Day 10 - May 25, 2023

Today was the journey to Manchester from London. First I took only my second ever Uber to Euston Station which is huge and busy. Then it was a two and a half hour train ride to Manchester and another Uber to the Delta Marriott Worsley Park Country Club. This is a very nice place! So, no photos along the way, (train windows too dirty) so just one of the room and a few around the hotel. Golf tomorrow? Maybe?

Day 11 - May 26, 2023

A day off today so I went golfing. Quite a nice course, about the same length as Gleniffer Lake Resort for each of the 9 holes (it's an 18 hole course), but not as much water as GLR. More trees and sand...and greener. Not a difficult course. I shot a 90, pretty good for an unknown course and rental clubs. So, today all you get are a bunch of boring shots of a golf course. And a couple helicopters, a magpie and a squirrel. Gold here is expensive. By the time I paid for the golf, the cart, the clubs and balls, it was close to $300 CDN. Golfing for the old and rich. Well, at least I fit into one of the categories...and it's not the one that starts with "r"!

After some great ribs for dinner I had to walk it all off before retiring so I did a little goofing around with the camera. A perfect pour...some bar glasses...I have no idea (swirling water thingy)...a stone retaining wall and a couple flowers.

Day 12 - May 27, 2023

Today was the big day and it could not have gone better. First off, the weather was spectacular! The wedding and the reception were perfect.

Since the reception was in the hotel where I am staying, I first took a few shots of the room before it filled with people. Then off to the church.

The original part of the church (the front where the service was held) was built in the 11th century! Think 1066 ad, the time of William the Conqueror. There are eight bells that are still rung by hand and I was fortunate to be invited up to watch as they rang the bells before the ceremony. The circular stairway is so narrow, I could hardly navigate it. Then I was shown what is believed to be the oldest headstone in the cemetery, dated 1669.

Next, the arrival of the bride (my granddaughter Casandra)and her bridesmaids (Maid of Honour, her sister Katarina) and her Dad (my son Todd) in a 1929 Ford Model "A" limo. Cool! A lovely ceremony, some flower petals thrown and then off to the reception. All in all a great day.

Day 13 - May 28, 2023

Today I scheduled a bus tour to the Peak District National Park. I headed to downtown Manchester where I first found the tour pick-up location, then since I was an hour early I took a little walk for a couple shots of downtown. A train tunnel, an old fire station (being converted to condos) and the university. When I got back to the pick up point there were three fellows of the street variety, already inebriated (Sunday morning, 8:30 am). Quite boisterous and friendly. We chatted for a couple minutes, and they were fascinated with my cameras. So I took their photos, my bus arrived and off I went. I will call then Larry, Curly and Moe.

After about an hour drive through the English countryside (hard to get good shots from a swaying bus on winding, narrow roads at 50 mph!) we arrived at Castleton. This is a lovely old village in rural England. Now a tourist trap for sure. Then more windy country roads to a viaduct built in 1863. Very nice. Next stop...Bakewell. Another old English town that was packed. Apparently there is a shop there that has been selling a sweet treat called Bakewell Pudding (the only place to get the real deal) since the mid 1800s. Alas the lineup was so long I think it would have lasted until Thursday. More countryside, then a stop for Poole's Cavern (ho hum) before heading back to Manchester. When we arrived I looked for Larry, Curly and Moe but I suspect they were sleeping it off somewhere.

Day 14 - May 29, 2023

What's the old saying, "the best laid plans"? I started out today to accomplish two things but it got more complicated than expected. 1. I wanted to mail some stuff back home that I decided I didn't need, to lighten the luggage a bit and 2. do laundry as I will be on a bus on Wednesday for 23 days with no chance for laundry. The other issue is I am too cheap to pay the outrageous Canadian cell phone roaming rates so I must rely on WiFi. I found both a post office and a launderette on Google maps, called an Uber and went to the post office. Whoops. Closed. Turns out today is a holiday. So, walk to find free WiFi, order another Uber and go to the launderette. Also closed. Walk 2 miles back to the hotel having spent aa bunch of money on Ubers and accomplishing nothing except a few photos.

So, I contacted Todd & Christina (son and daughter-in-law, here for the wedding) and asked if they had room for the stuff in their luggage. Yes! Go online, find another launderette (says it's open...hmmm) call and Uber and go. Eureka! I get the laundry done (whew!). Then walk, to find WiFi, Uber to Casandra and John's farm. Very interesting. 40 acres in the middle of urban sprawl. They board animals and raise some of their own. So several shots around the farm, a nice visit (too busy at the wedding) and then another Uber back to the hotel. A few shots around the hotel and the next door restaurant and then back to the room. Tomorrow I am on a train back to London to join the bus tour of the UK.

Day 15 - May 30, 2023

It was back to London from Manchester today. Tomorrow is day 1 of the UK bus tour. So, just one shot as we left the Manchester station, then a couple of my room in the London hotel before setting out on a walk. I had no destination in mind but ended up back at the London Bridge, the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben. I think those fresh, hot, candied peanuts were calling (they are really good). A few more shots on the long walk back to the hotel (10.5 kms round trip) including some smaller side streets. One last one of the long hallway in the hotel. Early morning tomorrow as they want the luggage ready by 6:45 am for the bus.

Can you find the "selfie"? Two things the world needs less of. Pandemics and selfies.