In which I learn to be a tourist in Nottingham

Phew, let me tell you study abroad is nothing if not time consuming. Not only do I have to do actual study for actual exams, but I also have to make the most of my time with new friends and plan extensive travel for vacation. I mean, it has it's perks, but getting time to write a blog is apparently not one of them. Still, I'm making an attempt, and I'm here to tell you about finally getting to explore Nottingham properly.

I think it's a typical cliche that you never really get the chance to be a tourist in the place where you live. That's certainly been true for me back in New Zealand. Having lived in Auckland for 3 years I would surely have at least made it to Waiheke Island once, but when you live somewhere you always have an excuse to put things off. I've found the same being in Nottingham. While I've made plenty of daytrips to explore other towns I've barely seen any of the attractions in Nottingham, at least in the city centre, so when my brother Max visited for a weekend it was the perfect excuse to become a tourist.

We started off our Saturday morning the only way we could, breakfast in a bar/converted church, the Pitcher and Piano. This is incredibly popular in Nottingham, unsurprising given the setting. The inside is amazing, with surrounding stained glass and various arches and alcoves, so this was a very cool place to enjoy a big breakfast. We then headed to Nottingham Castle. This included the obligatory photo in front of the Robin Hood statue, and then an exploration of the grounds. The site offered great surrounding views of the city, which I guess explains why they chose it for a castle. There was also one remaining building which housed a whole variety of exhibitions. We checked out a few, including the story of Robin Hood, before finishing our circle of the grounds. Following this it was only appropriate to grab a pint at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, dubiously titled the oldest inn in England. It certainly was old, and the inside was something of a maze, with rooms and stairways every which way. The food menu also looked delicious so I would love to return again to be able to spend an evening there.

 Feeling refreshed we then took a tour of the "City of Caves", an exploration of the sandstone caves below Nottingham. These tours are very popular with families so we had a few children with us. One girl was very nervous about the prospect of bugs inside the caves (I recommended she not visit the weta caves in NZ). She asked Max whether he thought there would be any spiders down in the caves. Not satisfied with his answer she asked our tour guide who reassured her that there would not be any spiders causing the girl to stare daggers in Max's direction. If looks could kill, I tell ya. The cave tour involved wandering through several sections set up for different uses, such as a tannery, bomb shelter and hideout for criminals. Our ticket also gave us a tour of the Galleries of Justice, which was well worth it, and offered a lot more than the caves. We had different characters from different eras taking us on a tour of first the court and then the prison below. This included various cell designs from pits in the ground to the most modern cells of today, which was all kinds of unpleasant. I was especially enterteined when we were assigned different crimes and the punishments which would befit them. I ended up being deported to Australia, which I quipped was probably a punishment worse than death. After a long day we needed a drink and dinner so we headed to Spanky Van Dykes. Don't let the ridiculous name put you off, this is actually a very cool bar (or eatery and funhouse as it describes itself) with delicious food and funky decor. We ended the night back at the P&P which was absolutely packed, but we got a table upstairs which offered great views of the whole church.

On Sunday I showed Max around my university hall and campus. Luckily it was very nice weather so we took a stroll by the lake. It was very picteresque, especially as the cherry blossoms were just blooming. We headed across the road to Wollaton Park, as Max was very excited to see the home of Batman. It was great to wander through the grounds, but unfortunately we had chosen the wrong day to see inside the Hall as it was hosting a Vintage Wedding Expo. We braved the garish pink and lace to check out a bit of the inside, but it was very crowded.

With a few hours before Max's train we decided to have a relaxing afternoon with tea at Thea Caffea, a local tearoom, and then took a wander through the city square and along the canal. It was great to take a whole weekend away from the university, to explore the city and to hang out with my big brother.

For the next week or so I will be knuckling down to study and finish my last assignments for the semester. After that I'm heading to mainland Europe for almost a whole month of travel. I'd love to say I'll be updating you on my adventures, but given that I will probably be very busy and without my laptop it might be a struggle. I'll try to add photos to facebook and instagram if you want updates though.

Byeeeeee!!!!!