I only spent one evening in the city of Manchester so I really don’t have a lot to say about it, except:

1. It’s newer than London
2. It reminded me of Newcastle (ladies in short frocks and men in open-collared shirts, some floral prints)
3. It was colder and rainier than London

(above and below: View of the countryside from the train)

(below: A pub. No idea if the building is original.)

(below: the Manchester Wheel. Like the London Eye, except…not.)

(below: Night lights)

Oh, and you know how excited I was about the train? That faded fast. The London train to Manchester was packed as it seems a lot of people we’re headed home for the weekend. If you didn’t have a reserved seat, you had to stand. The train back from Manchester to London was less crowded, but there was a mighty ripe-smelling man next to us and a screaming baby in the carriage. I’m not usually bothered by screaming babies (screaming CHILDREN are a diff. story) but one of my ear buds broke and I wasn’t able to drown him out…anyway.