{"id":1086,"date":"2016-02-19T00:48:37","date_gmt":"2016-02-19T05:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=1086"},"modified":"2016-05-09T23:05:11","modified_gmt":"2016-05-10T03:05:11","slug":"many-things-in-manchester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=1086","title":{"rendered":"Many Things in Manchester"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2016 \u00a0Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n

Oh man! \u00a0It’s great to be back in Manchester after so long!<\/p>\n

Many years ago, I visited Manchester, England quite often. \u00a0My airline discontinued service after a while, and my only source of authentic fish and chips became London. \u00a0But that was okay, as I absolutely love going to London! \u00a0About a year ago, service was reestablished but I still had not made it back to this historic British city. \u00a0Last weekend, with a four day trip on my schedule, I carefully packed my bags and prepared for two days to reacquaint myself with the food, the architecture and the history.<\/p>\n

After taking a short nap, I ventured out into the drizzly afternoon. \u00a0Knowing that I only had about two hours to wander around before dinner, I was determined to see as much as I could. \u00a0A short walk led me past the rounded facade of the Central Library and to the Victorian Gothic style Town Hall located in Albert Square.<\/p>\n

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\"image\"<\/a>\"image\"<\/a>A number of monuments and statues are on display here, the largest of which is the Albert Memorial. \u00a0The monument to Prince Albert, Prince consort of Queen Victoria, consists of a marble\u00a0statue of Albert standing on a plinth, facing west and occupies the center of the square. Within the square are several other statues including, William Ewart Gladstone, John Bright, Bishop James Fraser and Oliver Heywood. \u00a0A fountain, commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and designed by Thomas Worthington, now stands in the square after having been returned in 1997 from storage.<\/p>\n

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The square was also decorated for the Chinese New Year celebrations taking place that weekend throughout the city. \u00a0The city of Manchester\u00a0prides itself in being one of the best places in Europe to celebrate the Chinese tradition with parades, street fairs, attractions and fireworks.<\/p>\n

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Leaving Albert Square and taking a right onto Princess Street, I headed toward the third largest Chinatown in Europe to gaze upon its magnificent\u00a0Chinese Arch adorned with dragons and phoenixes. \u00a0Many tourists were in this area as well as locals completing their shopping in the many markets and shops.<\/p>\n

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Wandering through Chinatown, I ended up on Cross Street and headed through Exchange Square on my route to the medieval Manchester Cathedral.<\/p>\n

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\"image\"<\/a>\u00a0\"image\"<\/a>The cathedral, located on Victoria Street, is certainly worth a visit as it\u00a0has the widest nave of any in England and the stained glass are all quite modern after being replaced after WWII. \u00a0The architecture is worshipful and pipe organ will be the center of attention when the restoration is complete and it has been reinstalled. \u00a0Presently, scaffolding is erected in the center of the cathedral which impedes one’s entire view and does not lend to the quiet of the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

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At the moment, Julian Stair’s exhibition, Quietus Revisited: The Vessel, Death and the Human Body, is on display in\u00a0this religious setting. \u00a0Life-sized artist made funerary jars and sarcophagi, exploring the symbolic language of ceramic vessels and the role they have played in rituals surrounding death and bereavement can be seen throughout the cathedral.<\/p>\n

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Once I departed\u00a0the cathedral, fighting\u00a0the now steady rain and increasing wind,\u00a0I managed to wander the streets of Manchester while taking in the beauty of the architecture in the\u00a0city. Truly, this is a place where one should not walk with head bowed. \u00a0 Take the time to visit it’s landmarks but also to look upwards and outwards at what this city\u00a0has to offer. \u00a0Some of the buildings are truly breathtaking. \u00a0There was much more to see, however, with conditions steadily deteriorating, it was time to call it a day and put off until another, the rest of Manchester’s treasures.<\/p>\n

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Town Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n