MANCHESTER

We spent a month in Manchester, and were very happy to have plenty of time to explore a big city. We spent some time relaxing, watching plenty of Netflix, and working to fund this whole digital nomad thing. After two months of high adventure, it was really nice to take things a bit slower. We both got haircuts, read some books, and still had plenty of time to see all the sites in the industrial city

My leopard print umbrella really came in handy here. Manchester was rainy and cold for a lot of the time. The grey sky, red brick buildings, and incredibly lush green landscape made for a postcard-like view throughout the whole city. We took trains everywhere and caught some amazing sunsets from the window. The quaint houses that lined the streets became such a comforting view for us, and even after a full month we were sad to say goodbye.

One of the coolest things we did in the city was play mini golf – but the coolest mini golf you’ve ever seen. The lighting was all neon, and the best part of the whole thing was that I won despite Marcus having hundreds of hours more experience in golf than me 🙂

Manchester has a rich history, and it’s the location of the starting of the Industrial Revolution. Because of the city’s large role in pushing industry in not only England but the entire world, the worker bee became a symbol of the city. As Manchester experienced struggles and tragedies, most notably a terrorist attack in 2017, the bee started popping up everywhere in the city. Trash cans, flower beds, graffiti, murals, and more all display the buzzing symbol. I made it my mission to find as many as possible! Including one for my HydroFlask where I’ve been collecting stickers from every country we’ve visited.

Manchester is also home to remnants of Roman homes and a fortress. They were largely undisturbed until the Industrial Revolution took off. Now, visitors have complete access to everything the Romans left behind. We were able to stand in what’s left of a Roman residence, and walk along the wall of their fortress. The coolest part about this area was that it was right in the middle of one of the more urban part of the city. There was a subway station less than 100 feet away, apartments that bordered the fortress and a parking lot mere steps away. The blend of old and new here is so interesting; there are brand new buildings right next to buildings that are thousands of years old.

In the heart of Manchester is an old gothic building, John Ryland’s library. It was built about 100 years ago by Enriqueta Rylands, in memory of her late husband John. The building is stunning, and the inside looks just like Hogwarts. There are incredible arches across the ceilings, fantastic staircases, and the most incredible exhibits. We were able to see a Gutenberg Bible, as well as a piece of the oldest ever found Bible, written in Greek.

Another piece of history we learned about was the role Manchester played in the American Civil War. Because Manchester was such an industrial hub, it imported tons and tons of cotton from the Americas. As the war broke out, Manchester banned cotton picked by slaves and publicly and financially backed anti-slavery groups and movements. There is a statue of Abraham Lincoln near the library, marking the relationship between the Union and Manchester.

Our time in Manchester came to a close a little quicker than we thought it would! We packed up our backpacks and moved, just a train ride away to Edinburgh, Scotland!