The weekend before I left Scotland, some of my friends and I took the train to stay at the home of my good friend David Simpson in York, England. Our plan was for the girls to travel by car and the boys to travel by train on Saturday, May 24, but when one of our friends (with the car) had to rush home for a family emergency, the girls and I were left without an affordable way to get to York. The prices for a train ride that day had shot up to 70 pounds return (both ways) per person and that was just out of the question. We searched and searched all morning until the boys had to leave to catch their train (which they'd booked in advance). Things looked bleak and we expected that we wouldn't be able to join them. Then we had a "Eureka!" moment when someone suggested we check for Sunday trains. To our overwhelming excitement, the fares for Sunday to Wednesday returns were substantially less and much more reasonable than the fares for Saturday to Tuesday returns, so we quickly booked our tickets.
At that moment, my friend Sarah (Harks) had the idea to tell the boys that we weren't able to come at all and then to tell our friend/David's girlfriend Rachel (who'd gone ahead with them) that we were actually coming on Sunday as a surprise. She did a great job keeping the secret until David found out. But he kept quiet and didn't ruin the surprise for our friend John. When we arrived at the station on Sunday, David's dad was there to pick us up and drive us back to their home, which was situated in a perfect in-between spot that was both close to town and also felt like it was in the English countryside of picturesque Yorkshire. When we walked into the dining room where everyone was enjoying Sunday lunch, David feigned surprise and John's mouth dropped open in complete shock and astonishment. He was so surprised and excited by our presence that he had to leave the room for a moment. :) Success!
The rest of the weekend was as wonderful as that first moment. Sunday was very low-key. We had tea in the garden, cut David and his twin brother Jonathan's hair, jumped on the trampoline, took a walk along the Ouse River, played at a nearby kiddy park, and lazed around until church that night. At the Simpsons' church, St. Mike's (St. Michael le Belfrey) in downtown York, we had the privilege of hearing David's dad Roger preach. After the great service, we went to the nearby pub and then back home for dinner.
Monday, we woke up to David bringing us hot tea (regular tea infused with jasmine and milk) in bed and his mother cooking yummy porridge downstairs. After breakfast, we jumped on the train to Scarborough where we had a lovely picnic lunch by a lake, played cricket on the beach, had an interesting conversation with a staunch and semi-drunken atheist in a pub, and played cards over tea before returning home. Because it was a bank holiday, the steam train was running and, lucky us, we had the opportunity to ride first-class in the same steam train that was used in the Harry Potter films! That night we made a bonfire, had a barbecue, and ate s'mores by the Ouse River in York. The boys impressed us with their wood-finding skills, especially my fellow American Paul, from Texas, who felled a tree to use in the fire! Later on, back home, we played one of my new favorite games: Articulate! After the first round when the girls creamed the boys (who are just not as good at describing abstract words under pressure as girls are, I've decided), we mixed up the teams to make it more fair. Fun times all around!
Tuesday, we had a lazy morning of more tea in bed, breakfast, and cooking. John, unfortunately, had to leave but the rest of us stayed on for a tour of downtown York, tea and scones in Little Betty's Cafe, and a guided tour of the York Minster (the Cathedral) by a world-renowned stained-glass expert. Rachel and Paul had to leave that night and, with our number diminished to 3 girls and David, we ate dinner and then we girls went on a long walk around York.
Wednesday, we got up early, packed, said our heartfelt and grateful goodbyes to the wonderfully hospitable Simpsons (except David whom we would see again back in St. Andrews), and then Harks, Hannah, and I walked around the shops in York until our train back to St. Andrews early that afternoon.
It was such a lovely way to conclude my time in Britain! It was so relaxing and enjoyable. Wonderful company, beautiful English countryside, amazing hosts, good food, and great fun. The return to St. Andrews was bittersweet because I knew then that I had only 1 day left to finish my goodbyes and finish packing up my room before I said goodbye to St. Andrews for a very long time.
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