Nottingham, a car, and internet

We’ve finally got internet!  It’s nice to be connected again.  It’s amazing how much we’ve come to rely on easy access to information and communications.  Speaking of communications, we’re set up for skype, a free service offering both voice and video calling.  Download it, create an account and give us a call!  Our username is “sackettpasquale”.

We went to Nottingham yesterday to get a tax disc for our new car.  I’m pretty excited about having a car again.  We’ve had a rental car for a little while.  Then we were taking the bus, and we even walked four miles to the grocery store one day.  Our landlord, Mick, actually bought the car for us at auction and got a great deal on it.  He’s an ex-race car driver and owned a car dealership for years, so he knows the system pretty well.

Anyway, Nottingham is also the home of the Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood fame.  We walked around Nottingham castle, though I understand it has changed a bit since Robin Hood’s day.


We’re planning to return at some point to explore more. We’d also like to check out Sherwood Forest, where you can see the tree the merry men feasted under, the church where Maid Marian and Robin were wedded, and the graves of Little John and Will Scarlet. We were sad to miss the Robin Hood festival this past summer, but we’re looking forward to going next year. Nottingham seems to make the most of its literary heritage. There were Robin Hood themed shops everywhere.


We also visited the oldest pub in England, the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Inn, founded in 1189. It is built into the sandstone cliffs under the castle. Apparently, there is quite a network of caves honeycombed in the relatively soft rock. I can’t really comprehend a 800 year old pub…