Wandering around York, I took a few random shots of things that caught my eye. There were several bicycles - one pink, one adorned with tulips. (Dutch cafés are something of a rarity here, I have to say.)
High up on a corner, there is a statue of Minerva, goddess of wisdom, drama and the arts, with her books and her owl. She's been sitting there since 1801 - who knows why?
Nobody really seems to know who Mad Alice was either. Some say she was an abused wife who turned on her husband and murdered him, which caused her to go insane. There are, however, no surviving records to corroborate this. The 'ghost tours' that guide tourists around York after dark say that her face can sometimes be seen in a window... but they would, wouldn't they? Whoever she was, she gave her name to one of the many alleyways and narrow streets that criss-cross the old city, which in York are called snickelways.
This is currently an empty shop but look up and it has a rather elaborate tiled facade:
Each of these shots is very pleasing to my eye...Minerva is great, and someone keeps her in fresh paint! Mad Alice Lane is a hoot. And the tiled facade is doubly amazing because the weight of the tiles makes walls needing more bracing, but here they are extended not once but twice, beyond the lower supporting wall! Good skills of those builders!
ReplyDeleteI love them all and really wish I'd gotten to York on previous visits to the UK. The pink bike picture conjures up a whole story.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful place to wander.
ReplyDeleteMad Alice Lane looks appropriate for a ghost story.
ReplyDeleteThe tulips are a delight.