Clifford's Tower

One of our little adventures in York. The earth mound on which Clifford's Tower sits was first contructed by William the Conquerer in 1068 as part of the first castle of York. Normans, Danes, English, and others all fought over this spot. While I can't recall who Clifford was, I do recall that the Portnoys had a fun time climbing to the top and getting great views of the surrounding town, whose endless red rooftops reminded me (and my Dad) of the aerial scene from Willie Wonka when Charlie was in the glass elevator. The red building in the foreground is a newly built Hilton, so that does throw a bit of wet blanket on one's imagination. And speaking of party poopers (depending on your perspective), it was interesting to see that Clifford's Tower is apparently northern England's answer to Masada, since in 1190 the local Jews holed up in the fort to escape attacks, only to commit mass suicide as their deaths at the hands of the townfolks became imminent. Lovely.