Sleeping (or not) on a boat.

So I finished writing last night's blog draft and tried to sleep. I lay there, with the voice in my head repeating, "Don't think of the Titanic; Don't think of the Titanic; Don't think of the Titanic" and so on. It was amazing how loud the noise of something hitting the hull was....I mean, it was probably just the waves but it sounded suspiciously like ice bergs....then there was the slight motion which didn't shift the outside of your body, but definitely produced a shift in your inards, changing your centre of gravity. I could feel my stomach leaning towards the hand rail on my top bunk, with the pressure growing and growing, and then easing and easing until it began to try pulling me towards the wall. I assured myself that it was obviously normal - it is just that it is hard to simply let go and trust hat all is well. Thought I did really well actually, and sleep came remarkable easily - until Eliza requested my help at 4am to get back into her sleeping bag (she was curled up in a port-a-cot). After that, I was back to being alarmed by the noises again, which seemed louder than before, then my phone rang at about four thirty am with an anonymous caller who said, 'Hello, hello, hello'. Then I lay there silently, waiting for the 4.45 wake up call, which didn't come until about 5.15! A hastily consumed (and unapetising) breakfast was consumed, and we were on our way.
The kids fell asleep in the car as we drove to York and I too suffered from my regular affliction of automatically shutting eyelids. This is a truly frustrating trait which has worsened as we go. At first I was far to consumed with absorbing all I could see - and wouldn't contemplate sleeping in the car. Then, I would try to consciously have a ten to fifteen minute nap while we drove, to get the tiredness out of the way. Then, as we left Scotland, it took on a whole new level of uncontrollability. It wasn't that I would try to stay awake, so much as I was constantly surprised at finding my eyes shut. I would quite literally realize that my eyes were shut and all was dark, and then would sit up and wonder what I had missed. It was very annoying as it was our last drive through Scotland and I didn't want to sleep through it - but try as I might, the emotional price I had to pay was an inability to stay conscious.
Sometimes when I know that I am falling asleep and don't want Shane to know that his dozy wife is drifting off again, I have learnt to continue the fall of my head into a motion that makes it look like it was intentional. For example, if it falls back towards the head rest, I pull my shoulders up and back, as if I was taking a good stretch....if it falls forward, I lift my hands at the same time, as if I just wanted to look at them - checking that I still had them or some such. He probably knows full well that I am only half conscious...probably can't tell the difference from normal....
We were in York, parked and on our way to the tourist info centre by 9.45 am. We booked a B and B and checked in. We also visited our first antique shop, which Ruth had told Sam we would find plenty of - of which he was most excited, but quickly discouraged as he professed to never be able to afford anything within it. He was right.
After lunch we walked in and through the town, to York Minster. This is one of the finest examples in Europe of a cathedral of its age. It is brilliant. It was built over a period of a few hundred years and our guide led us through the church in order of its building. When Cromwell's army marched through the land wrecking things and stripping churches of their wealth, the commander of this areas' army refused to hurt the Minster, as it was the church where he grew up. That is why it is such a fine example of intact history. There are little chapels throughout the Minster, before Henry the Eighth's time there would have been up to fifty of them, but Henry took a huge number of them down when he was busy stripping churches of all their wealth to boost his own purse. It is always so good having a tour whenever you can - you learn so many things you would have otherwise been ignorant of. Like - that the first man ever named as an 'artist' in England, was the man who did the East window in the Minster. It is the size of a doubles tennis court and has been there for SIX HUNDRED years. AMAZING. Also amazing is John Thornton who designed and made the whole thing, in its entirety, in three years. It tells in pictures, the story of creation, from the beginning of time, to the images of Revelation. His stained glass has lasted better than any else in the world and is currently being restored in a massive operation, using new techniques with longevity promised. It inspired me and reminded me of the importance of art in our lives. Go Ness, go Sunshine, the church needs you. The world needs you.
We walked the streets a while longer, had a coffee in a Starbucks as a treat....it felt like a necessity after my sleep deprived night and oddly timed meals. We met a street sleeper named Frankie, who refused the kids offer of a banana and apple, but was grateful of a pound. He explained how he needed the brandy or something similar that he was drinking in his coke, to ward off the shakes if it rains. Easy to believe really. Sam was kind of transfixed and had to be pushed to get him moving when we said goodbye.
Speaking of transfixed - before we had begun our tour of York Minster, and were wondering around under the cathedral high ceilings, a voice came over the PA. It was a deep, resonant voice, that broke the silence, and startled us all a little. Lilli's eyes flew wide, and she froze as she listened. The voice went on in its deep, soothing manner, and gradually, people everywhere stopped to listen to what it was saying. It quoted something familiar about coming to the Lord in the holy communion...and then all was silent again. People started moving off, in various directions, and for a second longer, Lilli stood watching us all. She then approached us, put her hand to her chest and said with a nervous laugh, " I really thought that was God.... talking to me."
We laughed. Quietly. She did have quite a spiritual moment a little later, however, when each of the kids were given twenty pence, to buy and light a candle, at the little chapel of Saint Nicholas. They each chose someone to dedicate the candle to, and to pray for. She was really buzzing at the end of her prayer time. I think it says a lot about God that you can be in the middle of a swarm of tourists, and still so readily enter His presence.
Whilst on God stuff....I am reminded of something that Sam did, in China. A waitress was taking our orders, when Sam looked up at her, and said, without pomp, "Do you know Jesus?" What the??? Where did that come from? I believe we drew in a sharp breath and didn't let it out. In seconds I had run the gauntlet of thoughts from, 'wow, he is a real evangelist', to 'I don't think confronting people and forcing them to respond to something so personal, is a really effective way of letting people know how loved they are"...Sam held his eyes steadily on her, and it quickly became evident that she didn't understand English well enough to know what he was asking. When she turned her attention to him again, he dropped his eyes for a second, then looked back at her and ordered a lemonade. It was an interesting moment, and I don't believe that we have seen or heard the last from Sam, and his desire to tell people about our good God.
I must conclude, sadly, by switching from the eternal to the earthly. I must share that I found the best bargain shop ever. We were walking through the Shambles, one of the oldest parts of York and chock-a-clock with shops (on one street we quite honestly walk past houses that have been standing -lived in - since the 1400s). I had found a voucher for 15 percent off at "The World of Beatrix Potter" shop. In the Lakes District, this store had often stocked Flower Fairy products, and with Eliza's birthday so soon after our arrival home, I wanted to poke my nose in. All was fairly standard within, excepting a staircase which led to 'bargains and specials'. Oh man. They were not wrong. I have NEVER seen so many flower fairy products, let alone at such mental prices. I was in there an inordinate amount of time, and whilst I feel ashamed of spending precious tourist time shopping, and of getting a kick out of consumerism, I had to share it because quite frankly - it was a buzz! Eliza's birthday can come whenever it wants - we are ready for it!!