Yorkshire Museum & Gardens, Treasurer's House, Sunday Roast, Evensong, & a Concert at the Minster

This was a good day, but I honestly wasn't feeling it because I was going through something stressful. Trying to make phone calls from England to home, being worried and sad. I wasn't in the mood to take photos and so this makes for a boring post. But here goes!

I visited another museum, Yorkshire Museum & Gardens. It had a lot of fascinating Roman history, but I didn't take any photos there. Right next to the museum is the ruins of St Mary's Abbey.

These ruins date to the years 1271-1294.

There was some sort of festival going on nearby to the museum with boat races, so that was fun to watch. There were a bunch of vendors set up, I believe for charities. It was interesting to see.

At 12:30 I was scheduled for a tour at Treasurer's House. Treasurer's House is what I would call a less authentic experience when it comes to stately homes in England. It was purchased in 1897 by Frank Green, a "wealthy industrialist," and renovated to look older than it is. It is still beautiful inside and out.

I enjoyed the tour guide; her name was Saoirse like Saoirse Ronan the actress (pronounced Sur-shah). She was a very old lady with very extensive knowledge of the building she guides tours in.

It was Sunday and I hadn't eaten yet, so it was time for Sunday roast! Sunday roast is a traditional English meal served on Sunday in the early afternoon. The food is basically what I think Americans would view as Thanksgiving foods -- roast meat (beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, or these days I'm seeing vegan options), roast veg, and a Yorkshire pudding which is the puffy looking bread-like item in the photo below. I went to a pub nearby to my hotel called Eagle & Child.

I always look forward to a Sunday roast. This one was delish! I sat reading at this pub for about an hour. It was cozy and it was sort of rainy out and I just enjoyed my time here.

I think after this I hung out in my room, but headed back out at 4:00 pm for Choral Evensong at the minster. Choral Evensong is an evening service that is sung by the church's choir or a visiting choir. I'm not a religious or even really a spiritual person, but I like going to a sung service. It gives me the opportunity to just be quiet and take in the cathedral and the beauty of the voices and acoustics. It's just majestic.

This service is from the week after I visited, but this gives you an idea of what it's like. (Start at 2:30.)

The service lasted about 45 minutes, so I think I just walked around for a while. I might've even gone back to my room. It was only a 5 minute walk to the minster. I went back at 8:00 pm for a concert there. I think I thought it was going to be instruments, but it was more singing. Phenomenal singers, though, called The Sixteen. According to the website, The Sixteen is one of the world's most renowned choral ensembles. Here's an example of them singing.

I enjoyed the concert -- again, I enjoy sitting in the minster -- but it also felt sort of long. I was ready to sleep! I had a big travel day ahead of me.