We’ve been on the road for two weeks, which meant it was time to do some laundry. The nearest self-service launderette to the Izaac Walton Hotel is in Buxton, a historic town about a half-hour’s drive. Two things struck us as amazing. We could do two loads of laundry—wash and dry—in an hour’s time while spending the waiting time writing, and then there’s so much to do when we were done!

Stalagmites, anyone?

Below the surface, this area is rife with two-million-year-old limestone caverns and caves. We paid a quick visit to Poole’s Cavern and Buxton Country Park, right in Buxton. Poole, an outlaw, used this as a hideout from which he could rob 15th century travelers as they passed by. Later, Mary, Queen of Scots, was said to have been a visitor, and then the 6th Duke of Devonshire opened it as a show cave in 1853. This attraction offers 50-minute guided tours of the cavern where the temperature is a constant 7°C. Be sure to bring a coat.

Next we took a long drive through Peak District National Park.  We managed to pass through parts of Derbyshire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire without ever leaving the park! The landscape is ever-changing, and the views are magnificent. Cows and sheep dot the fields, and the sun even made an appearance.

That’s a helicopter in the photo above. From the way it was flying in circles and by how the sheep were on the move, we thought it was an ingenious way to herd sheep. It was actually a rescue copter on the hunt for an injured hiker.

When we returned to the hotel, we had an excellent surprise waiting for us—a tea tray of fruits and cheeses and a bottle of prosecco, courtesy our tour operator, Across the Pond Vacations.  Thanks, Anne Marie and Simon!

Next up: Chatsworth House. Ta-ta for now!