September 24, 2018 - Rievaulx Abbey and Rievaulx Terrace

September 24, 2018 — Day 21 (Monday - Piper’s birthday)

Got some more birthday greetings that were sent last night. We’re eight hours ahead of home so it makes sense. Today is Piper’s birthday and we hope it’s a grand one for a granddaughter.

We’re B&B here at the hotel so went down at 8:00 for breakfast. There are choices so we opted for the Full English breakfast minus beans and tomatoes. That worked well although I think I'll also skip the sausage tomorrow. Don't know how people can eat so much at breakfast.

We read until time to leave. I’m enjoying my birthday book from Jean . . . set in Sarlat and it already mentioned the Rocamadour goat cheese I like so well. As ten o’clock approached, we bundled up and walked to the car. The drive to Rievaulx Abbey was about five minutes and we had no trouble parking. We’re English Heritage so it was free. We walked past grazing sheep and picturesque stone walls taking pictures of the ruins of the immense Abbey. We went through the little museum first to get some background and then went outside to explore the place. They are featuring their Annunciation stone carving so it was featured both in the museum and then when you get to it over a door in the Abbey, there is another exhibit directly beneath it giving information and accompanied by a digital reproduction of it when it was new. You can look up and compare the two . . . new and ancient. [Rievaulx Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Rievaulx Bank, Rievaulx, Helmsley, York YO62 5LB; tel: +443703331181; Click here for the Rievaulx Abbey web site]

Walked back to the Abbey tea room for lunch. Ed had soup and I had a sandwich, both adequate but not exciting. The hot tea was truly appreciated on this clear but very chilly day.

After lunch we drove back to Rievaulx Terrace, a National Trust site so free for members, parked and entered. You walk through the woods and there are picnic tables, quoits and a giant chess game so we detoured to the chess game and Ed set up a few moves to lure others in. It worked and immediately a man came over to explore so we left him to make his move and continued down the forest path. We finally found the first folly, the Tuscan Temple and knew it would be closed but we could look through the windows so we climbed up and looked through to see a lovely table on a beautiful floor and a gorgeous ceiling barely visible for reflections in the window. A young man saw me trying to get ceiling pictures and told me there were mirrors on the inside window sills to help view the ceiling. Hooray . . . great ceiling photos. I thanked him profusely.

We continued back along the terrace coming to each of the Abbey views cut through the trees . . . all necessitating photo stops. At one there was a life-size wire horse so Ed took my picture with it and the gentleman who had continued the chess game came over to talk to us and was soon joined by his wife and son who was the one who told me about the mirrors. We chatted quite a while as they have another son who went to Berkeley near us and now teaches at the university at Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. They finally walked on and we met them again at the next folly, the Ionic Temple. We chatted some more as we waited for the 2:30 opening. They had seen it before so left. We entered and the guide spoke briefly since there is only one room. The ceiling painting is the main attraction and they give you mirrors to help you look at it although turning one’s head and looking up isn’t difficult. [Rievaulx Terrace, Rievaulx, Helmsley, York YO62 5LJ; tel: +44 1439 748283; Click here for the Rievaulx Terrace web site]

Finishing there, we checked the gift shop and then drove back to the hotel. We have 6:30 dinner reservations at The Feathers Hotel and Eatery across the square. They have duck confit!

Later: Ate at Feathers and it’s quiet . . . no rock, no jazz, no music! Wonderful. Ed got the haddock and I tried a duck confit that was shredded duck on a bed of greens with orange slices and pomegranate seeds and pearl cous cous with peppers. It was very good, but definitely not your traditional duck confit. We got the crème brulée for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a shortbread cooky. It was all very nice and the place was packed. Glad we reserved! [The Feathers Hotel and Eatery, Market Place, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, YO62 5BH; tel: +44 01439 770275; Click here for The Feathers web site]

Finally figured out how to turn on our heat. Yes!