Tag: history lovers

Living In History

When I first announced my aspiration (grant of a UK Talent Visa in Litearture permitting) to live in York, UK, a whole lot of people asked me “Why York?”

Some were just curious. Some clearly thought I was crazy because their image of England is London and the south.

My standard reply was two fold. First, why NOT York? And second that when I was in York I had the ability to live in history, linger over teas and knock around in pubs. In other words–my dream life.

Then I got the Talent Visa and–after dreaming of it for a decade–moved to the center of York, with Clifford’s Tower as a near neighbor and an easy walk to the Minster for Evensong.

As the end of my first year living in the city, I still get asked why I chose York. So I thought I’d do more sharing, yes of pubs and teas, but most of how I am not kidding when I talk about living in history.

Top left: my sister and I on the stretch of wall stretching between the railway station (outside the walls) and Bootham Bar. Top right: railings? Who needs those? Bottom right: a glimpse of Petergate from inside Bootham Bar. Bottom left: stretch of wall that runs towards Monks Bar giving awesome views of the Minster.
Today I am going to feature the gorgeous city walls. The York City Walls are the longest medieval town walls in England, measuring 3.4 km (2 miles) in length. Built in the 13th century and set on raised earthen ramparts, they offer the most extensive surviving circuit of medieval masonry in the country. When the weather is good and I’ve made my wordcount for the day (or I just need some inspiration) they offer me the perfect stroll. I also LOVE walking the walls with family and friends when they come to visit.

So visitors to the UK, come north. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

Introducing The Historic Traveler

Dear readers, I know that all of you are lovers of history and historical fiction, and I suspect, like me, quite a few of you love traveling to historical sites. So I am delighted to introduce you to an amazing resource for those of us who think everything is better with a dash of history—The Historic Traveler.

At the Historical Novel Society’s 2025 conference, I had the good fortune to meet The Historic Traveler’s founder and Traveler-in-Chief Jackie Lapin. I was intrigued by her venture, and several conversations later realized she’d created just about the perfect resource for the historically-driven explorer of the world—one that allows readers to marry their travel to the books that bring history to life. 

The Historic Traveler is a unique online destination for history lovers offering feature articles, travel resources, and stunning photo galleries, along with carefully curated recommendations for historical novels, history books, biographies, films, museums, and more that illuminate some of history’s most treasured stories.  All these goodies are presented through a quarterly e-magazine, website, newsletter, and the Historic Traveler International membership community—a dynamic network of like-minded travelers and readers.

Currently (during this introductory period) you can join The Historic Traveler for free!

Oh, and while you are clicking on links, guess who is the feature author for this week’s newsletter?



Search

Recent Posts

Categories

 



© 2026 Sophie Perinot • All Rights Reserved • Contact Me