Greetings from England! I have decided, after much contemplation, to continue to write my travel blogs this summer, and to try to travel as best as I can. Having read a number of encouraging and inspiring blogs on here from my fellow travel bloggers doing the same (thank you guys!), I shall be writing about the more local travel plans I have made for this summer 2020, during these turbulent and tricky times. Like many others, I have had to cancel my plans for adventures abroad for the time being, and thus my California trip in April did not go ahead, and neither has my South Africa trip for July and August. Nevertheless, I have been able to retrieve my air travel vouchers for both trips, and as it stands I simply plan, or hope, to put these both a year back, and thus am tentatively thinking about California for April 2021, and South Africa for July and August 2021 – we will see of course how things go months and year.
After what has been for me, along with Im sure many of those reading this, some trying and testing months, the summer
has still arrived. I have planned my seven weeks of summer holidays some quality time with my wonderful family, with a few exploits around this country I call home, Engerland. It does seem strange to write about travels in this country, as normally I aim for somewhere a bit more exotic, but Ive been trying to look at my travels from a perspective, and trying to get a feel for England as exotic to those not from here.
For the first part of the holidays, I spent a wonderful two weeks with my family in Sheffield, and whilst there I made two lovely day trips into one of my favourite places in the natural world, having formed much of my childhood memories growing up nextdoor to and visiting regularly, the Peak District. I plan to write about these two trips in this blog. Having returned to London just this week, I also took a wonderful day trip to a nice little location nearby, which I plan to write about in my next one. And finally, I have an journey around the of England planned at the end of August, from Newcastle to Hull, which
I hope will give me my travel fix for the time being, to keep me going until more destinations more of a likelihood.
Sheffield, the city where I grew up, is bang in the heart of England, so is really a good location to be based for exploring this beautiful country. Compared with London, it is a friendly, and track city, not visited by too many travellers. If anyone is interested in getting to know a city with leafy, historical with urban, industrial, northern grit and grime, also on the doorstep of Englands first national park, the Peak District, I highly it.
From the fantastic haven and base of my parents house at the top of a hill, overlooking the southern suburbs of the city and with sweeping vistas westwards towards the beckoning moors of the Peak District in the distance, I planned a couple of forays into this special area during my time in Sheffield.
For my first day trip, I took a bus just at the bottom of our road, direct through nearby Chesterfield and on to Matlock, one of the main urban areas of the Peak
District, although strictly speaking sitting just outside its boundaries. Nevertheless, it certainly retains a certain charm, and was quite the destination during Victorian times, with its beautiful location nestled in a valley surrounded by high, forested hills. I planned to walk from Matlock along the west bank of the Derwent valley towards Matlock Bath in the south, and then back again along the east bank of the valley to Matlock.
I started my day in the centre of town, taking in the really old Matlock Bridge which crosses the Derwent River.
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