Peak District - England

The place: Still in the Peak District - Fran Paul Karen and I took a drive to Matlock (Sat 17th) and today (18th June) had lunch at Eyre Arms in Hessop followed by a visit to Eyam

Some of its features: Matlock, really quaint and old, has cable cars up to the top of a cliff where you can explore caves and stuff, we kinda just took a walk along the river and round the town. The Hessop pub lunch is probably the most authentically English place I've been to in my life, from its decor to its food and drink. I had broccoli and cheddar soup followed by roast beef and yorkshire pudding with a Black Sheep Ale to wash it down while staring a stuffed owl and deer in the face.Eyam is one of the towns hit by the bubonic plague in 1665 and 1666 (the year of the great fire of London). Its a really freaky town cause it feels like you're in a time warp of 300 years ago. Saw some of the houses where people lost loads of relatives to the plague. There was one of those wooden blocks in the middle of the town for criminals' chain bound wrists to dangle through.

Strange observation: Matlock must have had and I'm not joking nor do I think I'm exaggerating about 8 fish and chip shops and 8 ice cream shops all next to each other along one road. Matlock also has probably the most people within a small town who have tattoos on there for arms! I think thats partly due to the fact that there are loads of bikers round the Peak District. Buxton has UK's most dangerous road (based on curves and visibility) so I think the bikers have a jol here. In Eyam people actually live in the plague houses that are on show! (You only view them from outside).