During our time in York we were fortunate to be able to visit the York Minster several times. We’ve seen so many old churches now, but this one stood out as very special and stunning.

Our first visit was to attend an Evensong service. We were able to sit in the Quire, an ornate wooden seating area for the choir. Jude didn’t cooperate during the service, but the other kids really enjoyed the formal song-based service and tried to follow along in the Common Book of Prayer. Our hearts soared to the sounds of the majestic organ and humanity. As we listened to the choir sing an entire (lengthy) psalm, we heard the organ and voices mirror the tone of the words, varying from soft and gentle to loud and powerful. To sit surrounded by centuries-old stained glass panels, to hear the beautiful music, and to soak in the spiritual atmosphere was a unique privilege.

We took our full spirits and next filled up our empty bellies with fish and chips. With delicious fish and chips everywhere, we’ve gotten almost as much take-out in our brief time in the UK as on the rest of our trip. Who doesn’t love a fried piece of cod or haddock? We’ve sampled fish and chips from a handful of restaurants and premade from our favorite fancy-ish grocery store, M&S Foods. It’s all been delicious, and the whole family devours both fish and chips alike. We’ve read the other items on the menu with great curiosity: chips buttie, mushy peas, etc. Do American menu options require Google for the Brits?

We returned to the Minster on our last full day in York, the entire family voting to travel via a portion of the wall. This time, we paid the hefty entrance fee. Many churches in the UK list their daily running costs in close proximity to their entrance fee. The York Minster requires something like £33,000 per day to run!

We spent too short a time wandering the awe-inspiring cathedral. The British cathedrals we’ve visited don’t have half the paintings we saw in Belgian and Italian cathedrals, but the stained glass here surpasses all other stained glass we’ve seen on this trip in quantity at the very least. While Nic looks at engineering and woodworking, I can’t help but look at the stained glass. The stories and colors draw me in every time.

The octagonal Chapter House, ceilings soaring miraculously without a center column, would have been an incredible place to sit for an hour, but alas, our children. Completed in 1290 and chock full of outstanding 13th-century stained glass, I will remember this space as one of the most beautiful and amazing pieces of human accomplishment I have ever seen.

By the time we got to the crypt, hunger threatened, so our time learning about the foundations of the building was cut short. The Minster was built right on top of fascinating layers of history dating back to Roman times. You can even see parts of Roman and then Anglo-Saxon excavations in the crypt. Amazing!

I returned to the Minster early on the morning of our departure for morning Matins. For about twenty minutes, I joined the clergy and a handful of regulars to say morning prayers. I wish every person on earth could experience such a peaceful and beautiful start to his or her day. During the service, I sat facing the stunning 600 year-old Great East Window, one of the largest surviving narrative windows in the entire world. This moment of orderly and peaceful prayer was truly a gift, and I walked away feeling that the cathedral and the experiences it offers had truly been a gift to each of us during our time in York.

Now that I’ve more than exceeded a reasonable limit of superlative adjectives, I’ll bring us back to reality.

We traveled north from York to Newcastle. We stashed our luggage for a few hours (surprisingly expensive), so we could wander the city before taking the metro out to Sunderland. In the middle of our morning transportation maneuvers, we had learned that our airbnb host had not been able to get the guest before us to leave the property. Long story short, our host had a different house for us for one night and most of the next day. It all worked out just fine, but the inferior substitute and less-than-ideal neighborhood gave us an initial bad impression of Sunderland.

Once we got into the house we had reserved, we were able to relax and explore. Highlights of the area: walking to Roker Beach and out to the Roker Lighthouse, a day trip to Seaham’s glass beach, delicious fish and chips by the ocean while Jude screamed and threw tantrums – guaranteed to not aid digestion.