studentsineurope

Postcards from Europe, Summer ‘09: Let the Fun Begin!

Morning

After many weeks of preparation, it’s finally the first day of our mother-daughter, 16 day European vacation. I’m Michelle Smith, a student at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. Although this is my 4th trip to Europe, there is still so much to see! We will be exploring England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Our first stop is Manchester, England. The flight from Philadelphia took about 7 hours and was full of beautiful sights of the night sky outside my window. 

We landed around 7am amidst the clouds and light rain and slowly staggered off the plane to make our way through customs and to the phone line that would provide us transit to our hotel.

Our transportation was a small hotel bus with a jolly driver. He quickly welcomed us and put our baggage above our seats, singing all the while. The music on the bus was classical.  There was no other type of music that would have seemed more fitting.  It was then that I realized that I really am in England.  We listened to the ups and downs of the orchestra, as we swerved around what seemed to be a dozen round abouts. They really are everywhere!

After arriving at our room, we decided to head back to the airport to purchase train tickets to visit the Manchester City Centre and our next destination– Liverpool.

Traveling in Europe is easy once you get here! There is a train station right in Manchester Airport that can take you all over the country and beyond.

Manchester

After a short train ride to Picadilly station, we arrived in the city centre of Manchester. This large city has a very strong shopping district that offers boutiques, franchises, and open air markets. We wandered down the sidewalks that eventually became cobblestone and we knew then that we were  in old part of the city. Standing before us was a huge Gothic cathedral tucked in what seemed to be an old village.  It is the Manchester Cathedral, built in 1421, that stands high above the other buildings here in Manchester and still acts as a place of worship today. Being able to walk in a building that is almost 600 years old is certainly an enamoring experience. The architecture and attention to preservation and detail is quite remarkable.

Manchester City Hall

Close by, a Ferris wheel towers over the old city to merge history with innovation. The Ferris wheel offers tourists and locals alike an opportunity to view Manchester from above. A new aged shopping centre stands at the foot of the Ferris wheel and offers a delightful bridge between the old and new.

After exploring this, we headed to the city hall building and eventually the Manchester Art Museum.

Quick Tips:

• When flying from the United States to Europe, TRY to sleep on the plane!
• Get adjusted to the time difference as soon as you can–stay awake even thought you’re tired!
• When traveling by train, buy your tickets EARLY. You can save a lot of money and hassle.
• Don’t get too caught up with train schedules.  Trains run constantly and your ticket is good all day!