This is our second day in Manchester. I think Manchester is definitely getting a bad rap. I want to say that upfront. The city centre is beautiful.  After the 1996 IRA bombing the city was devastated. From that tragedy came a brilliant renovation and reinvention. The people have been nothing short of amazing. This town is an urban testament to the power of the people to rise up over tragedy, adversity and its industrial past.

Over the next three days we set a plan to divide the city into quarters and absorb the sights. There is more to a city than seeing it. You must be amongst the people and feel the heartbeat.

Before you travel abroad, unless you are on a package tour, you should craft a plan. I had done weeks of research and saved maps on my iPad. We agreed that we would do self-guided tours and sat down last night after dinner without maps and declared what was most important for us to see. Once we laid out for “must see or do” list we filled in the rest.

Our first day we were too tired to continue so cut it short and finshed up on day two self-guided walking tour. My suitcase still has not arrived and inside that suitcase were raincoats. The only good is every video I shoot will have continuity. Now if Julie would only wear the same clothes too.

Perhaps because I grew up in a city, I love city environments. I appreciate the country too but city life is in my blood. Conversely, Julie grew up in Colorado and she concurs so maybe it is a nature versus nurture argument. Manchester city centre may appear large on a map but it is imminently accessible. The public transport system it top notch and you can walk virtually anywhere fairly quickly. The pedestrian sidewalks are much larger than those in London.

Today we headed out for our most ambitious walking tour with many stops along the way. In fact, there was so much to do we barely made time to eat accept for desserts.

Central Library
- It is currently under renovation and closed to the public. Founded in 1653, it is one of the oldest public libraries in the world and the UK’s first free public lending library.

St. Peter’s Square
- Directly across the street from the Central Library is this memorial to the 1819 Peterloo Massacre. It is also a metrolink stop and major transit hub. The area is due to undergo a complete redesign to turn into a world-class public space.

Midland Hotel
- This 1903 building has hosted many British luminaries of distinction. It is most famous for being the meeting place where Mr. Rolls first met Mr. Royce and they began their business partnership.

Deansgate
- This area is now considered one of the posh areas of town with trendy bars and cafes along the river. Ironically, Deansgate used to be dubbed Devilsgate. It was once brimming with thieves, brothels and teenage gangs called scuttlers.

Beetham Tower
- Located in Deansgate, this is the largest residential dwelling in all of Europe. It is 47 stories tall and is home of the Hilton Hotel.

Opera House
- Debuting the world premiere of Ghost the Musical right now

Manchester Town Hall
- Originally designed by Alfred Waterhouse and completed in 1877, this Victorian Gothic masterpiece is home of the city council. We went inside and it is dark, sparse and much of the building is closed to the public. There was a feeling one would be arrested if you trespassed past the velvet cordoned off areas. It is much more impressive from the outside unless you can organize a private tour of the building’s interior.

St. Mary’s Church or Erwin Gonzalez Church
- Referred to as The Hidden Gem, this church sits discreetly behind the post office. Founded in 1794 it is thought to be the oldest post-Reformation Catholic church founded as a church in any major centre of population in England. There was a service going on when I walked in. It is very small and ornate. It could benefit from a little refurbishment.

John Rylands Library
- Located in the new business district, this library is home to some of the rarest books and manuscripts in world. It was build as a memorial to Manchester’s first self made millionaire. Mrs. Ryland chose this spot in an attempt to educate the local poor out of their brutality.

St. Ann’s Church
- Opened in 1712, it is the last remaining churchof its era. Commissioned by Lady Ann Bland and friends after a falling out with the Anglicans at the Parish Church.

St. Ann’s Square
is one the Manchester’s most picturesque squares and main shopping districts. It is named after the 18th century church.

Arndale
The UK’s largest inner-city shopping centre with over 240 shops and major department stores, plus restaurants and fast food outlets. We went to Marks & Spencer travel desk to exchange our US dollars. There is no fee and the service was great. There were opera singers in the opening by the escalators raising money for prostate cancer research. Amazing talents on display.

Big Wheel of Manchester
The Big Wheel in Exchange square is 60m high and the world’s largest transportable ferris wheel. For 10 minutes, you get a bird’s eye view of Manchester and the surrounding area.

Printworks
The Printworks is a state of the art entertainment complex located in Manchester City Centre.

Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral’s official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester. It has also variously been known locally as St Mary’s, Christ Church and, simply, t’owd church.

Although extensively refaced, restored and extended in the Victorian period, and then again following severe bomb damage in the 20th century, the main body of the Cathedral largely derives from the wardenship of James Stanley (warden 1485–1506), and is in the Perpendicular Gothic style. Stanley was also primarily responsible for commissioning the spectacular late medieval wooden furnishings, including the pulpitum, the choir stalls, and the nave roof supported by angels with gilded instruments. It is one of the Grade I listed buildings in Manchester.
- From Wikipedia

On a visit inside the Cathedral, I thought the interior of the church was very fractured and I couldn’t understand how the congregation worshipped in this space when there was no one great place to sit, or stand, unless you are in the actual service. Perhaps that level of inconvenience and hardship is part of the experience.

Urbis Center
- Built to be a post-modern art showcase, the center lost the financial support of its backers just as it was thriving. THe National Museum of Football set its eyes on the space and the lease was ripped from its former occupants in favor of its newer occupants. The museum won’t open to Fall 2011 but it a beautiful building.

The Northern Quarter
This is clearly a funkier part of town. It is a little bohemian community meets a working class town. There are lots of thrift shops and little cafes.

You Must Eat At
We had a GREAT curry lunch as an out of the way restaurant named

This & That
3 Soap Street (off of Thomas Street)
Shudehill
Manchester M4 1EW

We found this family run cafe in The Lonely Planet guide. The restaurant is off of the beaten path but don’t be alarmed. The inauspicious setting should not steer you away from this little jewel of a space. The food is served by the owner who works the counter and he couldn’t be nicer. There is a mix and match prix-fixe menu. It is easy to sort it out or ask for guidance. There are both meat and veggie options. The chickpeas and curry chicken were worth writing home about. It is an inexpensive delicious treat.

Danger! You Must Run! Don’t Walk Away!
Not so successful was our cupcake experience at

Sweet Tooth Cupcakery
34-36 Oldham St
Manchester, M1 1JN

I had a lemon cupcake that was so dry I thought it was bought “day old” from the Tesco and icing was re-applied. It looked so delicious on appearance. The anticipation certainly exceeded the flavor. I would have complained but the disgusting espresso served afterward officially killed my palette. Also, the woman behind the counter could have cared less. On the other hand, Julie had a berry muffin with cream cheese icing and that was delicious. Still, we were both soured by the lackluster service. I guess the proprietors think cupcakes sell themselves, service and quality be damned. Yikes! Oh well ladies, you are now infamous on the internet for what you did not provide.

Piccadilly Gardens

This is a great public space to people watch. It is also a major transit hub. It was cold outside and people were running through the fountain and we were tempted to join in but our sense got the better of us.

By now it was 6pm, we went back to our hotel to grab a bite, take a nap and get ready to go out. It was Thursday and we tried to find some active nightlife but were unlucky. It doesn’t appear Manchester’s nightlife comes alive until the weekend. Either that or it is a well guarded secret from the tourists.