NOTTINGHAM Dec. 3 -4

I can't believe it's been 7 months since I've seen Richard! Of all the Brit exchange students last year to Toronto, he knows me the most, so you can imagine it was wonderful to see him again! I was greeted warmly by him, his girlfriend Ele, and his good friend Bertie. Bertie came to Toronto last year and was so quiet and shy, that it was good to hear him speak! He and Rich loved to put their arms around eachother as the watched TV...I dunno, it was pretty funny in their small den type thing. I think I drank more tea this weekend then my whole stay in England! Bertie's addicted and every time he came downstairs he asked "like a cuppa tea lass?" hehe.

We walked around town, went to a creepy gothic pub, then hit up another pub for lunch and eventually walked back to Rich's house closer to the Uni. The town centre is quite far from the University. Like 50min. walking distance I was told! I suppose that's the same distance from Headingley to the city centre. That night Ele and I watched Richard's ice hockey game. It was in Birmingham and we passed time in the coach playing poker with the hockey boys. I shall never look at poker the same way again! They won 13-2, and Ele and I hurt our voices cheering. We walked through the campus at night, and from what I saw it was beautiful! So large and open and green! My goodness, there was a pond, and fields, upon fields of open green grass and trees! The city centre was cute as well. Similar to Leeds, but it seemed much busier. The following day Rich and I just walked around the city, and this huge park where there were deer!! I couldn't believe these large stags were just walking around on the golf course as if they owned it. It started raining so we headed back and I just watched a movie--About a boy. I love that movie! SOOOO CUTE! I highly recommend it. I fell asleep on the coach back for about the first 1/2 hr. I don't know why I couldn't sleep more. But there's something so tranquil about sleeping on a large coach at night...I dunno, maybe I'm just weird. hehehe.

a wall

fierce, fierce

Nottingham Castle--it's actually a just mansion placed on the old site with some sort of art gallery/history exhibit inside. We didn't spend too long in there.

Me at the castle's gates...I assume the dark stones are the original.

Supposedly the oldest pub in England. We went in, and the ceilings are really low. It looks like it was built in the rock.

An old, fasionable mansion sitting high on the hill at Wollaton Park. It was closed! bugger.
Deer lingering around the park (those brown dots in the photo)
Rich admiring the trees...he made me try and climb the one on the left and took video footage (that I was unaware about) of my sad attempt. Quite funy actually looking at the video. I gave him half of this large brownie. He said ok, but only a bite--then he takes the largest bite ever and hands me back the smallest piece. hahaha.
Robin Hood and me. Everyone knows the story about Robing Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham. I didn't go into the "tales of Robin Hood" which talks about the evidence they have for him. All they know is that someone like him existed. Sherwood forest is actually quite far from the city centre.