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We took some much-needed time off at the end of last week and went to York to meet up with dear friends and an exceptionally lovely and smiley baby. The drive over was beautiful -- the leaves' colours were so rich and varied, and the cold sun shining on everything made the edges sharp and striking. Unfortunately the weather when we got there was striking in a different way -- cold and moodily grey, as you can see. But quite good for pictures and for the stark contrast with the amazing light and warmth inside the Minster. It was overwhelming in the best way -- walking around with the lovely, lovely K was a perfect pause of calm. We were laughing at how tiny and silly we are in comparison with this massive arching structure, and this was a real comfort. That must be how the poor Medieval people kept going in their lives of grinding work and poverty -- going to the Minster must have felt like a promise of hugeness and richness that, by putting a huge eternity around a person's own little moment, makes your own life oddly a bit more manageable, as a tiny speck in the midst of it all. Note also how York has button and wool shops, which can only be good. Working on keeping up the spirits now we're back -- so it's carving 'jack lanterns' tonight, as the American calls them.