And so I have left the city of London behind and ventured into the country.
Well- that's misleading. I've ventured into the smaller Urban center of Nottingham!
Mel and James met me at the train station, and we went to have fabulous hot chocolate which Mel spilled all over herself. Then we caught a bus to Mel's- it's SO wonderful to have someone who knows where they're going lead me around. I met Mel's parents, who are brilliant, and then Mel took me for a walk to see this beautiful old church and a HAUNTED manor house (AWESOME) and then we went for a walk through the woods. Woods with no pine trees! How bizarre! it's so beautiful here- all green, and high grasses, and peaceful ponds with sketchy fishermen. When we got home, Mel's parents had left for their weekend away so I had a ROOM and a bed ALL TO MYSELF which was so amazing. I even got a shower with HOT WATER how rad is that.
England was playing Algeria, so Mel invited some of her friends over to watch the game. I was excited- Football! The national sport! Clearly this would be very exciting!
I was very, very wrong. Nothing happened. No one scored the WHOLE GAME they just ran back and forth and occasionally James and Mel's friend Sam would yell at the tv for no apparent reason. But it was nice to meet people, and no one took the game too seriously so that was alright. The other's left to go out at around midnight, but Mel and I crawled into bed like old people and promptly passed out.
The next day, we got a slow start but eventually managed to get dressed and made our way for a fun-filled day of Touristy Things! James was working, but Mel's friends Hanna, Lauren and Sam met up with us. We went to this place called the Gallows of Justice. IT WAS SO COOL. There were a whole bunch of actors who led you around; Mel got picked out to be a serving wench, and Sam was put on trial as Robin Hood. We were given numbers of actual prisoners and led to the dungeon to see what our crime and punishment was- I was a murderer, and was flogged, hung from the neck until dead and then dipped in Tar and my head put on a spike. Isn't Ye Olde England EXCITING?
Then we went down to the caves- there are all these super cool old man-made caves under Nottingham which have been used for all kinds of stuff over the years. Like tanning! Which we found out about, and which sounds like a truly horrible job. We then trooped off to a pub for lunch; we went to the oldest pub in Britain! It was built right into the sandstone wall, and was all narrow with a million staircases. So cool.
We decided that because we'd had lunch at the pub so late, there was no reason to do the barbeque we'd tentatively planned so instead we went and got a TERRIBLE zombie movie and vegged.
Well, that was the plan.
Instead, we got back and Mel's key would NOT work in her lock. It just turned and turned and wouldn't catch. So Mel hopped the fence to her back garden to find a spare key and try that one.
There was no spare key.
An hour later, after help from the neighbor, the owner and two of the bouncers from the club across the street, and one random guy who really wanted to kick the door in we managed to unscrew a TINY upstairs window, and Mel performed some truly amazing gymnastics to climb through and get us all in. Then we had milkshakes and watched an AMAZINGLY terrible zombie movie and fell asleep.
Today has been a lazy day- we woke up late, and then went with Hannah to some giant British department store thing, and then for a walk on a nature reserve, because it is finally sunny. Swans everywhere, it's so beautiful.
Now I must go, because Mel's parents have returned and they are taking me for tea. Hooray!
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