Day Trip from Durham to York
October 2024: One of York’s city parks.
“If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be York or Paris.”
Train to York
I can’t take credit for the quote above (that was my friend Maddie’s mum). But, I certainly agree with her.
Like all of my best stories, it started with a rainy train journey. A short, 50-minute train ride from Durham (really, one hour 20 minutes if you factor in the taxi there, the cheeky Costa latte and the 10-minute cushion period).
York Station looks very similar to the station in the Harry Potter film series: vast ceilings above, a slight chill in the air. I was half-expecting to hear Mrs. Weasley scolding her children around the corner.
I met Maddie at the station. For my readers, Maddie is one of my best friends from uni, born and raised in York.
About Maddie
October 2024: My beautiful friend Maddie.
She’s the fun jet-setting auntie and a mischievous 8-year-old all combined in the body of a 21-year-old girl.
She’s definitely got the “frazzled Englishwoman” look – big black sneakers, a white linen maxi skirt, an oversized jumper (British for sweater), a grey trench coat, a long pink scarf, and a jumbled leather bag to match. The look seems like it wouldn’t quite go when I describe it, but she makes anything she wears cool.
To further illustrate, I told my American best friend I’d be seeing Maddie on holiday over the summer in Slovenia.
My American friend, Charlotte, responded “Oh, she’s going? I can’t wait to hear the stories!”
Exploring York
October 2024: Walking York’s City Walls.
We started our day walking along the York City Walls: an amazing stretch of stone walls dating back to 71 AD, built to protect the 9th legion from the locals.
I am quite lucky in that I have seen a lot of England and have begun to take its charm for granted. But York is truly something special.
It is magical, a bit whimsical, a bit steampunk. Little tight cobbled lanes squeeze between fudge shops, hat stores and trinket-hawking hole-in-the-walls. Tourists packed in like sardines looking for their own enchanted souvenir.
It’s nothing like America at all. America, you can keep your ugly strip malls and soulless, vanilla subdivisions. I’ll take York, please and thank you.
It’s a bit funny actually. No scenes of the Harry Potter movies were filmed in York. But, York has capitalized on a “Harry Potter” theme.
October 2024: York’s historic shopping district.
It has about 3-4 Harry Potter shops in The Shambles, York’s most famous street of medieval buildings. They know how to make a pretty penny from the American tourists LOL.
It really was the perfect day out. We found our trinkets: a York tee shirt, a marzipan pumpkin, some lavender glitter body wash and a Peaky Blinders hat.
We had a late brunch at Rise, and afterwards, took a walk by the river and Clifford’s Tower. York, and England overall, is absolutely stunning in October. English autumn has put all of the other autumns in my life to shame, and is something everyone should see at least once.
After walking around, we got a “hot drink” (British for either tea or coffee) at one of those overly modern, TikTok-ready, faux-Scandinavian places. It did the trick, though, for our afternoon recharge.
October 2024: York Minster.
What We Saw
Betty’s: an upscale tea house famous for its confectionaries. The upstairs is for the rich and famous only (seriously).
Clifford’s Tower: A fortified complex – formerly a medieval castle – in the middle of the city with brilliant views of York.
Rise: A pastel-filled cafe, which is tucked away on a not-too-busy street. I ordered the eggs royale and the “Smoothie Slut.”
York Minster: A stunning cathedral right in York’s centre dating back to the 7th century. York Minster is one of the most famous cathedral’s in all of Europe.
Chocolate: There’s a whole family of chocolate and fudge shops sprinkled throughout York. I won’t tell you which ones I went to, because I don’t want to spoil your fun of serendipitously finding them.
The Ballet
October 2024: Swan Lake.
That afternoon, we went to the ballet to see Swan Lake.
I won’t lie, we were a bit confused on what was going on during the first act. But after reading the synopsis during the intermission, we had a lot of our own commentary to whisper back and forth.
“She forgave him way too soon.”
“Stay away from Odette.”
“Odette’s girls are backing her.”
“I know a man wrote this because the lead gets the girl at the end after betraying her.”
Afterwards, I told Maddie’s mum about how I use marketing in my everyday life ;) and we went to a rooftop bar for drinks.
Laughs
Just Maddie and I, some fries, a beer, and a cider. We talked about old times from uni (which for anyone who knows about UK universities, you’ll know Nottingham is the Wild West with its nightlife reputation).
We noticed the middle-aged women sitting next to us were silent, definitely eavesdropping. We laughed, imagining how our colourful conversation sounded to the naked ear.
That’s how I like to live my life. When I'm 80 and my career is long done, I might write a tell-all about my life, and I want it to be entertaining.
October 2024: York’s skyline at night.
Maddie dropped me back off at the station, we had one more really good laugh (but I can’t say why) and then I got the train back.
As I got off the train back in Durham, I saw an angry mob of Sunderland football fans charge the car park, fuming and shouting. It was actually a bit terrifying!
I watched a monstrous bald-headed man charge at a car while 10 of his mates tried to calm him down and the ‘enemy’ (another bald-headed, middle-aged man) sat inside the car, only held back by his pleading wife.
But, football hooligan brawls are a part of the culture (I am not joking - read here), especially up North. So, now I guess I am 1% more English…
Travel Tips:
When you travel to England, going to London is a great start but it doesn’t even scratch the surface of what the country is truly like. York is the perfect little English city, and is only a 2-hour train from London. I would highly recommend visiting to get a more authentic feel of England.
The best time to visit England is either October/November or June. I can’t explain it but the “English magic” is just particularly alluring during those months.
