we went back to our hotel and regrouped at the House of Trembling Madness where we found a room to occupy and enjoy some food.

We were in the room you can peek into from the upper left window.

Our savory palette was satisfied and we finished off the evening at the Cellar in our hotel for a sweet and a toast to Laura’s grandmother, Wilma.

That was the end of our very full fourth day of travel and first day in York. Tuesday the plan was to tour the inside of York Minster and to attend Evensong there, also.

 

My God, I Love Thee

My God, I Love Thee

My God, I love Thee; not because
I hope for Heav’n thereby,
Nor yet because who love Thee not
May eternally die.

Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me
Upon the cross embrace;
For me didst bear the nails and spear,
And manifold disgrace.

And griefs and torments numberless,
And sweat of agony;
E’en death itself; and all for man
Who was Thine enemy.

Then why, O blessèd Jesus Christ
Should I not love Thee well?
Not for the hope of winning Heaven,
Nor of escaping hell.

Not with the hope of gaining aught,
Nor seeking a reward,
But as Thyself hast lovèd me,
O everlasting Lord!

E’en so I love Thee, and will love,
And in Thy praise will sing,
Solely because Thou art my God,
And my eternal king.

Herb and Garlic Paste

We roast a lot of different large cuts of beef at our house and this preparation method with paste is tried and true.This recipe will be good for a six to ten pound beef roast like a Rib Roast or New York Strip.

What you’ll need:
Balsamic Vinegar to lightly coat the beef.
3 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried.
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried.
3 Tablespoons salt
1-2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper.
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Method:
Remove meat from refrigerator 1-2 hours before roasting.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rub the whole portion of beef with the Balsamic vinegar.
Place the meat on rack in shallow roasting pan fatty side up.
Make a paste from the next six ingredients.
Coat the top, sides and ends of the roast with the paste.
Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and roast until internal temperature reaches 125-130 degrees for medium rare.

Day Four, Part 2 ~ York’s City Walls

After our lovely tea time at Betty’s on Monday September 18th we walked to Bootham Bar to head up the stairs to the City Walls. York still has most of the walls that surrounded the city 700 years ago. We walked from Bootham just past Monk Bar and descended down onto Peasholme Green to St. Saviours Place to St. Saviours Gate and finally to Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma to go into The Shambles.

Bootham Bar

We only ran into a few other people on the walls and that was nice. We again were thankful that the weather was wonderful for this evening walk.

 

 

 

Approaching Monk Bar…

 

We descended these stairs to get to the street level to get a better view of Monk Bar, below.

Monk Bar is the largest and most ornate of the bars, it dates from the early 14th century. It was a self-contained fortress, with each floor capable of being defended.

We then ascended the walls again and continued on to their end on to the east corner and as far on the walls that we would go on this evening.

This eastern section of the walls had this plaque on the walkway. The place where medieval Jews buried their dead in York has long been called Jewbury. There was a thriving Jewish community here in the 13th century. The history of the treatment of Jews in York is a tragic one. I found this article about some of the tragic treatment of the Jews.

In the Middle Ages, a massacre of the Jewish population took place at Clifford’s Tower, pictured above. Clifford’s Tower is in the Southern section of the city center.

We had our first views of York Minster from the walls and later in this evening we saw it up close.

On Tuesday we did a hop on hop off tour and saw the wall from a different perspective.

 

Walmgate Bar.

 

Micklegate Bar was historically the main entrance to the city for anyone arriving from the south, and particularly, the gate through which visiting Royals would pass.

There is so much history in York and it’s hard to capture it all in one visit. We just touched the surface while we were there.

Truth for Today #74

Thursday October 19th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Ephesians 5:15-21

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

From Vera:

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Jan:

Isaiah 43:1-3
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior”

From Karen:

James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

From Dianna:

Lamentations 3:22-23

“The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end,
For His compassions do not fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.”

From Susanne:

My friend and I were taking a deep dive into Romans 12:1 this week.
“I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship” AMP version

Heroes Past and Present Hodgepodge

Wednesday Hodgepodge is back this week and Joyce has a new round of questions for us. Thank you, Joyce!

1. What’s something small you tend to sweat even though you know you shouldn’t? 

Right after I read our questions on Tuesday I opened my daily reading from Spurgeon and I have to share a portion of it here as the answer to this question.

…He should have argued from what God had done for him that God would be his defender still.

But is it not in the same way that we doubt God’s help? Is it not mistrust without a cause? Have we ever had the shadow of a reason to doubt our Father’s goodness? Hasn’t His loving-kindness been marvelous? Has He ever once failed to justify our trust? Our God has never left us at any time. We have had dark nights, but the star of love has shone out amid the blackness; we have been in tough battles, but over our head He has held high the shield of our defense. We have gone through many trials but never to our detriment, always to our advantage; and the conclusion from our past experience is that He who has been with us in six troubles will not forsake us in the seventh.

2. October 17th is National Pasta Day…do you like pasta? What’s your favorite? Cooked at home or eaten in your favorite Italian restaurant? How often do you make/eat pasta? 

I do enjoy pasta. I’m a fan of the wide egg noodles (which might or might not be considered pasta) in my Sirloin Stroganoff with Buttered noodles. I don’t have a favorite Italian restaurant and we mostly have ‘settle for’ restaurants where we live now. We settle for them when we both aren’t ready to cook. Lately we probably only have pasta once in a couple weeks or once a month.

3. Do you consider yourself a spontaneous person? Explain. 

I can be spontaneous. I don’t mind dropping everything and heading out on an adventure. I can shift my course if I need to.

4. Who are some of your heroes? Tell us why. 

My number one hero is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who left his exalted place in heaven to come to earth as a man, who lived a perfect life which qualified him to be the perfect and acceptable sacrifice for our sins. I believe on Him as my Savior. He is the only One who stands in the Gap between us and the One and Only Holy God. Jesus’ sacrifice satisfied God’s wrath on me a sinner. He is why I have peace with God here on earth and I cherish my relationship with Him that is growing until I meet Him face to face in heaven.

I mentioned another one already in question #1, Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers. Another one is John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Southern California, a faithful expositor of God’s word and he was Greg and my first pastor after we were married in 1974. He’s in his 80’s now and still filling the pulpit at the same church. They have both proven to be faithful to the Word of God and men you can trust to preach the Truth and not themselves or passing fads.

First Responders are also on my hero list. When I see what they have to deal with in our current depraved society I appreciate them more and more.

Our Daughter-in-law who is homeschooling our Grands. That’s a huge sacrifice but so worthwhile.

Our Daughters-in-law and our Son-in-law who love and support our sons and daughter so well. I thank God for them.

My faithful husband who has provided and cared for me all these years!

5. Let’s wrap it up with something light…Taylor Swift…are you a fan? On a scale of 1-10 how much so? (1=who’s Taylor?, 10=a true Swiftie, seen her in concert more than once). If you’re a fan what’s your favorite T. Swift song? 

I’ll go with 1, who’s Taylor?, I have heard her name but I could not tell you what she sings.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Slowly my posts from our travels in Ireland and England are coming together. I’m up to day 4! It’s good to recall the days before they slip away in my mind. 🙂 My next post will be on the City Walls of York. Laura created this collage below on some of the highlights of that walk.

Dublin to York ~ Day Four Part One

Planes, Trains and automobiles were our transportation on Monday September 18th.

We were up and packed and all checked out and ready for our Uber to the Dublin airport before 8am. Our flight from Dublin to Manchester, England was a quick flight on Aer Lingus. We got our bags and headed down to the train station that is conveniently located at the airport. We wanted to catch the 12:44 train to York. We bought our tickets and had time to spare to make it on this train. It should have been just under 2 hour ride to York.

As we approached Leeds the train stopped on the tracks before the station and the conductor said there was a blockage ahead and once that was cleared we would be able to come into the station. After we were in the station and the Leeds passengers disembarked the conductor came back on the line and said that our train ride into York was cancelled and we should get off the train and head to Platform 8 if we wanted to continue into York! WHAT?? We grabbed our bags and headed out wondering where platform 8 was. There were several of us scurrying about and asking questions. Josh saw a nun who was trying to hoist and haul a very large suitcase who needed to get to platform 8 with us. He grabbed her bag and hauled it up the stairs across the platform to the other side of the station and down the stairs to get to Platform 8 where the train steward was yelling that the doors were closing! When I got to the doors and he was still fussing I let him know that we were kicked off our other train and were rushing as fast as we could to make it to this train! He lightened up and held the train till we all got on. OYE! The Nun was very thankful and asked Josh for his name and I would venture that she is still praying a blessing over him! We were thankful, too, that we made it to York and to our hotel room ready to discover a new city.

Our stay in York was at The Judge’s Lodging.

 

After we dropped our bags and freshened up we made our way to Betty’s Tearoom where the line was very short. We waited our turn and enjoyed our one and only afternoon tea during our trip.

Laura and I chose the tea. Greg ordered the Chicken Schnitzel and Josh ended up with a burger.

From Bettys Tea Room we made our way to Bootham Bar while it was light and the weather was right for a walk on the walls. We walked the length of walls from Bootham to Monk Bar and a little beyond. Circled around to get back into the center of York through the Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma gate into the Shambles.

The Walls and Gates deserve a post of their own. We were taken in by York. This was Josh and Laura’s first time in York and our time from 2004 and 2006 needed to be refreshed.

We were very thankful we made it to York despite the stress of our cancelled train 3/4’s of the way into our journey. Thankful for nice lodgings and a lovely tea time. Thankful, too, for pleasant walking weather.

Guinness Storehouse ~Day Three

Looking back at our travel days makes me marvel at how much we packed into each day. Our last event on Sunday the 17th of September was our tour of the Guinness Storehouse. Our Uber driver dropped us off at St. James Gate for our tour slot of 4:45. It was still raining. There is so much history that surrounds Guinness in Dublin that we didn’t want to miss this opportunity to learn more.

We bought the basic experience tickets which was a self-guided tour. There are 6 floors to the Storehouse Experience.

Escalators, elevators, ramps and stairs took you around and upward to all the displays and history.

I will share some history with you and if you’d like to read more follow this link.

Arthur Guinness was born in 1725 near Celbridge, County Kildare. His father, Richard Guinness, was land steward for the Rev. Dr. Arthur Price, Archbishop of Cashel.

Arthur was named for the archbishop and was handsomely remembered in his will. Arthur used his £100 bequest to establish a small local brewery in nearby Leixlip with his brother. Arthur set his sights on the capital city of Dublin four years later, signing the now-legendary lease for a former brewery at St. James’s Gate.

Arthur Guinness was just 34 when he signed the iconic 9,000-year Guinness lease, on a then-disused brewery site on 31 December 1759 for an annual rent of £45. It was here on this four-acre site where Arthur would hone his craft and build the global brand that Guinness is today.

Josh took in the stories and history surrounding the handmade casks.

The sixth floor offers panoramic views of the city of Dublin and it has the circular bar with lots of seating. You can hand in your ticket stub for a pint of Guinness and watch the classic Guinness pour.

If you aren’t a beer drinker there are other options for your ticket on the 5th floor at Arthur’s! This is where we camped out for a while enjoying our drinks and having some good food, too.

Sláinte!

And that was the end to our Sunday. It was pouring as we tried to leave the Storehouse. Josh ordered our last Uber of the day and it was back to our hotel to pack up and turn in. Monday we’d be traveling from Dublin across to England to continue our adventures.

This Guinness with the shamrock was served at Martin’s Tavern in Washington D.C. several years ago when I traveled along with Greg for a medical conference.

Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me ~ Hymn

Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me

Gracious Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would gracious be,
And with words that help and heal
Would Thy life in mine reveal;
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Savior speak.

Truthful Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would truthful be;
And with wisdom kind and clear
Let Thy life in mine appear;
And with actions brotherly
Speak my Lord’s sincerity.

Tender Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would tender be;
Shut my heart up like a flower,
In temptation’s darksome hour;
Open it when shines the sun,
And his love by fragrance own.

Silent Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would quiet be,
Quiet as the growing blade
Which through earth its way has made;
Silently, like morning light,
Putting mists and chills to flight.

Mighty Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would mighty be;
Mighty so as to prevail
Where unaided man must fail;
Ever by a mighty hope,
Pressing on and bearing up.

Holy Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would holy be;
Separate from sin, I would
Choose and cherish all things good;
And whatever I can be
Give to Him who gave me Thee.

Words: Thomas T. Lynch, 1855.

Spicy Chicken Roll-ups

These roll-ups would be a good dish for game day or an appetizer for any party. Choose the level of spice in your wing sauce to adjust the heat. I saw this recipe in my grocery store flyer.

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch dressing seasoning mix
  • 1/2 cup wing sauce like Frank’s Wing Sauce
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded roasted chicken
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican mix cheese
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 6 – 10 inch flour tortillas
  • Ranch dressing for dipping

Method:

  1. In large bowl mix together the cream cheese and ranch dressing until well-combined.
  2. Mix in the wing sauce.
  3. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the chicken, cheese and green onions.
  4. Spread mixture evenly across each tortilla.
  5. Roll and refrigerate for 3 hours.
  6. Slice and serve with a bowl of ranch dressing for dipping.
  7. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: Up to 60 roll-ups

Divide recipe in half for a smaller group.
Confession: When I made this recipe I forgot to add the cheese. Oops! We had very hot wing sauce on hand and the roll-ups were very spicy. I’d recommend medium or mild to please a larger crowd.