I'm writing now from a funky internet cafe lounge near York Minster called 'The Evil Eye.'
We came to York on Thursday, after a beautiful drive down through Yorkshire (and a national park). We stopped for a four-hour break at a large estate in York called Castle Howard, where we had lunch and freely walked through the grounds and various buildings (there was also a cool playground there which I did not see). Our dorms were not too far from there--we're staying at the University of York: a modern, spread-out campus divided into smaller colleges (much like the other universities we've stayed in).
On Friday the choir took a day trip to sing in Mr Scott's hometown, Wakefield, located an hour's drive from York. While the choir rehearsed in the cathedral I took a look around: as Mr Scott had said, the town had become 'industrialised,' with little shops and fast food restaurants scattered around. The only problem with that day was the weather--constant rain and dark clouds (luckily I had brought my raincoat, unlike some others). The concert was later that night than usual, so we didn't end up getting back to the University until about 11:00pm.
Today's schedule is not unlike yesterday's, except there is no trip into another town. We met in downtown York in the late morning to look around and have lunch (I had some of the best fish & chips ever), and met at the Minster not too long ago. The choir is rehearsing now for the 7:30pm concert, while those who don't sing browse the tiny old streets of York, where there are plenty of cafes, souvenir shops, bookstores, and even a Thai-Japanese-Indonesian Restaurant/internet cafe.
Tomorrow we'll be going to St Albans, where I hear a soccer match (American soccer, that is) is in order against some others... Until later, thank you and namaste.