Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Friday 22nd of July
08.43 We start this Friday at a leisurely pace after yesterday's intensive travel when we had time to explore three major cities, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. First we have to eat breakfast.
09.28 There is no heat in Leicester this morning. It is currently +14°C. We are staying in our room here at the Hotel ibis Leicester City, Today it will be mostly transport between two cities.
10.03 There was just a knock on our door. There was someone in the cleaning patrol who wanted to check if we were still in the room. Shouldn't they have been informed if we checked out or not?
11.20 Mixed feelings prevail. We don't want to go out, but we don't want to stay in either. We are done with the room, the hotel and Leicester. It's time to move on. This is one of the few rooms this summer that took care of us for two nights.
11.41 We are out on the streets of Leicester again. We will walk down to the city center for a coffee stop and then leave by bus.
12.07 The planned stop at Costa Coffee didn't happen. According to Google Maps, it appears to be, or rather has been, inside the now-closed Debenhams department store. We gave up the coffee hunt and are now unnecessarily early at St Margaret's Bus Station instead. Here we will wait for a while.
12.37 After we bought something to eat from the bus station's small kiosk, I took the opportunity to relieve the pressure. I was the last one to do it. After my visit the toilet was closed.
12.54 We had feared having to travel with yet another small bus in the city bus model. However, it will be a larger long-distance bus that will take us to Coventry. Today we travel with Arriva Midlands.
17.45 Just as we were about to get ready to go out to see more of the city, it started to rain heavily again.
20.45 We have been shopping at Sainsbury's on Trinity Street. There we have found breakfast and also Vanish. It may work as a detergent. Here at home in the room, we watch the match Sweden vs Belgium on a jumpy broadcast from the women's football European Championship. It is 0-0 in the quarter-finals. The match is played in Leigh.
Saturday 23rd of July
Waiting at St Margaret's Bus Station.
Christer is ready for a bus trip.
We pass the rugby stadium Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium.
Peter has arrived at Pool Meadow bus station in Coventry.
There is a graduation celebration at the cathedral outside the university.
Coventry Cathedral was damaged by bombing during the Second World War.
Coventry City Council.
Lady Godiva adorns the wall of Council House.
Peter leaves Ashleigh House.
Christer is eating pizza at Basement Browns.
Pizza and good beer is tonight's dinner.
Lady Godiva on Broadgate, Coventry.
At 22 Bayley Lane there is a house from the 16th century.
Christer is making a video in froint of Saint Mary's Guildhall.
Coventry remembers the bombings that destroyed large parts of the city in 1940.
Coventry Center Fountain.
Whittle Arch at Millennium Place.
Our room at Ashleigh House.
08.47 Saturday morning showers are now complete here at Ashleigh House in Coventry. The same applies to breakfast. Today is the birthday of our friend and travel companion Roberth. Let´s hope he has a good day back home in Sweden. Janis Joplin is currently being heard on the radio via Christer's mobile phone. Well, her music anyway.
09.27 We were too early and in a hurry on our way to the bus that will depart from a bus stop on Trinity Street. We got tired of standing and waiting. We have therefore taken a shorter walk to nearby Priory Place. Now we sit and rest in the aroma of a Chinese restaurant, Xiong QI. In front of us is some kind of Walk of fame. It consists of square slabs with stars and names of local notables. We also have the premises for BBC Coventry & Warwickshire in a building next door to us. 09.41 Back at the bus stop, a group of enthusiastic older people were waiting ready for an excursion. They certainly had a group ticket and politely let us into the bus. One of the older gentlemen just told his seatmate that he was a naughty little boy as a child. He told me that he used to pull the girls' "ponytails" and braids and was eager to do the same today. Today we travel with Stagecoach and their line X18. 10.07 We roll into the neat little health resort of Leamington Spa. It's a nice little town, but unfortunately we don't have time to stop and take a closer look at it. The town had its heyday at the end of the 18th century and a time later when the healthy water was rediscovered and celebrated for its medicinal effects. 10.37 Now we have arrived at the first stop of the day, Warwick. We and the gray panthers get off here at the town's small bus station. Warwick has 37,267 inhabitants and has given its name to the county of Warwickshire. The city has many historical buildings from different periods. In addition, there is a medieval castle here, which is a major tourist attraction. Warwick Castle was built in 1068 by William the Conqueror. 10.53 On our walk through the cozy little town, we have seen folk dancers gather on Swan Street. There's something called Culture Fest here in Warwick today. It's about discovering, appreciating and experiencing everything there is in Warwick and the surrounding area. Now we are at an old city gate.
A new day has begun in Coventry.
We got off the bus in Warwick.
Westgate, Warwick.
Old houses along the High Street in Warwick.
Earlsdon Morris Men have come to Warwick.
Eastgate, Warwick.
11.04 Inside Eastgate we found various stalls selling all kinds of local products. We were lucky to be able to squeeze in this party today.
11.26 After trying to get into Warwick Castle without paying entry (failed) we are now at a graveyard. We shall not visit any grave. This is where we found benches to rest on. After all, we have our backpacks to carry around today. We hear the folk dancers drumming and whistling a street away. We are at Saint Mary's Church. 11.50 It went well to visit a Costa Coffee today as well. This is on Market Street in the heart of town. It was also fine to order something other than espresso. But surely it is tastier, stronger, anyway? 12.28 Once out of Costa Coffee we got to see and Christer got to film a group of folk dancers. Their performance included accordion music and waving some kind of sticks. They called out that they came from a village but we didn't hear which one. Now we sit on a bench and wait for the next bus that will take us on to the next destination. 12.35 Before we got on board, we saw two people vaping (is that how it's spelled?). However, there were no young people but two white-haired aunties. The vape thing (electronic cigarettes) is really big here in England. Hope it doesn't have the same impact at home. Now we go by bus to the neighboring town of Stratford-upon-Avon. 13.08 On the way into Stratford-upon-Avon we saw a silver, cigar-shaped car with two wheels in front and one wheel in the back. I think it was a Morgan. Now we have left the bus and sit down on an unstable bench in a park area. We have so far seen the river Avon and also some statues of people from Shakespeare's world. These included Lady Macbeth, Falstaff and Prince Hal. 13.17 We are in a popular town. It is teeming with people here in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Most of the things here are about him and that's what attracted all the visitors here as well. When all the tourists have gone home, there is still a population of 30,495 inhabitants here.
Smith Street, Warwick.
We did not manage to see more than this of Warwick Castle.
Christer visits Costa Coffee in Warwick.
Cultural activities at the Market Place, Warwick.
Overtaken by an interesting vehicle.
Boating in Stratford-upon-Avon.
13.32 We have strolled around the park Bancroft Gardens. Besides all the tourists, there are plenty of swans and other birds here. Behind us we have the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
13.44 We have been walking on a footpath along the river which is here called the Warwickshire Avon. Now we sit and rest on the stump of a tree that might have been growing when Mr. Shakespeare lived here in the city. 14.27 After seeing The Guild Chapel and Shakespeare's New Place, the house where William lived later in life, we are now at The Jester, a jester statue along Henley Street. 14.40 Now that we have just seen William Shakespeare's birthplace and his statue, we now have to hurry to the train. Shakespeare's birthplace is now a museum. 14.53 The good news is that we got to the station and got the tickets in time. The less brilliant and fresher news is that all this was to no avail. The planned train and also the upcoming one are cancelled. The reason for this is staff shortages. For the same reason, the station toilet is also closed. It didn't make matters better that a man with a bucket picked all the edible blackberries outside the station. 15.14 We have to do something and this doing will be drinking coffee and eating a snack. We are at Esquires Coffee (https://esquirescoffee.co.uk) opposite the train station. There will be coffee and sandwiches here. I have again managed to order coffee with milk. Thank God it's next to the coffee and not in it. 15.58 What a nice cafe! It was almost a good thing that the train was canceled so that we had the opportunity to go here. The waitress, the one we ordered from, was friendly with all the guests. In addition, we got good coffee and really good sandwiches. When we were going to the train, the station was closed. We had to walk around the building to get out onto the platform.
Hamlet looks sad.
Boat traffic on the Avon.
The Guild Chapel was already here in Shakespeare's time.
Shakespeare's New Place. In this place he lived from 1597 until his death in 1616.
The Shakespeare Memorial Fountain.
Stratford-upon-Avon.
16.20 The last journey of the day has started. By train, we will get north to England's second largest city.
16.56 The last station we got off a train at is Birmingham Moor Street. We get off here because it is closer to our future accommodation. Otherwise, most people travel to Birmingham New Street station. Birmingham is England's and the UK's second largest city. It is the center of the West Midlands area and is interspersed with a number of other cities. Birmingham has a population of 1,144,919. 17.30 The latest accommodation is Birmingham Central Backpackers (https://birminghambackpackers.com) on Coventry Street and the latest room is number 15. We are not really used to staying in hostels nowadays so this accommodation feels a bit simple. It's enough for one night though. However, the surroundings are really depressing. We hope other parts of the city are more interesting. 18.27 Sure, the room is nice and bearable, but we have a big city to see. We are now at the Bull Ring shopping mall and a church called St Martin's. Here, people sit in simple deckchairs. There is also an advertising campaign for a Swedish product, Åbro brewery's Recorderlig cider. A new flavour is launched and a taste test is offered. 18.46 Our city tour continued. Here on Victoria Square there are some statues of varying degrees of beauty. In addition, it is signposted because the city is hosting this year's Commonwealth Games. The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will take place in and around the city from 28 July to 8 August. 19.06 At the city's cathedral, Saint Philip's Cathedral, there are many blue benches that you can sit on. The next time we get up, it's to go towards food. We need to have dinner somewhere.
William Shakespeare's birthplace is a museum today.
William is a popular guy.
Christer visits Esquires Coffee.
The department store Selfridge's has a surface made up of 15,000 aluminum sheets.
Interesting art in Birmingham.
Saint Martin's Church, Birmingham.
19.53 It was not easy to find a suitable place that could give us each a meal. Out on town we found mostly boring fast food places or restaurants with prices way above our budget. In the Grand Central mall, however, we found a suitable alternative, the restaurant @pizza (https://www.atpizza.com/grandcentral). NOW you just have to understand their system where you have to design your own pizza and give commands to the pizza bakers.
21.06 It was simple but it was good. Above all, we got good drinks. On the way home I was impressed by a young man who performed Bob Marley's Buffalo Soldier in the street. However, it sounded just as good after he put the microphone down. Two brothers wanted to be photographed with a large bull statue. But, said the mother to one of the boys, - you don't usually want to be in family photos with dad. Now we are back in room 15. Near the hostel, heavy music is playing at high volume. Hope they don't intend to stay up all night. 22.33 We've had a pint each. Not from beer, it was milk. Now we start planning for the activities and trips tomorrow. Soon there will be coffee and the necessary ticket purchases. 23.00 We have once again sponsored English train companies. Four single tickets and two return tickets have been purchased. 23.44 The last coffee of the day has been drunk and all tickets for future journeys have been paid. Now it's time for the last activity of the day, falling asleep.
Victoria Square, Birmingham.
Birmingham welcomes visitors ahead of Commonwealth Games.
Chamberlain Square, Birmingham.
Saint Philip's Cathedral.
Christer visits @pizza.
Evening in Birmingham.
Sunday 24th of July
07.50 The night's sleep has been good here in our simple room. However, the hostel's shower is cold and has little pressure. I wonder how the breakfast will be?
08.31 The shower water was, if possible, even colder when it was Christer's turn to borrow the shower. There wasn't much to showering. Breakfast here seems to be toast, coffee and fruit. I had not believed and expected Full English Breakfast either. 09.05 We can hope to find some form of extra breakfast at the railway station. This accommodation is not the best we have had. This is what happens when you are attracted by low prices. 09.52 We have walked to Birmingham New Street railway station and are in place on a bench by track 5B. After some searching, we have found a breakfast/travel meal at a branch of Marks & Spencer. I again had problems scanning my items. Here in England, it is quite common that there is no live person on site when you have to pay for the goods. Is this what grocery stores of the future will look like? Hope not. 10.31 We are on board the train, on our way to our next destination which will be Shrewsbury. The train company is the old familiar TFW (Transport for Wales). The conductor is good at checking the tickets. We have just passed Wolverhampton. 10.52 Some fellow passengers have disembarked at the station in Cosford. Nearby is the Royal Air Force Museum. 11.14 So we arrive at the railway station in Shrewsbury, the capital of Shropshire. Right now it's holding up but the sky is dark. The rain is probably not far away. 11.29 We didn't make it long before the rain came in full force. Now we are sheltering under a railway bridge. Shrewsbury is known as the birthplace of Charles Darwin and has a population of 76,782. We are only 14 kilometers from the border with Wales. 11.47 We hurried on when the rain got a little lighter and are now again seeking shelter from the boat inside the Riverside Mall shopping centre. Here are mostly empty and closed premises. We continue.
Peter is waiting at Birmingham New Street Station.
The train has stopped in Wolverhampton.
We have arrived in Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury Castle guards the railway station.
Interesting building in Shrewsbury.
Lousy Sunday weather in Shrewsbury.
12.05 The thirst for coffee is being felt. First we saw Caffè Nero, then Starbucks and now finally Costa Coffee. there are a few options to choose from. We chose the third option. Here at Costa, we get a roof over our heads and mainly the coffee we need. We sit on the ground floor of a beautiful old half-timbered house. Shrewsbury is a town with many such old houses. We are right next to Shrewsbury Square.
12.45 Filled with coffee and to some extent also with energy, we are at the town's small cathedral. I'm not going to whine about the weather. It could have been +33˚C. This is another day when we will see a town with packs on our backs. It's not perfect but we don't have much else to choose from. 12.56 Once again we are on a bridge over a river. This time it's the River Severn, the same river we saw in Worcester on Monday. 13.15 Another dead celebrity is photographed. This time the town's great son, Charles Darwin, will be in the picture. There is a fine statue of him outside the town's library. 13.28 The circle is closed. We have finished our walk around Shrewsbury town centre. In the rain we are back at the railway station. 13.53 Once again we are on board an overcrowded train from Wales. Have all the wagons run out in that part of the UK? This train is going to Manchester. It's lucky that we only have to go with a small piece. It's nice to go by train, but not when you have to stand. 14.26 We got off the train in Crewe, a town and railway junction that we also passed in 1999. Of course it's raining here too. Now we want to have a drink and then check into our hotel. 14.55 The clerk at Tesco Esso Express wondered why we weren't wet when we stepped into the combined petrol station/convenience store. I said as it was that we had just arrived with a train. Then we walked the short distance to the Holiday Inn Express (very Express now). It was a smooth check-in with information in written form about WiFi and breakfast. We are Express so the breakfast is simple, said the check-in lady. Could it be easier than this morning? Hardly. 16.10 It's time for some room coffee this afternoon. We are satisfied with the room. We will sleep well here. Crewe, which belongs to Cheshire, is a town that grew up through the railway but has also had the manufacture of the car brand Rolls-Royce from 1946 to 2002. There are 76,437 inhabitants here.
Beautiful house in the center of Shrewsbury.
Two travelers on a bridge.
We got to see the River Severn again.
Charles Darwin sits comfortably outside Shrewsbury Library.
Christer follows the instructions (check your height).
Stoke Minster.
16.33 Regardless of how satisfied we are with the room here, we have a return ticket to pick up and use. Tonight we are planning a trip to Stoke-on-Trent. What we will do there remains to be seen. Right now we have no plans other than to find a dinner restaurant. At least we have a proposal for one.
17.04 The train from EMR, East Midland Railway will take us on an excursion. The weather is rubbish and we have again forgotten to bring or put on our jackets. 17.45 A smooth and comfortable train journey is over. Hello, Stoke-on-Trent here we are now. 18.00 Up to this point we have seen some people fishing in the Trent and Mersey Canal, an ugly town hall, a group of Asians photographing everything around them, a church (Stoke Minster) and some people fighting in the street. It's pretty dead here otherwise, most things are closed. Stoke, which is located in Staffordshire, is actually several different towns that united in 1925. The town consists of six urban areas, Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke-upon-Trent, Fenton and Longton. We only have time to see Stoke-upon-Trent tonight. A total of 258,366 inhabitants live here. The area here is called The Potteries because of the pottery industry. 18.12 There will be an Indian buffet dinner at Tandoori Knights tonight. Apart from a few pubs, this is the only open restaurant we found. We have received instructions on how the buffet works and a table, but Christer's fork is missing. 19.00 The fork appeared again. Someone at the neighboring table has a canned beer and the buffet was very good. At a table near us sat a family whose sons have probably eaten many buffets in their lives. They had an incredible focus on their eating and bodies showing what they like. Now I have to pay for the meals. 19.37 The payment became complicated. The card reader had no paper. A guy was sent off to get a roll. He took the device, clicked it, and found that the paper was out. No paper found. An attempt was made to take the payment electronically instead. The bill would be sent to my mobile. It didn't work because I don't have a UK subscription. I was instead asked to find an ATM and was directed to one. The ATM was grumpy but in the end I got cash. Once again, they had meanwhile found paper for the card reader and Christer was asked to call after me. By then I had already returned and I paid with cash. A brisk walk then made us catch an earlier train. I got louse gravel, small coins, in change. 19.52 At the station in Alsager, they are, according to a sign, dementia friendly. We don't know exactly who they are and how friendly they are. At least there is less rain here.
King's Hall, Stoke-on-Trent.
This huge building (Rail House) is located by the railway station in Crewe.
Crewe Alexandra's football ground has been renamed from Gresty Road to The Mornflake Stadium.
20.11 At home in Crewe, we take a little evening walk before heading back to the hotel. Now we are at the Rail House office complex and the local football club Crewe Alexandra's stadium, The Mornflake Stadium (formerly Gresty Road). Outside the arena we once again find fantastically good blackberries, just to eat and enjoy. Crewe Alexandra, which plays in League 2 (England's fourth highest division), does not have much success as a club but is known for having produced many talented players who have succeeded elsewhere.
21.05 At home in the room at the Holiday Inn Express, we have done something that is as classic and old a tradition as evening beer and bedside breakfast. Both have washed clothes in the sink. Many times it is not allowed but we do it anyway. 21.38 Another train ticket is pre-booked. We will use this to get us all the way to Manchester tomorrow. 22.16 Evening coffee is good. We have again planned and got some order for the day ahead. Tomorrow we start with a long walk, continue by bus and finish with a train journey. 23.38 Christer has read online about a free bus that runs around the city of tomorrow, Manchester. Apparently information is given about upcoming stops. It is certainly of the jump on/jump off type. The basic idea of the bus is to take people between the city's four railway stations. We'll see if we'll use it. Now it's good night.
Monday 25th of July
08.33 The World Championships in Athletics are underway in Eugene, which is located in Oregon, USA. During the night, there was a Swedish gold medel and a world record, 6.21 in the pole vault through Armand Duplantis. Tobi Amuson of Nigeria broke the world record with a time of 12.12 in the women's 100 meter hurdles. It was in the semi-finals. For our part, we are not hoping for a world record, but just a calm and pleasant day. We have slept well here at the Holiday Inn Express in Crewe.
09.20 After a solid and by no means excessive hotel breakfast, we will gather ourselves and the possessions again. When does it happen that we miss bringing something? 10.07 On the way to the bus station here in Crewe, we were met by a cold pouring rain. Almost there and fairly wet from the rain, we realized that they had built a wall around the station. Despite the detour, we are there on time. We are wet from the rain and want to board the bus from the company D&G Bus. 10.24 Before we boarded the bus, we saw an elderly gentleman with long purple hair. Was it the original rocker? Now we and ten pensioners are on our way with the bus from D&G Bus. It's raining less now that we're on board. 10.54 The bus journey is slow but good. We have passed Sandbach. That name sounds more German than English. 11.11 The bus is currently not moving and emitting its exhaust fumes. The driver has a vape break, he also releases smoke. It rains less here in Congleton. We anticipate a brightening on the weather front. 11.44 The bus dropped us off at the bus station in the hilly town of Macclesfield and we had a fairly direct view of a mural depicting the singer Ian Curtis from the band Joy Division. He was born just west of Manchester but lived, died and is buried here in Macclesfield. Tragically, he passed away by suicide on May 18, 1980.
Morning in Crewe.
Holiday Inn Express in Crewe.
Time to leave Crewe by bus.
Macclesfield welcomes us.
Ian Curtis is being celebrated in Macclesfield.
Macclesfield.
11.55 In the green area Park Green there is another memorial from the First World War. It is more common than ditto from the Second World War. This is called the Macclesfield Cenotaph. Macclesfield in Cheshire is most famous for the silk industry that once flourished here, and there is also a silk museum in the town. There are 57,539 inhabitants living here.
12.01 Here at the railway station in Macclesfield we have printed out the train tickets we bought online yesterday. However, we are not going now. First we have time to see a little more of the town. 12.21 It was a lot of uphill for us and our backpacks. First a steep hill up to the Market Place square and then a flight of stairs up to the second floor of Costa Coffee. That's where we sit now. There are no sandwiches here, but the coffee we need. 13.04 We await another train on this long British round trip. This, when it comes, will take us north to Manchester. 13.24 Our Northern Railway train arrived a bit late. My backpack is too thick to fit on the shelf above us. Now it will be nice to arrive and check in. 13.51 On the way towards Manchester, we could see Manchester City's large football stadium in the distance. When we were in town in 1999 we visited Maine Road where the club played at the time. The team moved to their new home City of Manchester Stadium/Etihad Stadium in 2003. 13.57 We have arrived at Manchester Piccadilly railway station. There are plenty of people on the move here. 14.40 A walk east from the station took us to our new home. Hotel Ibis Budget Manchester Center and room 126 surround us now. Construction noise can be heard from outside. The town has changed quite a bit since we were here on our short trip in 1999. The area we remember as run down and run down is now full of new houses. The room here is simple and lacks a kettle. However, it is one of the cheapest rooms on this trip. 15.52 We've been winding down for a while but it's getting to be time to see more of Manchester than the hotel and the room. Manchester played an important role during the Industrial Revolution, and for a long time had a large textile industry. In Swedish, there is also a cotton fabric, manchester (corduroy), named after the city. There are 551,938 inhabitants in the city, but almost three million inhabitants in the entire metropolitan area.
Macclesfield Town Hall.
Christer rests at Costa Coffee in Macclesfield.
We have arrived at Manchester Piccadilly station.
First World War monument Victory Over Blindness outside Manchester Piccadilly.
Hotel Ibis Budget Manchester Centre.
Alan Turing sits in Sackville Gardens.
16.38 We have moved into central Manchester. Next to me on a bench in Sackville Gardens and with an apple in his hand sits Alan Turing in statue form. He helped crack the Enigma code during World War II, is one of the fathers of computers, and when it came out that he was gay, it all ended for him. He probably committed suicide in 1954 by taking a bite of an apple that he had injected with cyanide. Turing was born in London but was active here in Manchester at the end of his life.
16.49 A monument to Vimto consists of a lot of fruit and a large bottle. Vimto is a purple colored British soft drink. We have found this monument in Vimto Park. Now the pages in the journal are blowing and it is raining in it. 17.10 We have stopped at various interesting places. First we passed Weston Halls where Christer stayed on his first visit to the city in 1997. Then we ended up at the premises of the record company Factory Records which released music from bands such as Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays. We have also bought candy in a SPAR store. Now we will continue. Hope we avoid more rain. The weather is moody today. 17.30 It was a quick return visit to Chinatown, which we visited in 1999. However, we did not eat Chinese food this time. Now we look at the trams that pass in Saint Peter's Square. 18.02 When a mall visit to the Arndale Shopping Center was about to end, we realized that it's raining outside again. 18.35 Christer has been to Manchester Souvenirs & News and has bought birthday presents for his nephew Fabian who likes Manchester City football club. We have also photographed the city's cathedral (Manchester Cathedral) and a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. We've also said hello to the River Irwell. 18.50 I have now donated the louse gravel I got in exchange yesterday in Stoke to a beggar in a wheelchair. 19.20 At yet another SPAR store, we have found some goods that are the start of the breakfast we need to eat tomorrow morning. Now we must shortly find a restaurant where we can have dinner. It can be really hard to find good restaurants in big English cities. We also had problems with this in London and Birmingham. Either it's simple boring fast food places or really expensive restaurants.
Factory Records, more exciting than it looks.
Words of wisdom from Factory Records.
Chinatown, Manchester.
Trams in Saint Peter's Square.
Arndale Shopping Centre.
Manchester Cathedral.
19.38 Christer is out on the internet and looking up a suitable restaurant for our dinner. We are benched inside Manchester Piccadilly station. We didn't find a place to eat on the way here and now hope to find something at the station or next to it.
19.55 We have made the decision to treat ourselves to a pint of beer and an expensive hamburger at The Mill pub here in the station. Orders are placed via QR codes. 20.10 All we managed to find via the QR codes was the beer. Now we go to the counter and order in person instead. 20.12 Cheers and damn it! The kitchen closed at 19.00 so you can't eat here. Towards Burger King instead. We can't bear to search anymore. 20.33 Each hamburger in a cardboard pocket and fries in a bag and soda in a can. All consumed on a bench inside the station, what a luxury! What happened to Burger King's burgers? They are not good at all, at least not here in England. 21.33 Home sweet home! We are back in our hotel room. We bought some evening snacks at the Londis convenience store outside here before we went inside. It was Christer who had to pay everything. Each had items for under five pounds. That was the limit for making card purchases. Now we sum up today's adventure. 22.11 Politician and Nobel laureate David Trimble has died today. He helped create peace in Northern Ireland. 23.03 Great Britain will host Eurovision next year. The most recent British winner, Katrina Leskanich from Katrina and The Waves, favors Manchester for, among other things, the arenas, the infrastructure and the gay culture. We'll see how it turns out in the end.
Christer has purchased local birthday presents.
You can see 51 photos from July 22 in this photoalbum.
You can see 118 photos from July 23 in this photoalbum.
You can see 53 photos from July 24 in this photoalbum.
You can see 77 photos from July 25 in this photoalbum.