We awoke to glorious sunshine and were given a window seat for breakfast which allowed us to to make the most of it. The breakfast was excellent although the portions were enormous. My plate of scrambled egg and salmon could have fed two people.

Straight after breakfast we headed into town to pick up some bottled water and some handkerchiefs for Mr C because, during the various lockdowns, all of his had mysteriously disappeared. Whilst in town he also got a bit carried away in Brook Taverner when he realised that there was a Black Friday deal available. The purchases (minus one handkerchief) were deposited into our car boot on our way to the butterfly farm.

That lone handkerchief came in useful when both our camera lenses and screens steamed up in the hot humid atmosphere in the butterfly house. The butterflies were spectacular and a few of them were kind enough to pose for us. In the case full of chrysalises we saw a butterfly emerging which was fascinating to watch as its wings unfurled. A sign advising ‘Caution! Iguanas Poo here’ (from above) was enough to encourage us to move on swiftly by. As we were about to leave, a butterfly settled contentedly on my shoulder.

It was now time for lunch so we headed into town picking up some leaflets from the tourist information centre along the way. This included a walk leaflet about a walk that we had noticed on a map near to the butterfly farm. We had lunch in Huffkins where we again dropped lucky as a table had just become available.

After lunch we started the river walk from the middle point, near to the Hotel Arden. One of the points of interest detailed on the map is The Church of the Holy Trinity, Shakespeare is buried there, just in front of the altar. One of the church’s guides explained lots of fascinating details about the church including the fact that the nave of the church is at a slight angle to the chancel imitating the angle of Jesus’ lolling on the cross as depicted in the stained glass window.

After our visit to the church we continued our river walk finishing at Cox’s Yard, which we had bypassed earlier when we left the butterfly house in search of lunch. Our walk concluded, we headed back into town and, whilst we were walking, Mr C had an unexpected phone call from my nephew who gave us an update on his new job and other things. By this point it had turned rather chilly so I headed into the nearby Edinburgh Woolen Mill shop to warm up but came out empty handed. We then visited the Christmas shop which was chaotically busy. A small angel decided to come home with us…

It was now time for afternoon tea and we found a vegan café where we settled down in the warmth for a lovely cuppa before heading back to the hotel to chill out before dinner.

We had an aperitif in The Rose & Crown pub before dining in the The Opposition bistro. Once again the gin was served in a gold fish bowl full of ice (it is the current fashion) but without the friendly addition of a straw, making it impossible to drink without tipping ice all over  your face. In the restaurant I settled for good old fish and chips which was delicious.

Mr C chose Wetherspoons for a nightcap and told me to choose a table whilst he went to the bar. Twenty minutes later I was beginning to think he had done a runner when suddenly he emerged looking rather angry and ticking like an old clock… There had been a saga with ordering drinks at the bar. I suggested that we move to a different area in the pub that I had noticed whilst I was waiting. By chance, we were now sitting next to the couple that had shared the delayed ordering saga at the bar. We got chatting whilst they were waiting for their food to arrive and found out that she was celebrating her birthday which was a coincidence as this was my delayed birthday weekend celebration too.

We went to breakfast a little later than the previous day. Consequently the breakfast room was more crowded due to it being a bank holiday Saturday.

After breakfast we made our way to Barley Hall. I stopped to take some photos along the way and Mr C and my mum carried on ahead. By the time I caught up with them I found that they were chatting with a gentleman. I found out that he was from the Gideon Society and that he had given Mr C a copy of the New Testament and Psalms. This was fortuitous as I had accidently left my copy, which I normally take on holiday, at home.

Barley Hall is a reconstructed Medieval Hall, the remains of which had been hidden under a more modern building. It was only when this modern building was due to be demolished that the medieval structure was discovered. The oldest parts of the Hall date to around 1360 when the Hall was built as the York Townhouse for Nostell Priory. Later the Hall became the home of a leading York citizen, William Snawsell, a Goldsmith, Alderman and Lord Mayor of York. The Hall is currently housing an exhibition called The Power and the Glory; York in the time of Henry VIII. On display in the exhibition are some of the costumes from the BBC’s Wolf Hall dramatization.

After our visit to the hall we browsed around a few shops to keep warm and dry until it was time to queue for lunch in Bettys. We didn’t have to queue for too long and the poached salmon and lemon mayonnaise sandwich was well worth the wait. After our sandwich, we all indulged in a naughty cake. As we arrived the waitress had asked if we were celebrating something so I mentioned that it was my mum’s birthday weekend. We presumably didn’t look like tourists. When we had finished our cake, the waiter brought a small fondant cake with a candle on top and presented it to mum. What a lovely touch. He then brought a small box and bag and packed it up to be consumed later in the day.

Next we visited York Minster, all decked out for Easter with the Easter Garden underneath the Five Sisters Window. This happens to be my favourite glass in York Minster. There is something about the way the light shines through the smaller panels at the top of the window. We also visited the crypt and the undercroft which houses an excellent exhibition covering 2000 years of the history of York and York Minster.

Mum made her way back to the hotel whilst we returned to the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop that we had browsed around earlier in the day. We bought some (too many) Christmas decorations to replace the ones that got broken when a box slipped out of the loft as we were getting them down last Christmas. The girls in the shop were horrified when we told them this tale.

We enjoyed another delicious evening meal. This time we dined in La Vecchia Scuola. I chose Sea Bass with prawns and clams. The food was delicious, even the clams (which I don’t normally eat). I followed this with a small scoop of salted caramel ice cream. The restaurant had a very lively atmosphere, with live piano music.