What's up with the Ye Olde?

I´ve entered my explorer era and spontaneously bought many train tickets to cities all over England. But they do say that money spent on travelling is a good investment, so basically, I didn´t spend any money. Anyhow, my first destination was Nottingham, the city of Robin Hood. Even though I wouldn´t say it is a necessary item on your England bucket list, it is a nice place to spend your day at. Well, if you know where the deers are, but that´s a topic for later.

Nottingham is only half an hour by train from Leicester. Apart from the bastion of Sheriff of Nottingham, the archnemesis of the hero outlaw, it is the birthplace of Ibuprofen. My wild guess is that Sheriff needed some painkillers for Robin being a pain in the ass. Also, the oldest inn in England, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, was established in Nottingham in 1189 AD. That leads us to my first question: what´s up with the Ye Olde? You can see it on the business titles all over England! According to Wikipedia, it´s a pseudo-Early Modern English phrase originally used to suggest a connection between a place or business and Merry England. I guess it brings the clientele in.

We stopped by Old Market Square, one of the UK’s oldest public squares, Nottingham Castle, the city's main attraction, and The Arboretum, a supposed home to deers. Spoiler alert: the deers were not there, a huge blow to my guide´s ego. They are in a park on the other side of the city, in Wollaton Hall. My misery was evaporated by visiting Kitty Café, home to many cats and delicious food. As a person with a cat allergy, it was a bit of a hazard, but you can´t say no to your cat-loving friend. I survived and safely returned home. I did not steal money from the rich and give it to the poor, but apart from that, I think I enjoyed the city to the fullest.

Love,

Book and Tea Girl