Blogs from Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 2

The next part of my trip was a quick visit to see family. The last year and a half has been amazing as I've been able to spend time with them three times now! So, after I visited Lincoln Castle, I drove towards Nottingham. My gps directions crapped out, so I had to use a map. My cousins and I were laughing - I'm young enough to rely on my phone gps to go places, but old enough to know how to use a real foldout map, which I already had with me (I always do when I drive). So, it was a bit confusing within the city itself, but other than that it was super easy. I parked at the Mount Castle parking structure and easily found my way to our meeting point. I met ... read more

"To what shall I liken the world? Moonlight reflected in dewdrops, shaken from a cranes bill." Dogen Zenji born around 1200 - died 1253. This was one of those apt sayings that pop up now and again on my calendar of Eastern philosophy. Rather apt somehow. Think back 50 years . Can you remember what you were doing when you heard that man had landed on the moon? It was one of those events that was etched in my memory. It was the same with the news that Kennedy had been assassinated, Elvis had died and the events of 911. I still can remember the room I was in when my friends gran came up to tell us the news that was coming out of Dallas, I was on the A41 in a car when the ... read more

We had a nice lazy start to today and finished off the repacking. First stop was Asda in Worksop to buy some wine for our hosts tonight. We could not resist a visit to the other shops around Asda whilst there. As we had not really eaten anything substantial since yesterday lunchtime, we decided to pop into the pub alongside Asda called Roman´s Rest. They had a great meal deal offer which was more than enough for us two. Next stop onto Theresa´s sister Julie and her husband Mick. We last saw them when they were living in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, so it will be nice to see how they are settling back into the UK. It was a really great catch up finished off with a lovely BBQ cooked by Mick ... read more

"Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it" Confucius utters common sense again . Hold that thought. This will be going somewhere in the direction of ugly things and industrial history. Not to everyones taste hence the beauty that some people miss. Gabby was taken up again to Preston for the satellite dome to be fitted . The silly sat nag takes us a different way everytime. Sometimes south and then up the M6 to Preston, sometimes across country east to west through Disley and the Airport ring road. Occaisionally she has taken us to Sheffield , over the tops to Manchester and today right up to Leeds and across the M62. A bleak and windswept motorway if ever there was one. Perhaps it feels worse to know that we are driving over Saddleworth Moor with ... read more

As I rumbled up the tracks from London to Nottingham I was rocked into a delightful contented slumber. Snuggly in my seat, I was jostled awake by a woman and her unruly suitcase. Where were we? “Now arriving in Beeston”. Holy smokes that’s my stop and with that I hurriedly snagged my trusty silver traveling bag and disembarked the train. There waiting for me was Davey. Someone, I met in a hostel one random morning in Sydney eighteen years ago. Over the years we had hung out in North America, South America, and Asia. However, it had been ten years since I had last seen him. But the thing about true friendships is that no matter how long it has been you simply pick right back up as if no time had passed at all. After ... read more