York | A Christmas Shopping Trip: The Butcher Street and Outlet
York
This trip to York was just before Christmas, and we took a tour bus arranged by the school. Because it was a group trip, the bus dropped us off in downtown York for some free time before picking us up again to take us to the York Designer Outlet. The whole trip was perfect for a day trip: strolling around the city, browsing shops, and grabbing a bite to eat in the morning, and then shopping at the outlet in the afternoon.
My first impression of York was that the streets were small but very historic, especially when I visited before Christmas. There were many Christmas decorations and market stalls along the way, giving the whole city a warm and festive atmosphere.
肉舖街 The Shambles：約克最有名的童話街道
來約克一定會聽到大家推薦 The Shambles 肉舖街。這條街是約克很有名的景點，街道兩側是古老的木造和磚造建築，房子看起來有點歪歪斜斜，反而很有味道。很多人說這裡很像哈利波特裡斜角巷的靈感來源之一，所以走在裡面真的會有一點魔法世界的感覺。因為我們是快聖誕節的時候去，肉舖街上也有不少聖誕裝飾，像是花圈、燈飾和小店門口的擺設，讓整條街變得更可愛。這裡人潮通常不少，所以如果想拍比較乾淨的照片，建議可以早一點來。
聖誕節前的約克：市集、燈飾和冬天小城氛圍
約克在聖誕節前有很多聖誕裝飾，也會有市集可以逛，賣一些食物、飲料、手作小物和節慶商品。雖然英國冬天的天氣不一定很好，可能會有點冷、也可能灰灰的，但正因為這樣，燈飾和市集反而讓整座城市看起來更溫暖。
約克布丁：可以試試看，但我覺得普通
來約克的時候，我們也嘗試了有名的約克布丁，不過以我自己的口味來說，我覺得它沒有到非常驚艷。
York Designer Outlet：折扣多，適合安排在下午
逛完約克市區之後，我們集合搭車去了 York Designer Outlet。Outlet 裡很多東西都有打折，逛起來會覺得比市中心買東西划算一些。
如果你本來就想買衣服、鞋子、包包或一些品牌商品，可以預留一點時間慢慢逛。