June Beauty

As of today, I am officially no longer apologizing for failing to update this thing. But rejoice! For here I am. Writing!


I had the most ridiculously nice afternoon today. One of those ones I'll remember ages from now when I look back at my time here in York, I think.

There was nothing exceptional about today - it just all lined up so nicely.
I headed into town this afternoon with a few things to do, a craving for iced coffee, and a greyish cloud threatening me. The threats were empty, though, because the weather remained gorgeous - perfect to walk in jeans and a tank top, or to sit with my favourite canvas jacket on. A bit breezy, but not blustery - enough to break up the slightly stifling humidity.
I went first to King's Manor, which is an extension of the University of York campus located in a very old (medieval to 19th century) complex of buildings near the city art gallery, the Yorkshire Museum and it gardens and ruined abbey, and the Minster. There I did a bit of research for my upcoming final paper, and was pleased to find enough material to do my chosen subject - material that also will likely pertain to my senior thesis, which I'm already working on a bit. So that was perfect. And I sat in the ancient, wood-beamed high-ceilinged room and looked at books about gardens, and felt the breeze from the open window, and that was all just very nice.
After checking out three books for my research I went and got an iced latte thing at a coffee shop in town (I've been craving iced coffee as a result of it being relatively warm and very humid these last few days). I also got a muffin, and just sat about, reading Alice in Wonderland and enjoying my refreshments.
After this, it was time for a spot of shopping - something I've been avoiding, but the craving for new summer dresses has proved too strong. I went to H&M, and got no dresses (though I saw several I'm considering going back for), but I did pick up two tops (I got lucky on the sale rack), and a new bag to use this summer and for school next year, as my current bag is falling apart. It averaged to about 5 pounds an item - which is an incredible haul.
I walked back along the river, which is a new route Tom showed me recently. There's a greenway-type walk that runs down to Fulford, which is the town between the university and the river, and it's just as fast as going on the roads, but much, much nicer. I ended up sitting along the river, reading Alice and watching the water (which was blue, it was reflecting the sky so well) and the occasional boat of rowers go by. The sun was out, but it wasn't too hot - basically, it was just incredibly pleasant. I finished Alice, then walked back, a route that takes me along two roads of very cute British residential streets - one with terrace houses, one with semi-detached houses, and both with a beautiful collection of little front gardens. Everything is in bloom now - roses, irises, snapdragons, impatiens. I came across a huge white peony - it smelled absolutely wonderful. A cat made friends with me, too! And after the residential streets comes the allotments - a big community garden set-up where people rent fairly large rectangles of land and grow veggies and some flowers - stuff they can't fit in the smaller front and back gardens of the houses here. Then across the big field full of buttercups, with cow off in the distance, and I was back on campus, feeling ecstatically pleasant.
I'm ready to go back to the US, and to North Carolina, but I'll miss stuff like this afternoon. June is different here, but it's just as beautiful.