Travelogue: York and Belfast

So another week has passed and I didn't get this post out early like I planned. It turns out that, unless you're a travel writer, regular day-to-day life isn't necessarily conducive to waxing lyrical over your travel memoirs. But better late than ever, they say...

I left off yesterday with us arriving at King's Cross Station to catch a train to York:

If I could take a train everywhere I wanted to travel, I would be an immensely happier person. I adore sitting back and watching the countryside go past. I also love being able to get up and walk around and stretch out without annoying other passengers. It is an altogether more civilized way to travel.

And a couple of hours later, we were in York:

I'd never been to York before. Honestly, the only reason it popped into my head as an option for a destination is that it is referenced in Downton Abbey every so often. I did a little bit of research and realized it had everything I was hoping to see: a lot of olde country Englande in a city small enough to visit without being overwhelmed:

We left London the day the "queue" began for Westminster. I was somewhat relieved to be out of London by then because as much as I wanted to be "part of history" I also didn't want to be stuck in the trains in central London. Yorkminster Abbey had its own display of floral tributes, however. It was stirring enough to walk around there and see the messages that people had left behind:

We really took it easy while we were in York. I really enjoy holidays when I can truly enjoy my surroundings without having to exhaust myself. The hubby and I spent some time wandering around the National Railway Museum. I promised myself I wouldn't flood this post with photos of trains, but I had to share some of the coolest ones I saw. I appreciate it when engineering meets art, and these machines are perfect examples of that:

After wandering around for a couple of hours there, we were suitably hungry to do what I REALLY wanted to do in York: we went to Betty's Tea Room for Tea:

Ask me if it lived up to my expectations:

I also took home a bit of the magic:

I had seen a travel-foodie show on tv about Betty's and knew I had to take home some of the Fat Rascals (left) and Fondant Fancies (right). A Fat Rascal is kind of like a cross between a scone and a sweet biscuit... buttery and crumbly and zesty and yummy, perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon. And the Fondant Fancies are little cubs of cake layers with jam and covered in a mouth-watering fondant icing. I shared with the hubby, but I might have only done that because we were traveling and I didn't have the option to freeze and save them...

After a few days in York, we boarded another train to Manchester Airport:

And a few hours later, we were in Belfast:

We couldn't get the usual Airbnb we stay at this time, but I knew we were going to be in a comfy place when I saw these on the landing:

Our stays in Belfast are usually marked with visiting family and friends, but we did visit some pretty spots while we were there, like Helen's Bay:

And Whitehead:

But I think I left you on a bit of a cliffhanger in my last post about this sock, and more importantly, the needle I broke while trying on this sock:

I did a little bit of Googling, and I was surprised and delighted that there was an LYS in Belfast! That was something I never expected to see there, so I was super excited to visit:

It was owned and run by another Canadian (of all things) and I chatted happily to her as I wandered around the shop and dug through the needles to find a replacement:

And luckily, I did find a replacement... except a few other things made it into my shopping bag:

I am particularly pleased with the purchase of these darning needles:

I am quite enamoured by these. As someone who is constantly losing, dropping and finding my darning needles, I have been super careful not to just leave these lying around. I have used them a couple of times, and I am particularly impressed with their light weight and with the variety of sizes available:

And yes, the new knitting needles allowed me to finally finish my socks:

These were made from a skein that has been living in the stash for some time. These socks are a perfect example of how yarn in the skein can look totally different when knitted up. I was so sure that the skein was orange and brown, but once I got going, I was shocked to see it was actually orange and purple!

The pattern is called Twisted Tweed, and I think it was perfect for showing off the variegated colours in an interesting way:

So that pretty much sums up my trip. I'm glad to get those socks finished because the weather looks like it's going to turn here soon and I'll need some cozy socks to keep my toes warm!

Thanks for hanging in there with my travel posts. I really enjoy sharing what I've seen and I hope that you enjoyed them as well. Have a great week!