In my world, this is how every town would be, a ruined castle across from every bus/train station. A Macdonald's coyly contrasting with each charming ruin.

What can I say, the contrasts amuses me. Is there any country that isn't about the contrasts?

 

Airey Force Valley

NOT a breath of air
Ruffles the bosom of this leafy glen.
From the brook's margin, wide around, the trees

Are stedfast as the rocks; the brook itself,
Old as the hills that feed it from afar,
Doth rather deepen than disturb the calm
Where all things else are still and motionless.

And yet, even now, a little breeze, perchance
Escaped from boisterous winds that rage without,
Has entered, by the sturdy oaks unfelt, 10
But to its gentle touch how sensitive
Is the light ash! that, pendent from the brow
Of yon dim cave, in seeming silence makes

A soft eye-music of slow-waving boughs,
Powerful almost as vocal harmony
To stay the wanderer's steps and
soothe his thoughts.

William Wordsworth

After some milling around to dump our luggage…off to the Derwent Water for an afternoon lake cruise.

Come to shore to stroll past lacy trees and wood bridged bogs and sheltered coves.

The best moment could not be captured in pictures.

Crossing a long low bridge across a bit of marsh, we walked into a breeze of flaxen downy seeds, spiraling and away. Pulled zephyr soft into the seedling future. We stood arms stretched in the summer seed snow, like trees fully grown. But like Marvell, "We heard time's winged chariot behind us." And decided to move on to waterfalls and final ferries of the day.

Not only did we hike around part of the lake and boat around the rest of it, we went to the opera. Well, a comic, burlesque operetta called Le Belle Helene.

It was hilarious and an amazing comparison to Troy which we saw just before leaving. Both had nudity, but only in opera can you have people singing to each other "Bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger off!" and a guy humping a large urn full of roses. It was kind of surreal - especially since the sky wasn't yet dark when we left the theater at 10:20pm. Gotta love the northern latitudes.