Located in the east midlands of England, Nottingham is a charming city full of history and makes for a perfect day-trip.  Do you like art?  If so, then make a stop by Nottingham Contemporary.  It is a stunning contemporary art museum in the heart of this medieval city and it is absolutely free.

If museums aren’t your thing, take a stroll through the cobble stone streets and check out the storefronts… there is some seriously creepy signage!  There is also a really cool comic and graphic novel shop on Market Street close to the city center named Page 45.

If you are feeling thirsty after walking through the medieval streets and soaking up the view of Nottingham Castle (which also houses a contemporary art space), take a break and visit any of the medieval watering holes which contend for the title of “England’s Oldest Pub”.  Among these are Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem (supposedly built in 1149), The Bell Inn (est. 1437), and Ye Olde Salutation Inn (est. 1240).  We ordered a few pints at The Bell Inn in the central market square and sat in on an Irish folk music jam session.

Check out the dude shredding on the Bodhran!  At the bar they have a glass portal which looks down into a well that was used in medieval times to draw the beer up from the caverns below… I wonder how many Americans have stood there and drunkenly shouted “bottoms up”!

Also, did I mention that Robin Hood is from here?  There is a strangely childish-looking statue of him near the Nottingham Castle.  The lighting wasn’t very good for the photo so the image turned out a little weird but hopefully you get the idea….