Nottingham and Leicester

Hi Guys! Well I'm about to come to the end of my roaming around the English countryside and head to the big city - London. Its funny what you learn about yourself while you are travelling. I'm itching to see the hustle and bustle of a city after the relative slow pace of the smaller towns dotted around here. I need noise! Even if its just the low hum of a city at night as opposed to silence.

On Monday I jumped on a train and headed to Nottingham. This place is like a mini Melbourne. Shopping is fantastic, it has trams up all the main streets, and is an art and culture playground. It even has the dodgy little areas just outside the main shopping areas that look like they could do with a good hosing off - although obviously there's hundreds more years of grot!

Robin Hood of course - this is the only thing I knew about Nottingham before I got here. There are so many little references to him all over the town.

This is a cute little beer garden I stopped at to have a pint of cider. You can't really tell but it faces onto a canal with boats moored all along it - its in an old pumping station.

Inside Nottingham Castle - there was an exhibition of artworks done for sci-fi wars. Mostly for books and computer games but also for those little ugly war men that odd people collect and play with. You know the ones? Can't remember the name of it...

Outside Nottingham Castle - I love this shot! They sell little kid's Robin Hood outfits everywhere and these kids were having a ball. I've never seen so many fathers trying to teach their kids how to shoot a bow and arrow with a little suction cap on the end!

Again - Nottingham Castle. There is a great view from the top. This is one of the lion statues that guards the entrance. Nottingham castle is, by the way, entirely underwhelming. It was re-built for the millionth time a couple of hundred years ago. Its not even medieval! There was an interesting museum and art gallery inside though.

Sir Bloomalot. Really. That's his name.

Nottingham is apparently known for its lace. This was a monument I found outside a church, but for the life of me I couldn't find any explanation of what it was there for.

This dome is inside one of the shopping centres. Kind of like an over the top QVB (for you Sydney people), but just check out the frescoes arount the glass dome. Wow.

Then on Tuesday we went to Leicester to meet my Aunty Julie (Dad's sister) and Uncle Harry. I also met my cousin James briefly as well. Here I am with Harry and Julie at a gorgeous little pub on the outskirts of Leicester. I've been talked into coming and staying with them for a while when I've finished wandering around Europe. Such sweet people!