York Illuminated

Well, it has been too long since my last posting and I HOPE I can be a bit more regular with my Blog! I have loads of "stuff" to add, but I'm always finding more urgent things to do... no excuses.



I just wanted to bring to everyone's attention that the City of York is again this year illuminating a few famous buildings in the city for our enjoyment. It was truly spectacular last year to be walking around the city in the evening and discovering these light installations. Very creative, very unique.



I hope this year is just as special - with the King's Manor and the Multangular Tower being the main featured structures.

It's Official!

It's official - the Frenchman, David, who has been staying with us this past week has declared that "York is a very romantic city". When a Frenchman says it's romantic - who would NOT believe him?!

I have to agree, I think York is a very romantic city too.

What makes York romantic? It could be that it is an intimate city with cobblestoned streets and snickelways (little alleyways that take you from one street to the next) where you can meander from shop to shop. Could it be the beautiful architecture from the medieval "Shambles" and Georgian houses to the impressive Victorian buildings or the majestic York Minster? Even the Aviva building constructed in the 1980s is a beautiful piece of modern architecture - I think Prince Charles would even approve! Or maybe it's the wine bars and restaurants. Or possibly a combination of it all that creates a lovely atmosphere of charm.

What I will say is York is NOT a pretentious city - it is a city for everyone from country folk to urban dwellers, people from all walks of life cannot help but fall in love with it. Maybe that is what makes it romantic.

Food for thought

Just got back from a quick bite to eat with the kids in town. And I have to say, I really enjoyed our little independent restaurant - Tuscany, located right next to the Mansion House (the home of the Lord Mayor of York). www.york360.co.uk/restaurants/tuscany.htm

I can't say the food was outstanding - it was fine - good Italian food. I would recommend the pizza, the dough was tasty. And I really like the contemporary rustic decor. Does that work together?! - yes.

But what I liked best was when I went to the loo, it was IMMACULATE!

Now, in my youth, I worked with a very special lady who was an editor at Harper's Bazaar. And whenever we went out on a business lunch, she would send me to the powder room shortly after sitting down and ask me to report back. I always assumed it was because she wanted a quiet word with whomever we were dining with. This was possible, but she was equally interested in what the powder rooms looked like. Between the two of us, we discovered there was a direct correlation between clean and well looked after loos and good food!!

Just a thought!

Awarded GOLD!

Our Penthouse has been awarded GOLD from EnjoyEngland for "exceptionl quality of accommodation and customer service"!!!

Sunny Days

It's been absolutely bliss this past week in York! The daffodils may be gone, but the blossom is out and in full bloom, all the flower beds looking fine and, well, there is just colour everywhere! I don't even mind sitting in traffic on the school run when it's like this (photo taken from the car on the school run)! Bliss, bliss, bliss.

2010 York Mystery Plays

Mark your calendars - 11 and 18 July 2010 is the next incarnation of the historic York Mystery Plays. They promise to be a mix of innovation and consolidation. And will play at some new stations (spot where they pull up their wagon and perform) in the city with some new pageants (plays) appearing that have not been seen for 400 years!

We went with the kids in 2006 and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. The event has a real Shakespeare feel to it. Obviously the costumes and the style of the plays give it the atmosphere, and some plays were performed in "ye olde English" but the humour and drama were fantastic - our daughter who was six at the time was thoroughly captivated! Only the English can achieve such great performances from local amateur dramatics!

Now - for those of you who have no idea what the Myster Plays are - a great place to find out more is http://www.yorkmysteryplays.org/

And if you want to keep up-to-date with how the present plays are progressing, look at http://www.yorkmysteryplays.co.uk/

Holiday Apt vs. Hotel

Why stay in a hotel room when you can have a suite for about the same price?!

The top 5 reasons people who stay with us at Hodgson's Choice are

1. Flexibility
2. Freedom - no specified times for eating, etc
3. Space
4. Privacy
5. More relaxing

So the next time you're planning a holiday - consider self-catering/holiday rentals.

Many holiday property owners now offer short breaks - we offer a minimum 3 night stay and you can come on any day of the week!

Is there really any other Choice?!