Arrival in Manchester

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Despite waking up real early (6h30), I still flapped around like a mad goose trying to get ready and missed the train I intended taking into London. The next train was 5 minutes after I arrived at the station. (and a mere 20 seconds later than it’s scheduled time – got to love the transport system in a first world country!!) Grabbed a BLT on my way to the coach and settled in for a 4 and a half hour drive to Manchester. Don’t remember a lot of the trip as we must have been an hour away from London and I passed out. Pretty well planned for an unplanned activity I say, as I would need the rest all the walking that lay ahead.
Arrival in Manchester was 30mins ahead of scheduled time (once again, got to love the transport system here) and it was POURING. Good think I had a brollie. Not. As soon as I checked into the Backpackers (which is a 3 minute walk from the station), I went to the Arndale centre for “mission brollie”. Armed with a brollie, dinner for the evening and fresh strawberries I headed “home” from Arndales to drop off my things so that I could start my rambles. Self catering is a brilliant way to travel as eating out in Britain tends to be expensive. It is relatively cheap to cook your own food.
Obviously because I had a new brollie and left my sunglasses at the hostel, it never rained for the rest of the day. All sunshine and cloudless skies???? Brilliant. Nothing beats a tourist more than a tourist with squinty eyes. Just the look that I was going for.
My walk took me around most of the City of Manchester and I stopped at a park that had a plaque on the wall commemorating the apple trees and spot where Albert Einstein discovered gravity. Piccadilly Gardens is one of the main gardens in Manchester, although it has a far way to go in terms of being a relaxing haven in the middle of the city. Too much buzz around, too few trees and the added nuisance of putting a string of eateries on the door step of the gardens. Bu this time it was already after 6pm, when most attractions are closed and I decided to take a stroll around and head back for dinner. However, not having a map with me, I got horribly lost and the only thing that did not make me panic was the fact that Manchester City is pretty small and it was due to be light for another 3 hours or so.
My first evening was spent chatting to an Englishman who is on his way to Portsmouth to join the navy. Always good to chat to local I say! Am really excited about my day out tomorrow, armed with a map ofcourse!

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