Am I Supposed to Call it the Loo?: New Discoveries in Manchester

A lot has happened since the last time I posted! I’ve explored Manchester, spent a day in York, and I just got back from London. It took a while after the Flixton disaster for Kaylyn and me to venture back into Manchester, but we eventually discovered Piccadilly Gardens. It took about 15 minutes to get there by bus, and the first thing we saw was a giant ferris wheel that resembled a baby London Eye. This caused me to wonder if every English city has its own ferris wheel (the answer is, unfortunately, no). Our trip to Piccadilly Gardens was really a turning point in this trip. Before, all we had done was go from our flat to Morrison’s or Sainsbury’s (the local grocery stores). But since that first trip to Piccadilly Gardens, we’ve been on the go nonstop!

The ferris wheel

Kaylyn and I had lunch at Café Rouge in Piccadilly Gardens.

Kaylyn and I have also moved to a different flat. In an earlier post I mentioned our mess of a living room. That is an understatement; the kitchen/living room was absolutely filthy. So on Monday morning, before we left for our university orientation, Kaylyn and I stopped by our apartment complex’s front desk and asked to be moved. The orientation went well, and we met some new friends from Texas. As it turned out, they lived in the same complex as us, and they were the only two people in their five-person flat. With my luck, I assumed that there was no way I would be on the receiving end of such a lucky coincidence, but I guess my luck has changed! Kaylyn and I now have two new flat mates/travel buddies, Brittany and Katie. Brittany, Katie, Kaylyn, and I met up with another girl from Brittany and Katie’s university in the states, Kelly. Kelly is studying in Manchester for the whole year, so she was able to introduce us to some of her friends, specifically two girls named Philippa (Philly) and Henny.

Philly and Henny took Brittany, Katie, Kaylyn, and I on our first night out. We went to a place called 5^th Avenue, and I loved it, even though the bouncer’s weren’t too happy about my choice of attire. I wore jeans with a dressy-ish top and rain boots that look a lot like regular boots. It was completely normal attire for, say, the Boot or a similar bar back home. Not 5^th Avenue, apparently. Before even walking in, Philly and Henny looked at Kaylyn and I and said something to the effect of, “If you weren’t American, they wouldn’t let you in.” When I walked up to the door, the bouncer gave me the once-over and asked, incredulously, “You’re wearing wellies [rain boots] to a club? You aren’t working on a farm, you know.” But he let me in, thank goodness, and the rest of the night was a blast. 5^th Avenue has two rooms, one that plays current dance music and one that played 90s alternative rock. It was the perfect balance.

For some reason, there are Will Ferrell masks all over 5^th Avenue's bathroom.

Katie, Kaylyn, and I at 5^th Avenue.

Our next night out with Philly and Henny was to Deansgate Locks, a row of clubs housed in old railway arches. It was freezing, but fun and fancy. This time, Kaylyn, Brittany, Katie, and I got to get dressed up. I traded in my wellies for heels, and we all enjoyed the night club hopping from Baa Bar to Revolution to Missoula.