Day 26 - York to Peterborough
24.07.2011
We had an easy drive south today, with just the one stop near Doncaster to visit Brodsworth Hall, another property on our Heritage pass. This is a Victorian country house built in the 1860s and although the house wasn't open until the afternoon, we had a lovely walk around the gardens in the morning sunshine.
The gardens have been restored to their original Victorian design and include lots of topiary, formal flower beds full of colourful annuals and Italian marble statues. Also a rose dell, summerhouse, rock garden, archery & croquet lawns. I loved it of course.
We arrived in Peterborough by lunch time and couldn't check into our Travelodge at Alwalton until 3.00pm (A great example of the way the English are sticklers for the rules - there is hardly anyone here and I am sure our room would have been ready!) We are right next to the A1 but have a spacious room on the non-road side with a view of a large field, so can't hear the traffic.
We sampled the Little Chef next door for lunch and use of their free wi-fi. Food was better than we expected. Although we have to laugh every time we come across coleslaw here - it is not as we know it. Basically it consists of mayonnaise with a small amount of cabbage and carrot in it. I must say their mayo is very creamy so it is quite nice but hardly healthy and barely qualifies as a salad! The whole low fat thing is not as prevalent here, for example we have had some really delicious creamy yogurt - my favourite is champaigne & rhubarb, Doug's is ginger & honey. Beats good old 'Fresh & Fruity' hands down!
We then drove into Peterborough and spent a couple of hours wandering through shopping malls and the town centre. Not a tourist town so it was nice to just blend in with the locals - until we speak, of course. Purchased foam cushions for our flight home - Royal Brunei seats are really firm and our butts suffered on the way over!
Visted Peterborough Cathedral - we are spoilt after York, but although smaller it is still quite impressive. It is surrounded by grave stones from the 18th century that all the names and dates have worn off, but young people were playing volleyball on the lawn which gave it a nice vibe.
It is a beautiful warm summers evening, we are back to temperatures in the low 20s so very pleasant. Our evening walk will be through the pretty village of Alwalton. We read in the Herald on line that it is very cold at home, predicting snow on the Hunuas which must be a first! We sure will feel it when we get home. 
