Sunday, July 14, 2013

Manchester you surely are a mixed bag of lollies





 
 
 
 Organic Cider tasted like the fox was in the bottle!
 
 
                     National Football Museum
 
 
         A building in Thomas Street with a  silver tree
 

Stung by the railway system. We had to pay double the amount on our fares from Cambridge to Manchester as we didn’t book them in advance. We have certainly learnt our wallet lesson. 3 hour train ride sitting next to a lady who had a cute pooch. Dogs can travel on the train as long as no one objects. I’m not sure you would object if it was a pit-bull, lucky it wasn’t. The dog had been rescued from a dog shelter in Spain. On the previous train apparently the conductor allowed the dog to sit up on the seat next to its owner so it could look out the window to see the sheep! So I guess it had a bone to pick with me as I had taken its seat on the train. Before arriving in Manchester there were green rolling hills and fields full of fat sheep and cows. Manchester is a huge city with the population according to Paulapedia around 2.6 million. We only had a 10 minute walk to the Light our boutique hotel accommodation. Settled in and pleased to say no need for Nakeesh to do the washing as we have our own machine in our room. Who to blame now for the missing socks.

Manchester has a mix of old and new buildings and certainly a mix of people. Lots of cultures were visible and this was also the City so far where people were begging and directly asking you for money. The Manchester International Festival is on however we are too early to see Russel Crowe on stage in Macbeth. Paul said he wouldn’t go and see the phone thrower anyway but I would have. Lots of tiny bars in the back streets and we visited the Port Street bar which had been recommended by a friend of Ross’s. I ended up choosing a Black Fox organic cider thinking it would be better for me than just a regular cider. I was right I didn’t have another one. I think the apples had been pissed on by a black fox. Paul and Ross stayed on at the bar and I headed to our room walking towards the Light. Curry tea courtesy of Tesco, a more suitable cider for my pallet and a spot of cricket on the telly and I was feeling pretty happy. C’mon Aussies. The boys swayed in a couple of hours later.

After a sleep in and checking emails Paul and I trundled off to the Art Gallery which by far has to be one of the most user friendly galleries I have visited. The National Football Museum was also worth visiting with lots of information not only on the game itself but also the fashions, WAG’S and of course the history of the sport. Lots of shiny trophies on display. Germaine Greer once said “Football counts as culture just as much as Opera does” but I don’t think she was alluding to the AFL. Home for a short break before heading off to the Common another small bar Ross had discovered during the day walking around the city.  Whilst walking there a couple of lads noticed we looked like tourists as Paul was wearing his Steve Irwin shirt, matching shorts and camera out proceeded  to shouted out “bomb’. Paul’s deaf, Ross in his own little dream state and me knowing what they were up to were a big letdown for the desired effect.  Our own personal bombshell was when Cousin Mary informed us that there would be 90 people at the first gathering in County Tyrone. Edinburgh is the next stop.

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment