It's already a week ago that I touched the ground on Canal Street in Manchester and found Kikki still alive and vivid. Actually I was with my man in another club which is in an old house and seems to be a Pup and a Disco in one. I really liked it. Just the music was that night not really my thing, but the decoration, the look of the inside, the mix of the people, the beer and the barkeeper, all was very enjoyable and like it should be, I may say.
Starting from raining Berlin, we arrived in part cloudy, part sunny Manchester on Picadelly Station and let the wind blow through our hair. Immediately the eye catched the mix of old and new, of beauty and well less beauty buildings and surprisingly a lot of folks on the street.
But the first surprise was earlier when flying over Manchester before landing on the airport to see that Manchester and what is part of it and around is quite a big area, not just a little town with about 500mill people and some more.
Now most people asked me why going to Manchester. It's not London, it's just soccer- Manchester United and then what?
It's culture, it's architecture, it's a lot going on there and change is on every corner more or lesson. It has history and music, it has fashion, thought most is just starting to rise again, as you may know, once this town was rich and successful and had a lot more inhabitants but after industry situation changed it all went down but not completly which is now the reason why things are going up again and why this town has potential. Above the fact that it is a bit cheaper then London. It has beautiful churches, libraries and coffees and if you have more then 3-4 days, you can also prove that Manchester is the new kitchen in town or should I say from the country itself.
So strolling, kind of, through the centre as it is next to the station, when you arrive from the airport with the train, we got the first catch on how far things are and what to expect.
Then we went down to the Oxford Rd and near the station with the same name and took a coffee in Sturbucks which looks bit different to what we are used to in Germany, but then it was kind of a mix inside. Being nearly under the train bridge, next to the river Medlock, with windows so typical for England and there it was, old and new together. Fitting all the students as this is the beginning of the area of the universities in Manchester.
Yes, take an afternoon to walk the Oxfolk street up and 1,5 km or so just buildings from the University area and inside the stones from the University of Manchester is the Manchester Museum, which is very nice and quite big and mostly about nature and science of it, with real animals and skeletons of Dinos and many other animals. Also very perfect for a day with children. Then walk the same street up again and you will find a red house in a little park/garden and it is the Gallery of Costumes in the Platt Hall. Thought so many costumes did we not find and it contains also other arts. It is a small but fine museum.
Not far away from it, there is the famous curry mile, thought it seems very dull at daytime and you may try it in the late afternoon otherwise this was the only area which I absolutely did not like and it had the feeling of a energy I simply did not like and so turning around fast was the only solution.
Inside Manchester, in the centre is enough to discover, so let's get back and walk down the Oxford Rd and then walk into the Whiteworth street. Right side. Looking back then you will see the River Palace a very beautiful building and if you turn right one street before, you'll discover a better side of it, and very old Pups too.
Walking up the Whiteworth street offers you food on the way and the look on so many busses, that you wonder how they make it. Even in Berlin I never saw so many on one street. Not once!
But let's go on and then you will reach the Sackville Gardens which are a must when you love internet, and of all those machiens called computers, as there he is, Alan Turing. Visite him and say hello!
After that, left of him, right beside him, the memorials for the victimes of HIV are to find and still people suffer, still numbers risen, but that is another blog about.
Then just look over the river and there is the famous Canal Street. The gay village, it's of course bigger then this one famous street and in summer for sure a place to be!
Not far away and the chinese village is to cross, thought don't expect to much, it is very little and surprisingly dull.
Three days is a start, but soon you discover it is far to less to see all and so you have to decide.
We took of course first into the rooms we would stay over night. No, not a hotel, not a motel, it was B&B, actually a mix of couchsurfing and B&B, This gives you always the chance to come into contact with locals. More or lesson. Our host was very friendly, smiling and funny, thought the room was nice but a bit improvised. Not really my thing this B&B and couchsurfing. Yes, I am a hotel people after all. The luxury must it be.
So breakfast, the real one, we found it in a very nice and quite big Pup right across from the Town Hall. The service nice and the food good, thought the little extra was missing. The rooms absolutely fantastic, even the toilets.
The Town Hall is a must to go in and just now and untill christmas is over, there will be a market inside! Outside there is the famouse x-mas market which just opend the weekend we have been there and of course all that german dingsbums was there from Bratwurst to Glühwein. The christmas market goes on in the streets around and has much to offer, from food to presents to buy and the atmosphere is warm even when it rains.
At one of the endings you meet the Joahn Rylands Library, which looks like a cathetral and has many very old books and manusciptes to show. Go inside, if not you'll miss a very nice experience and a dream of a library!
What can I say, to walk from there whatever direction is to see old buildings, best shopping and food and Christmas Minions too.
Three days and we went to the Northern Quarter as this is called the area for alternative shopping and has the famous alternative shoppig house. Yes, here shappy chic is still reality and on our way we took our afternoon tea in the 2/4. Then we just went on this direction, then another one, this street and that street, discovering arts on walls and buildings, paintings and went back to the centre, had our street food which was very good and the shopping for presents went very well.
Another day and we went by to eat - all you can eat- near china town and then let the foot inside the little St. Mary Church. The Manchester Cathetral was not planed but suddenly we have been standing in front of it and so we went inside. Well, it is big and surprsingly with modern windows and warm. Good place to hide a while from rain.
The national football museum is nearby but we did not visite it. It is said to be good but with little time in three days including arriving and leaving, we had to make choices.
By the way, Manchester United T-shirts have never been cheap, but go in a shopping mall it is cheaper, go to airport, it was cheapest price. I just only knew before.
The Manchester wheel we did not found. Is it still there? The Hat museum was also on the list, but seemed to be always not on our way.
Manchester is good to discover by walking but some things need a ride with a bus or tram.
Even when the rainy days are on, it mostly does not look depressing, thought some old new buildings are really ugly and many places are a question- what will they build there? The buildings most time only in the centre higher then the average high, it is all smaller then in London. More cosy in some corners too. As a tourist you'll find enjoyment here and will have enough to discover for a week and even more, when you take the train to Liverpool and the national gardens. But how living really is in Manchester I still do not know. Got such a small look at it, that it feels unreal. Can't say I fall in love with this town and have to see it once again and others too. But for a traveler it is a good destination and a reason to be there instead for London.
So catch a guide you can buy in a good book store or travel store and look up what you want to see and more, when you have some days left.
We will come back for sure to prove, if there is sun in summer in Manchester!
Now of course a lot of pictures to go through, even for YOU!
Have fun!
Love & Light
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| yes it is what it looks like :-) |
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| Picadelly Station |
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| look out of the window from starbucks on the river |
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| near GAY Village |
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| the Palace |
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| China town Gate |
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| in the centre you'll find some of these buildings |
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| Kiki and the original Queer As Folk Show comes to mind |
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| Canal Street by daylight |
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| Alan Turing |
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| HIV/ AIDS Memorial |
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| Town Hall in the back and just the red Pub is to recommend for english breakfast |
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| Town Hall and christmas market |
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| the Library I wrote about |
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| inside the Library and also the pics now following |
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| old and new together- the library entrance |
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| must be the english humor! |
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| inside the St Mary's Church |
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| inside the Manchester Cathetral |
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| on the way to the northern quarter- looks like Sherlok Holms could have been here |
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| again, Town Hall, but the market inside! Oh those x-mas cloths! |
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| on the Oxford Rd down the University lane |
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| the little museum- Whitworth Art Gallery |
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| seems the beast looked once very much like a wild pig |
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| Art installation about how we live and use things |
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| Harry Potter must be here somewhere! |
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| Manchester Museum |
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| same building... and I have a lot more pictures but that should be enough for now... |
