In the Shires

Last weekend I went to a wedding with S in Nottinghamshire. Nottingham… sound familiar? Maybe of Robin Hood fame? That’s right, I might have seen a wee bit of Sherwood Forest. I certainly saw a few forragers searching out Elderflowers for bevvies, a lot of pheasants, and some partridges. Partridges! And two castles. CASTLES.

Belvoir Castle is just a few minutes from the cottage where we stayed with S’s friend. Wiki told me that “The castle itself was used as a location for The Da Vinci Code – it represented Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s summer residence. In the 2001 Jim Henson production of Jack and the Beanstalk: The real story, the castle is where the giant bones have been discovered. The kitchen scenes of Hill House were filmed here for the 1999 version of The Haunting which is the remake of the 1963 version.”

Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire

The other Castle was the manor where they filmed ‘The Haunting’. ( It was used in all the exterior shots and the Great hall for The Haunting.) Check it out, it’s called Harlaxton Manor.

Harlaxton Manor, Lincolnshire

I didn’t take these photos. I did take the following photos, though. Most of them, at least.

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Highlights from Milan

Favourite things about Milan:
1. spending the weekend with Rachel
2. randomly meeting then eating lunch with the Americans
3. gelato

Finally, on our last day, we had some GOOD food. You get what you pay for in Milan.

Lunch with the Americans. The food was okay… by no means Sardinian standards

Explore the streets of Milan’s city centre

Not good pizza at the restaurant next to our hotel on our first night. So disappointed.

Metro stop at the Duomo

Mint gelato – heaven.

Rachel leaps over Napoleon’s archway.

In the park behind the castle

The Castello Sforzesco

Bloody Mary, Apple Martini, and Aperativo

Gelato. yes.

LMFAO. But seriously, way funny. Getting a laugh in with the American dudes

This is a nice door in the Naviglio district

market on the way to the canal

Piazza Saint Ambroggio

In the park near our hotel there was a man climbing these rocks

bike

In the Golden Triangle – the fashion district

The Milanese women don’t disappoint; fashionistas on bicycles and scooters abound in Milan

Break for some sparkling water

Street cars

Milan’s Barclay’s Bikes are yellow. And not Barclay’s Bikes.

In the Piazza del Duomo

Our Hotel, The Mennina

We arrive at the Central Train Station in Milan

Bringing back a bit of Sardinia

My parents gave me some Euros to spend while I visited Italy as my birthday present. Most of it was spent on (glorious) food, but I decided to buy these handmade ceramics for the kitchen in the flat in London. We’re using it for sugar.

Handmade by an artisan local to the Sardegna region of Italy