My great-grandmother used to tell many stories about it. Never to me - as she passed a few days before I was born - but these stories are always synonymous with her love of exploration. She loved it there. As do I.
Many people have heard the tales of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men - all of which also originated in this area too. But it's not just the tales of heroism and the moody grey skies that fill the streets with fog that capture the attention of locals and visitors alike.
By the end of my first European trip, and my mother will never let me live this down, I said, "Are we going to ever see anything other than churches and dead people?" Meaning, consistently touring old cathedrals, catacombs and crypts. Well mum, it's safe to say that I understand the desire to see all of the churches now.
Ask anyone that knows me, and I'm always the first to hunt down something to do with traces of volcanic activity. I knew that the Great Lakes region, specifically Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota, was a previously volcanic area - the only question that remained was if there were still any black sand beaches left.
I think that previously, I took the ability to get on a plane for granted. I won't do it again. Now, I am so thankful that I have the ability to jump on a plane if I'd like - see the world, see your country, see your hometown (you'd probably use a car or your feet rather than a plane for that one).
