Manchester Center!

Well, it was an early and tough morning. I said farewell to my travel buddy Dad-o and made my way back to the hotel. It was weird not having someone to confer with about what the days plans were, so I started small and went to the store to get something for breakfast. After that, I was pretty tired so I took a nap.

When I woke up I was ready to go... well, almost. I did have a shower and got ready, and then I made my way to the metrolink. What a lovely way to travel, in no time I was to the city center. I started by going to the Manchester Arndale area. The Arndale is a huge, I mean huge mall which is surrounded by even more shops. I walked around there for a bit and then found my way to the Manchester Cathedral. I just missed mass... shucks. But seriously, it's a beautiful cathedral and there were a lot of people coming out of it this morning.

From there I headed to The People's History Museum. Another fantastic museum which focuses on the history of the people of Britain, and more specifically Manchester. What a rich history this city has, full of trials and tribulations and amazing people. They also had a special exhibit about the history and treatment of the LGBT 🏳️‍🌈 community in Britain. That was a really powerful, interactive exhibit. You walk all through the exhibit of photos, newspaper headlines and articles, personal artifacts and personal video stories. To hear from young kids and their families about their personal stories was really moving. At the end of this particular exhibit they had a place for visitors to write messages of their thoughts and of inspiration which were put into tiny envelops all over the walls.

After that I walked to the Museum of Science and Industry. Well, this museum was all about the how Science has helped advance technologies used in various industries over the years. From giant looms making fabric, one the earliest computers, planes and trains, you name it, they had it. I particularly enjoyed getting to try out some of the machines and demonstrations.

After a great afternoon of museums, I walked back to the metrolink station. Let me tell you Manchester is a great city! Full of old and new buildings, music, restaurants and a great all around atmosphere. Not to mention it's a great place to take pictures of unique things that are everywhere.

I grabbed a late lunch in Media City and then decided to head to a movie. "The House," is really funny if your looking for something to do on a rainy day, and from what I hear that may be a good call for people back home.

Tomorrow I'm off to Blackpool, the land of seaside entertainment!