York is one of my three favourite cities in the world (the other two are Seville and Florence, but there's room for more). Normally, when I go somewhere, I try to get to the top of somewhere high up so I can see the city all at once. I hadn't been to the top of York Minster before, so that's where we headed. It's 275 steps to the top, but so what? I went up 343 in Vienna a couple of years ago and survived.
Yes...
These 275 steps are the narrowest spiral stairase I've ever been on in my life. The climb is relentless, with only one break about two thirds of the way up as you walk from one corner of the building alongside the roof to the central tower. There's nowhere to sit down, nowhere to pause, and the steps are so narrow that they have to let people go up in shifts because you can't pass anyone going in the opposite direction. The handrail kept disappearing for short sections and was way too low for me. The central pillar was icy cold, freezing my hand so it could barely move. When I got to the top, my left knee was aching like it was bruised, and it still hurts today (standing around for 25 minutes later in the day while my elder daughter tries on every single fancy frock in Fenwick's didn't help, either). I'll just have to make sure I don't use the clutch too often on the drive back to Colchester today in case my leg seizes up.
We were thinking of visiting Lincoln on the way back, too, but unless the cathedral there has a lift I think we'll give it a miss...
Still, the views from the top of York Minster were awesome!
