Sunday, November 15, 2009
August ... Vacation & School Starts Again!
So, I had to go to the UK for work in August ... right around the same time as our planned family vacation. I planned a trip to Las Vegas ... a week of relaxation by the pool, shows, good food, ... Then Michael had a business reason to go to the UK too. So we bagged our Las Vegas plans and decided to all go to the UK. Specifically, Manchester. I lived in Manchester from 1997-2001 and attended graduate school there. I hadn't been back since 2002 so I was anxious to bring my family and revisit my old haunts.
On Wednesday, we took the train to Chester. We went on a walking tour of the city walls. For the most part, Rita was a good traveler but by this time we realized that by mid-afternoon she was really struggling with overstimulation and being tired. So the next day we started a routine of an afternoon nap between 4-7PM.
Thursday we were back in Manchester. Our hotel in Manchester was wonderful. It was right in the city center and served an "all-you-can-eat" continental breakfast AND you could order a full english breakfast. I still haven't lost the five pounds I gained on that trip! That day, we went to Castlefield, home of the Museum of Science and Industry.
That night we went to my favorite chinese restaurant in the whole world... Little Yang Sing. Delicious special chow mein! Nothing like it anywhere!
On Friday, we took the train to York. We spent a couple of nights there in a B&B. I love York... the old city center and cobblestone streets. Betty's for tea and scones. The second evening, we went on a ghost walk.
York city wall. The weather was hot and sunny!
Sunday afternoon we took the train back to Manchester. The next morning we all went to the airport together. Michael & Rita headed back to San Diego. I headed up to Glasgow to spent a week at our UK office.
Our UK office is about 30 minutes outside of Glasgow. Here's a picture of the hotel and pictures below of the surrounding countryside. It's beautiful, isn't it? Too bad I had to work all day and had business dinners or conference calls every evening.
It was an intense week of work so I was happy to get home after being gone almost two weeks! My luggage ended up sitting in London for a week but eventually it made it back to San Diego. 
Here is our third grader!
First day. Rita and I in front of Manchester Cathedral. We walked around the city centre (so much had changed I hardly recognized things at first) and ended up going out to La Tasca for dinner (spanish tapas restaurant). Afterwards, we went down to West Didsbury and walked around my old neighborhood and saw my old flat.
The next day, Michael had work meetings so Rita and I just hung out. In the evening, we went out to dinner with the potential business partner Michael had come over to visit. He took us to a lovely Italian restaurant in the city center.
On Wednesday, we took the train to Chester. We went on a walking tour of the city walls. For the most part, Rita was a good traveler but by this time we realized that by mid-afternoon she was really struggling with overstimulation and being tired. So the next day we started a routine of an afternoon nap between 4-7PM.
Thursday we were back in Manchester. Our hotel in Manchester was wonderful. It was right in the city center and served an "all-you-can-eat" continental breakfast AND you could order a full english breakfast. I still haven't lost the five pounds I gained on that trip! That day, we went to Castlefield, home of the Museum of Science and Industry. 
That night we went to my favorite chinese restaurant in the whole world... Little Yang Sing. Delicious special chow mein! Nothing like it anywhere!
On Friday, we took the train to York. We spent a couple of nights there in a B&B. I love York... the old city center and cobblestone streets. Betty's for tea and scones. The second evening, we went on a ghost walk.
York city wall. The weather was hot and sunny!
Sunday afternoon we took the train back to Manchester. The next morning we all went to the airport together. Michael & Rita headed back to San Diego. I headed up to Glasgow to spent a week at our UK office.
Our UK office is about 30 minutes outside of Glasgow. Here's a picture of the hotel and pictures below of the surrounding countryside. It's beautiful, isn't it? Too bad I had to work all day and had business dinners or conference calls every evening.
It was an intense week of work so I was happy to get home after being gone almost two weeks! My luggage ended up sitting in London for a week but eventually it made it back to San Diego. And school was starting on Monday ...
Here is our third grader! 5 Comments:
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We loved the UK too. I'm already planning (in my head) the mother-daughter trip when Kristen is a teen. (Good excuse to go back. :))
Glad Rita is doing so well and having such a great time!
Myra