After surviving our thrilling Champions League match on Tuesday, we spent a quiet day walking and shopping in Manchester. I discovered that the local science museum had a Doctor Who exhibit, but by the time Amy and I wondered over there they were OUT OF TICKETS for the day. Still, I got my picture taken with the TARDIS. How cool am I?
That night, we watched a couple Champions League matches at a 500-year-old bar across from our hotel.
Thursday morning, we toured Manchester United’s stadium, Old Trafford. We got to walk down to the field and sit in the box where the coaches and players sit during the games. We even got to walk though the locker room — which actually had no lockers. Amy got to sit in the spot where another one of her “boyfriends” Cristiano Ronaldo gets ready before each match.
After the tour, we took the bus to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, where we stayed Thursday and Friday.
Thursday afternoon, we wandered along the river and through the quaint center of town. We passed by Shakespeare’s birthplace and ate dinner at cute little pub. That night, we watched a match on TV at small local bar that seemed to love having bunch of rowdy Americans. We asked the owner when he was closing and he said “Whenever you are done drinking.” We were there late — probably too late.
We slept and slept the next day, missing our free breakfast. But we grabbed a quick bite at McDonald’s and headed off to do some souvenir shopping.
In the afternoon, we met up with a bunch of our American buds to actually play a little soccer. Right next to our hotel is a huge sports complex with tennis courts, a skate board arena and small soccer fields. They only cost 10 pounds an hour to rent. The surface was artificial, but incredibly soft. One of the guys described it like the surface of a tennis ball. I played for more than two hours and more and more of our friends arrived. (Amy didn’t bring any shorts so she didn’t play.) Eventually, just as were about to call it quits, our tour director Nick — a onetime coach with the Columbus Crew — showed about and ran us into the ground for another 20 minutes. We’re all going to be sore tomorrow.
On Friday night, we got standing room tickets to watch Macbeth at the Swan Theatre for only 5 pounds a piece. (Fortunately, standing room didn’t quit mean “standing.” We had a small bench we could sit. But to really see the show, you pretty much had to be on your feet. It was a striking, bloody performance. Really, really graphic. I felt bad for some of the kids in the audience who had been dragged by their parents.
Tomorrow, we’re off to our last soccer game in Birmingham, an FA Cup semifinal game between Manchester United and Watford. Then, it’s back to London for one last night in England before our flight home Sunday afternoon. We don’t want to go back yet!
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