We arrived at the breakfast room to find that there were a few people there already. The slightly increased numbers meant that there was a full buffet service rather than food cooked to order. The hot offering was tepid rather than hot and there was a limited range of food available. The breakfast was not as enjoyable as it had been on the previous day.

After breakfast we visited the Cathedral. I got chatting to one of the flower ladies as she was leaving a side chapel. She apologised for the mess inside the chapel; the ladies were in the process of creating the Easter garden prior to the Easter service the following day.

She also encouraged me to enter the chapel and look at the altar cloth, which matched the stained-glass windows above and was created by artist Sophy Hacker whose artwork was on display in the nearby North Transept during the Easter period. I enjoyed the themes and pieces of art that were on display.

Steps nearby led down to the crypt where Antony Gormley’s sculpture Echo Sound II is located. I was pleased to see it for the first time partially submerged in water. I lingered a while to enjoy the changed view and capture some photos on my camera.

I also enjoyed the Kings and Scribes exhibition, the creation of which had caused this part of the Cathedral to be shrouded in scaffolding with limited accessibility on our previous two visits to Winchester. Here we were able to see the Winchester Bible and the various stages of creating medieval manuscripts.

The exhibition also unearths the secrets of the six mortuary chests that are displayed high on the walls of the Quire and are thought to contain the bones of medieval bishops and royalty. Whilst I was watching the video about the research into the bones contained in the chests, Mr C went missing. He had missed the entrance to this part of the display which was a shame because he was interested in  the contents of the mortuary chests and had asked one of the Cathedral guides about them.

I tracked down Mr C and we visited the Cathedral shop where I got my Cathedral passport stamped. Then we had lunch in the Café. I chose pancakes with blueberry fruit compote and yoghurt. Once again, I forgot to photograph the tasty delight.

After lunch we decided to visit the Gurkha museum which we had both enjoyed during a previous visit to Winchester. We arrived to find that it was closed for major refurbishment and won’t reopen until the autumn. We visited the short-but-sweet temporary exhibition after which there wasn’t enough time to choose another afternoon activity so we walked into town taking in the second-hand bookshop along the way. We returned to the board game shop where the game, Quacks of Quedlinburg, that had been on my radar for a while somehow found its way into my hands and walked me to the till.

We chilled out in our room where I put a few colouring pencils to paper and read some of my book before walking to the nearby Blossom and Palm Sugar Thai restaurant. The food was delicious, although I wished I had chosen a different dish. My choice proved to be a variation on a theme that is available in many restaurants. My original choice was a little different but the waiter put me off choosing that dish.

The Crown and Anchor was too quiet so we returned to the hotel for a nightcap. Surprisingly for a chain hotel, the bar buzzing and vibrant with a friendly barman. He warmed Mr C’s brandy over a glass of hot water. How cool was that!

We had breakfast and then checked out of The Yorkshire Hotel. Luggage loaded into the car; we drove to Wakefield to visit the Cathedral. The Church is large in size and has a lovely interior. We enjoyed our visit and I got my Cathedral passport stamped. The lady who put the sticker in my passport (upside down) was interested to know which other Cathedrals I had visited. I opened the passport at the front page and showed her.

We still had time to spare so we visited the nearby Sandal Castle where Mr C was able to tick off another Wars of the Roses site and learn information related to one of his current interests. The castle’s hill top location gave spectacular views of the surrounding area.

Next to the castle was a café so we decided to have an early lunch before continuing on our journey home. The café was warm, welcoming and cosy. My glasses steamed up after stepping in from the relative cold outside. When they cleared, I was able to see the menu and food counter. I chose apple and blackberry crumble. The lady who served us was full of laughter and tried to persuade me to have it with custard or cream. I chose to have it warmed up but declined any additions, leading her to jokingly comment that it was just wrong. Mr C chose a fish finger butty, something I had also considered. It arrived with a large portion of chips so I was glad I had opted for the crumble instead.

We stopped off on our way home to pick up ingredients for Catalan Fish Stew so that we could enjoy ‘fine dining’ at home to complete our few days away.

Mr C’s new car has got the job. It was a joy to travel in and the boot swallowed up our luggage easily without having to squeeze it in. I think Mr C enjoyed driving it but time will tell…