Shoon!

Shoon!, originally uploaded by Phoole.

(From my paper journal 5 June 2007)

We saw Tudor buildings, a modern ferris wheel, and a store called SHOON, *and* a poster for a production of THE TEMPEST starring the lovely strange Pete Postlethwaite. I saw the poster and thought, "I'm in a place where artists can afford, and can be afforded, to do art."

I love Manchester. We were so exhausted while we were there, but I loved how modern it felt, amid the ancient old edifices here and there.

At a café, we drank bowls of hot chocolate larger than our heads. Sugared and warmed, we went back to the train.

They allow doggies everywhere in the UK.

It really is just a superior culture overall, hotttt guys notwithstanding.

Back at the Pymgate, we schlepped a few necessary bags up to our 3rd-floor room up the narrowest of staircases, and put the kettle on, and had tea and biscuits, and it was civilized. We had showers, changed out of our traveling clothes, and decided we'd better go out to find food -- if we stayed up, our internal clocks would re-set faster.

We found a takeaway some miles down a winding road away from the airport. We got chips, chicken and tandoori and brought it back to the inn, where we devoured it, first watching "Coronation Street" and then a nature show about tigers. We fell asleep, exhausted, while it was still light out --

-- which unnerved me, until we discovered that we were so far north that the sun doesn't set in springtime until almost 11pm!

It was so good to be in a strange place.

Tea. Biscuits. Hotness.

In the morning, we were off to Ravenglass -- and Muncaster Castle.