Saturday, August 18, 2007

10-11/08: Derbyshire

We went for a two days trip to Derbyshire, having a look around the National Park of that region.
The weather was wonderful and the surrounding landscape was beautiful too.
The first half day we visited Kedleston Hall, an old mansion with a big garden and park. Unfortunately the house itself was closed for a wedding, but it was very pleasant to have a walk around there.

In the afternoon we visited Matlock Bath, a very nice village placed inside a narrow valley crossed by a river. I was really captured by it.... well, I really miss the mountains! :-)

Finally we went to the B&B we booked the day before: Manor Barn, which turned out to be in the middle of nowhere, surrounded just by sheep and close to a lake. It was absolutely lovely, highly recommended.

The day after we went to Ilam Park and then we had a walk in Dovedale, a site of the national park where it was possible to have a long walk beside the river. Since it was warm and sunny, it was really crowded. Still, it was beautiful to be there.


The most enjoyable part was probably the "stepping stones", a kind of path - of stones - to cross the river. All kids where enjoying it (as Agnese in the picture) and several had fallen in.

Finally, with half destroyed kids, we took the way home, but not the most sensible one: we decide to climb up the hills to admire more that landscape. We were surrounded by fields limited by fences made of stones (a kind of Brave hart scenario).

It has been a really lovely trip!