My Trip to Manchester

I will be quite honest – when it comes to places I would consider visiting Manchester is definitely not the first one I think of. However, having spent several days here, I came away with a much higher respect of the city and the impression of the place as one which has undergone some great transformations and changes. Below, you can find more details about my journey in Manchester.

Day One: Gothic Surprise of Manchester

On the first day of the trip, I chose to begin my adventure with the John Rylands Library and I was quite surprised by what I have seen. While looking at the building outside, which resembles the fortress from the fantasy literature, inside it turned out to be something quite different. Indeed, the atmosphere of the reading room is simply mesmerizing – it has the gothic style in its purest form. With the stained-glass windows, high and vaulted ceiling, and wooden furniture, the place gives visitors a feeling of being the students in the castle from the story of J.K. Rowling. Moreover, entrance to the library is free and this is the best part of this wonderful experience.

Walk of Arts and Science

On the next day, I decided to pay a visit to the Science and Industry Museum that was built on the site of the world's oldest surviving passenger railway station. Here, I could actually imagine people driving the carriages along this railway and enjoy a few interactive experiences – for example, I managed to sent a message via Morse code. From there, I moved to the Manchester Art Gallery which was another gem that is free of charge. Though, I am far from being an expert in the art history, but I enjoyed the exhibition of the works of Pre-Raphaelite collection as those reds and golden colors looked extremely beautiful in Ford Madox Brown paintings.

Right around the corner, there is a Manchester Cathedral that is worth of visiting because of its wooden misericords which are decorated with medieval creatures. Last, but not least, Chethams Library that is the oldest public library in English-speaking world should not pass your attention. While strolling among shelves full of books, one could imagine that Karl Marx who studied here was coming from behind them.

Northern Quarter: Place Where I Belonged to

On the third day of the trip, I found my home – it is called Northern Quarter. In fact, it is an area that brings together cobbled streets, neon-lighted record shops, and independent coffee roasters that emit scent of toasted hazelnuts. For instance, spending hours in the record store named Vinyl Revival where one could buy old vinyl records of 70s punk and 90s Britpop was the true pleasure.

And Afflecks Palace is the place that you must visit when in the Northern Quarter of the city. Despite the fact that Afflecks Palace is not at all a palace, it is the emporium where vintage clothes hang nearby handmade jewelry and where tarot card readers stand right by vegan bakers. There are also some amazing staircases where you can see psychedelic murals. Buying a leather jacket for £35 I finally became the true citizen of Manchester.

Football Even for Non-Fans

I will not pretend that I am a die-hard football fan, but the National Football Museum did not disappoint me. Entrance fee is free of charge and ten minutes of exploring were enough to get mesmerized by such exhibits as 1966 World Cup ball and Maradona shirt that became famous because of his "Hand of God". To complete the football tour, one should visit a Theatre of Dreams called Old Trafford. Being at the side of the playing field and looking at the 74,000 empty red seats I finally understood the fascination of the football fans.

Cost of the full Old Trafford tour is £28 and it is totally worth this money because of the unique opportunity to make a walk in the tunnel. Indeed, this is one of the highlights of this visit.

Food Experiences

It turns out that there are many restaurants and other establishments of the food scene in Manchester. For instance, in the Chinatown which is considered the second largest in the country, I managed to find a dumpling restaurant which offered me to eat pork soup dumplings with lots of tasty broth. For something special, you might try Bundobust which is the fusion of the Indian food and craft beer. It offers the okra fries with mango pickle – delicious experience I really would love to try again.

Getting There and Other Details

Travelling from Manchester Airport (MAN) is quite easy. There are trains going to Piccadilly Station in only 20 minutes for the price of just £5. The buses are even cheaper – for the flat £2 and you can choose this option. However, as for me, it is better to take the train due to its speed. In fact, once you are in the central parts of the city, you may hardly use any public transport. Indeed, most of the interesting sites are in the walking distance.

Regarding to the cost, I must say that I was greatly impressed by how cheap the prices here. For example, I managed to visit all the museums I wanted for free, Old Trafford tour cost me £28 and I spent from £25 to £35 for meals per day. By the way, Gay Village turned out to be amazing place where you could spend a pleasant evening – rainbows on the bridges, live performances and very electric atmosphere.

Reflections

Having spent five days in the city and sitting on the bench in Piccadilly Garden watching the hustle and bustle of office workers and students I felt quite sad leaving Manchester. In fact, Manchester gave me all – from steam engines and stained glass windows to independent coffee shops, music, football history and much more. Indeed, it is absolutely not grey at all – this is real kaleidoscope.