Manchester

Wednesday Kyrie and I went to Manchester....it rained. It was also the day of the big championship match between Manchester United and Barcelona. Red shirts were EVERYWHERE!!! BTW, they lost.

We trained in and sat at Cafe Nero in Picadilly Gardens to get our bearings. Unfortunately the sat nav on the iPhone couldn't pick up a signal so we had to use the really small map on the back of the brochure for the Museum of Science and Industry. We knew it was going to be a hike to get to it but we were game. It seemed to get colder and wetter as we walked....in the wrong direction!! Manchester is an ancient city and the roads all curve because they followed the shape of the city wall. AND, they change names A LOT so when you think you are on one street, one block later you are on a different street.

Well, I ducked into a hotel and got a map and some directions from the very helpful concierge. We had just gotten back on the way and we were stopped by a young man asking us if we wanted to donate to a cause in Uganda. After we explained we were from the States, he told us about himself...his name is Philip, he is Scottish, graduated from St. Andrews College, his mom lives in Ireland and his dad is in the Netherlands. After a while his co-workers were giving him funny looks because he wasn't 'presenting the cause' and was just chatting. Nice kid but he didn't get any money out of us....too many years in a Dutch town, not all wasted!

We took our leave and got back on track. However, by that time there wasn't enough time to make it to the museum, actually see the exhibits and then be back to meet Winn for lunch. So we decided to...what else....SHOP!!!

We went into this one shop that had only designer stuff...Gucci, Prada, blah, blah. Wow, I don't know, but when a little dress that has only about a yard of material costs about £300...it's a bit out of whack. I had no idea that the just 'thrown together' look could cost so much. I've been doing it on a Meijer/Wal-Mart budget for a long time now and I guess I'm a bit out of touch.
Anyway, we did find a really good sale at Primark and got 3 items for just £5.

We met Winn back at Picadilly Gardens at the statue of Queen Victoria. From there we walked to one of his favorite restaurants for a 'rice and three'. Kyrie wasn't feeling so well all morning but managed to eat a chicken tikka with salad on a naan. I had what Winn had....boiled rice, chick peas, with chicken and lamb curries. It was really good! The restaurant is just a little hole in the wall place but they do a screaming business.

In the afternoon Kyrie and I went to the Manchester City Art Museum. It was quite nice and we enjoyed being in a warm building. There was one pair of women about my age that really got to be annoying. The blonde one kept stepping in front of us and talking to her friend all about the artwork....you would think she was an expert except she kept taking pictures of the artwork with a flash camera phone!! At first I thought about telling her how that damages the old canvas but I thought it would be more entertaining to just let her get caught by security. Sure enough....in the next room the guard told her to stop it.....twice....apparently she didn't understand what he was talking about the first time. The last time I saw her she was sitting on a bench sulking. I had to chuckle...it was entertaining!

Kyrie and I walked back to the train station around 3:30 PM. It wasn't raining anymore and it had warmed up some. We both took a brief nap when we got back to Preston and it felt good.

Winn stayed late in Manchester to play a game of 'footie' with some friends. He's very stiff and sore now but he says it felt good to play again.

Well, today has been absolutely gorgeous!!! 70+ and sunny all day. Kyrie and I even got a chance to sit in the sun this morning. I'm actually a bit sunburned! It's supposed to be nice this weekend too...bonus!!

This afternoon we took the bus into the city center to the Town Hall. I've got to get an appointment with the Citizen's Advice Bureau which is the first step in getting my visa. They are an all volunteer organization that suffers from limited hours and staff shortages...they actually say that on their answering machine....but in a posh accent and it sounds great! But it has been frustrating getting in touch with them to say the least. I'll just keep pestering and we'll get this show on the road. Hm...maybe there could be a job in reorganizing the Citizen's Advice Bureau!!!

Anyway...it's time to take Rosie for a walk along the canal to the park. She is quite insistent that it's time to go!!! So, until next time.....
J