We spent 4 nights in York and 6 nights in Edinburgh (Aug. 27th - Sept. 6th) and had an overall great time. It was our first time in the UK (we’ve already booked a second trip to England for next year 😊)
Getting there: It was not the most serene of starts. Our connecting Delta flight from our city to Atlanta started to board on time and then they abruptly stopped and ushered everyone back off due to a mechanical issue. The flight kept getting delayed and we knew it was time to worry when they brought out a folding table and piled it with water and snacks. Our 3-hour connection in Atlanta started rapidly shrinking as we and everyone else tried to rebook. We managed to get rebooked for a flight leaving right now but we’d have only 35 minutes to connect in Atlanta. The flight attendants on board were great, letting us and others from the rebooked group to the front as other passengers were calling out ‘good luck.’ We ran, we got on the plane train, we ran some more, I waved for my husband to run on ahead as I tapered off into one of those panting half jog half dragging things you see panicked people do in airports. We made it. We were a sweaty mess, but we made it. We were greeted by a smiling flight attendant whose professionalism had to have been tested by the disheveled state of us. This was Virgin Atlantic by the way. We were the last people on board and I watched them close the door as we took our seats and frantically fumbled with the air vents. Then of course the plane sat there for another 45 minutes as they waited for whatever it is they wait for – clearance, gate, something or other.
Day 1: We arrived at Manchester Airport to a grey, drizzly sky and the waiting game continued as the plane sat for 75 minutes after landing as they waited for a shuttle bus to arrive and take us to the gate. When we finally got inside and cleared passport control (eGates) the first thing I saw was Pret-a-Manger, so it was the first thing we ate as I sat and got my second wind with a big dose of pinch me, I’m in England. It always amuses me that when we travel my husband is practically in a fugue state for the first day while I suddenly have all the energy in the world and can’t stop smiling and marveling and practically bursting with giddiness.
We took a train from the very convenient Manchester Airport train station and even though we had two quick changes, it was easy. We arrived in York mid-afternoon on a Sunday before a bank holiday so were not at all surprised that it was crowded. We checked into our hotel and even though I’m always the one saying we shouldn’t nap I fell onto the bed and knocked out. Luckily my husband had the foresight to set the alarm for 45 minutes before he also fell asleep.
We spent the late afternoon and evening walking around York and eventually ended up at The Masons Arms for Sunday Roast. My favorite part of the meal was sticky toffee pudding with custard! My husband doesn’t usually like this kind of thing but even he enjoyed it. We walked off dinner at the surrounding streets and checked out Clifford's Tower.
Weather: Here’s a good time to mention that the end of our dinner on arrival day was the last we saw of rain. The rest of the time it was sunny and a bit warmer than I expected (high 60s to high 70s). Our two jackets and two umbrellas were dead weight for 95% of the trip. Of course, if we didn’t take them, you know it would’ve rained the whole time.