Blogs from Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Our flat is empty and our stuff has all gone to storage. Hoping it keeps safe and dry, while we head off to rainy Japan. Less than 48 hours til we fly. Bye to everyone. We'll miss you. Next stop Tokyo!... read more

Though I stopped blogging for a while I've continued my exploration of England which this week took me to Birmingham, sometimes called Englands 'second city' because it has the largest population outside of London. Known for its industrial history a lot of people I've spoken to don't seem to think Birmingham is really worth visiting. I beg to differ! Even in winter there's a fair bit to do here depending on what you're in to. SHOPPING One of the things you hear about a lot is the famous Bullring, which not only has nothing to do wiith bull fighting, it doesn't even LOOK like a bull ring (though there is the ever popular bronze statue of a bull outside). It actually looks like is some kind of futuristic silver parasite has eaten a building, which I ... read more

Some funny things happen when you are all traveling on low budget, and from and to the same place. Jen, Ellie, Sarah, Monica and me ended up in the same coach from Manchester to Birmingham, which was obviously a lot of fun. Unfortunately I got sick a few days before the UK dates, and i was not fully recovered, but i got a bit better after a red bull and a great gas station which offered a hand job for only 5 pounds. And THAT'S why i love the UK so much. The travel from Manchester to Birmingham was pretty much fun, the toilet was rather small, but fresh aired, thanks to the little hole in the floor, and the laughs were great, I think i even slept for a short while. When we got out ... read more

We travelled to Birmingham for a week in July. My wife had a conference at the University of Birmingham and I hung around the campus during her lectures. First note: Loved the bus service from London Heathrow to Birmingham. The UK has a wonderful transportation system. Craziness: We couldn't find a taxi strangely at the bus station and were told it was a short walk to the hotel. LOL. It wasn't a short trip and walking through the Bullring shopping area with luggage on a weekend was maddening. Hotel - stayed at this trendy and cheap hotel which styled itself after the Japanese modular hotels. The Bloc Hotel has won my heart - cheap $80 with free internet and the rooms were unique to say the least. Small, small, small but everything inside the room was ... read more