From a few trips to live there/ Derby, United Kingdom

I wanted to try to live abroad some day. And this really happened.

The city centre of Derby

My very first contact with England was a school trip at the elementary school. It was a sightseeing #trip to London and its surroundings. On this trip, we visited the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Brighton, Portsmouth etc. I was a young elementary school student but because of this trip, I fell in love with England. Not only because of monuments but the whole impression of this country. I told myself that I want to live there sometime or at least to come back for a visit. And many years later, I met my boyfriend who studied in England in the city of Derby. At first, I was visiting him and then I moved to Derby to try to live there, to improve English, to know the local #culture and #people.

Actually, I was about four times in Derby to visit my boyfriend before I moved to live there. During my time in Derby, I visited some interesting places and tried a lot of local food.

“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” - Miriam Adeney

About Derby

Derby is the city in the English region East Midlands, county Derbyshire, about 230 000 people live there (#Derby #England #UK) and the area is about 78 km2.

The houses in the city dominate with the typical British #architecture. (brick houses) Everything you need and even more is in the city centre. Many bars, clubs, pubs, clothing stores, food stores, supermarkets, banks, cafés, tattoo and piercing studios etc. In the shopping centre "Intu" you can go either #shopping (clothes, food, electronics, jewellery.. ) or to the cinema as well. And, of course, the favourite store "Primark" is in Derby.

If you like jogging "Markeaton Park" is perfect for this or for a nice walk or cycling when it´s good #weather. A really nice #nature is there. You can even see plenty of cute jumping #squirrels around you! Or observe the ducks floating on the surface of the water. If you want to have a rest you can have a refreshment at the "Orangery Cafe".

If you are not interested in jogging but prefer a #gym, there are lots of gyms in Derby either in the city centre or around.

Food and drinks

Sometimes we want to go to the #restaurant or #pub to enjoy good #food and #drink, don´t we? And for this need, I´m sure that everyone finds what they want in Derby. Because there are many restaurants and pubs or fast foods.

From our experience, we had food in the Indian restaurant "Balti International" where they have many kinds of curry food and rice. If you want to try the Italian dish "The European Restaurant" is a great place to visit. They are doing even the thematic evening, for example, Christmas or Valentine´s menu. Then we visited the restaurant when I worked, "The Argosy". There you can choose from the delicious #steaks, many variants of #burgers, #chicken, #fish and other #meat, typical British food "Fish and Chips" and much more. The offer of desserts is fudge cake, brownie, banoffee profiteroles, rolo cheesecake, waffle, apple crumble etc.

If you are a lover of sweet food the same as I am I can recommend "Kaspas desserts". In this "sweet kingdom" how I´d call this place, they prepare many variants of #waffles or #pancakes, #sundaes, #cakes etc. Their motto is "The king of desserts" and I agree with that.

If you´re still not sure what kind of food you want because there´s really a lot of places to eat in Derby, I think that "Cosmo" is a perfect solution. That´s because of the possibility to choose whatever you want. Cosmo is all you can eat food buffet with many types of meals, not only English but from all over the world! (#pizzas, #sushi, #steaks, #fish, many kinds of side dish, #pasta, #desserts, all that you like. And the best is that you can eat as long as you handle or until your paid time is over.

COSMO

For lovers of #beer or #cider (typical British alc. drink), I recommend "The Standing Order". It´s a pub with many kinds of beers. For me, this place has certain importance because when I was visiting my boyfriend, this place was the first one we attended together.

You can have food there as well. They have special offers at a good price.

Monuments and other interesting places

I think it was enough about food and drinks, even I like writing about it. Let´s see at some #monuments and interesting places in Derby.

Unfortunately, I couldn´t manage to visit all the places which I wanted during my stay in Derby.

Vernon gate

In 1821 Francis Goodwin designed Vernon gate as a new jail for the county. It was valued £2400. Prisoners were sent to Nottingham before this time. Nowadays it´s an office space for business in Derby.

(more information about this gate on vernongatederby.co.uk)

The other places to visit in Derby are for example St Peter´s church, Holy Trinity Church, Kedleston Hall, Elvaston Castle, Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Derby Cathedral etc. (https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g187048-Activities-Derby_Derbyshire_England.html)

Vernon gate

Derby Cathedral

University of Derby

I was living with students in Derby so let´s see at some information about the University of Derby which is the main reason for many people why they are living in Derby.

The #university is home for around 34 000 students, provides over 300 study programmes at the undergraduate level and has three campuses (Derby Campus, Buxton Campus, Chesterfield). The #motto of the university is "University of anything is possible". Between student services and facilities belongs the four floors #library, student employment agency, careers advice, health services, counselling services, disability support, students #union etc.

A few times I visited the university and the most attractive for me were shops and the refreshments like Starbucks in the main building. We don´t have universities look like that in the Czech Republic. At the university there I tried #brownie in England for the first time.

My roommates studied these #courses at the University: Sports management, Psychology and Logistics. Actually, there are so many courses which you can study at the University of Derby, for example, Accounting, Architecture, Art and Design, Business, Marketing, Geology, History, Law, Photography, Music, Journalism and so on.

It was so #adventurous and #amazing time for me to live in Derby. I met new people. Tried to work and speak with British and not only British people. They are amazing and so #kind! The behaviour of the local people is laudable and I will miss everything so much! I´m so grateful that I had #opportunity to accomplished it. This life step has enriched me a lot.

"It´s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same. Feels the same. Even smells the same. You realize what´s changed is you." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Map: google.com

Photos: mine