England and Scotland Day 2
England and Scotland
Day 2 - October 2, 2006 - Arrive in Manchester, On Our Own in Lymm
Our overnight flight from Atlanta took us up the East Coast, Halifax, Canada and then over the Atlantic. We were awakened after a little sleep and had our breakfast, cleaned
sure and bring a jumper or cardigan as we would have showers during the day. The sky was partially cloudy with a little sun peeking out occasionally as we drove through the green countryside, of course, on the left side of the road!
It was only a short drive to the Cheshire village of Lymm, and our country hotel. We followed a canal, a ringed system of historical transportation, now used for leisure travel. Most of the traditional homes along the way were beautiful red brick, with slate or terra-cotta tiled roofs. There are still many flowers, the grass is green, and the leaves are just beginning to turn their fall colors.
The Lymm Hotel staff was very pleasant, we found our room, unpacked a few things, and organized the room to be a bit more functional. We have Internet access here although we are quite a distance from the main office where the Wi-Fi hotspot is. I was able to download a few messages and then Gennie worked on her two directed studies for University of Phoenix. I was able to send out the first day's journal and photographs.
At 12:45 we set out to explore the neighborhood. We found the tow path along the canal and walked in the direction of the little village. We headed for Lymm Bridge, along a beautiful walkway with so many photo opportunities. The path is popular with locals who were out for a stroll and also with many ducks, geese, and swans.
Dennis had warned us about the swans, the Queen's birds that could be sometimes very aggressive. Gennie gave them all a wide berth -- her love of birds is not getting any stronger in her old age!
We spotted a small village grocery store and an ATM machine so we took advantage of a chance to get British pounds as well as check out the staples available to local shoppers. As Gennie watched, while I got money, she noted that most of the customers carried out one or two small bags of fresh produce, bread, meats and walked away or rode their bicycles from the store.
The store also had paper products and a few household supplies. I asked the clerk about the drinking laws here in England as we saw wine, beer, and hard liquor in this store. She said it was legal for anyone over the age of 18 to drink and that all grocery stores and some garages meaning filling stations or gas stations can sell alcohol on any day except Good Friday.
We walked around the village seeing the historical sites, the most famous being the Lymm Cross from the 17th century. At the foot of the cross is a set of stocks, used to punish the evil of the community and used as a deterrent to the others!
We stopped at a local fish and chip shop just to look and smell, of course, and talked to an older gentleman who explained that he eats his chip with just salt and vinegar. We ask about catchup and mustard and he laughed and said that it was just for you American chaps!
We felt a few sprinkles so we headed back to the hotel just in time for a nice afternoon rain shower. I worked on the pictures while Gennie rested a bit. At six o'clock we met our tour director Simone who gave us a brief orientation for our trip. We also met our fellow travelers and had a chance to get to know each other over a dinner in our hotel.
Lymm Hotel -- Lymm England - - - Meals: D
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