Ripon, Fountains Abbey, Haworth, and the Yorkshire Moors

We packed up and loaded up and checked out of our York Airbnb, and headed towards Fountain's Abbey.  Along the way we saw signs for Ripon Cathedral, and I was intrigued, because of Downton Abbey and all of that.  So we stopped on a whim.  It was delightful.  The cathedral was beautiful and not crowded and the organ was playing and the guide was nice and...well it was lovely and situated in a quaint town.  

 It may be hard to see but in the 1600's they got a new organ and so the choir wouldn't see the organist so there is a wooden hand that beats the rhythm.  It's all illuminated and lit up.

 We stocked up on sweets and kleenex and then headed back to the car an onto Fountains Abbey.

Fountains Abbey is so so so magical.  Hard to describe this place.  I love it.  

Clara and I had good fun doing this walking routine.  Snappy...

 

We drove onto the village of Haworth where the Bronte sisters lived and wrote.  The house was really fun to tour.  And we sopped into the church before heading up to the moors.  It was pouring rain and it was so beautiful.  So beautiful.  The rain made it magical.  We just needed tweeds and wellies. 

Supper was pub fare in the Black Bull.  The proprieter was very kind, and American from Boston, who fired up the kitchen for us, even though they don't normally serve dinner after 6.  Yorkshire Pud...delicious!

We drove on to Preston where our hotel for the night was, but had to stop along the way for pictures.  It was an absolutely spectacular drive.