First of ESO: Trip to York

Nine o'clock in the morning: we meet again. Everybody has managed, and we've slept like so many logs. Our families are all nice people, and the much-feared bus journeys don't seem to be such a challenge any more. Truth to tell, most of us haven't had to face them yet, we've been dropped off at the meeting point. 

 We spend the morning doing a guided tour of the old part of town, starting at Monk's Bar. Despite the name, that's not a pup but a gate through the city walls. We go on to the Shambles -you might know the place as Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.  The ancient houses lean into the street, and there are a couple of very nice -but very expensive- cholcolate shops there. It's quite impressive. We are told about medieval sanitary arrangements -if that's the correct word- and are happy that things have changed. 

 In the afternoon, we go on a river cruise. It's very cold, so most of us stay below decks for most of the trip. You really get to appreciate a heated room and a cup of tea after a day out that's made your fingers creak with the cold. If you ever come here in the winter, don't forget your gloves ;). We can see a lot of interesting places from the boat, among them the country's oldest school, St Peters (founded in 602 AD) and a bridge that was made wider decades after completion. Also, riverside apartments worth 200,000 pounds. Talk about real estate prices!

 After the cruise, most of us go shopping, spending unreasonable amounts of money on all sorts of things. The teachers and Eduardo have a well-deserved hot coffee. It's been a long day, but a nice one.