It's the birthplace of the industrial revolution, the first computer and vegetarianism. It's also the home of "the most famous football club in the world" `(though fans of some other football clubs may vigorously dispute that). Yes, Manchester United.
But on the first day in a city filled with red-bricked buildings (I theorised that this must be why ManU wears red, but was flatly told it was not true by the Old Trafford tour guide later), I decided to walk around the city with my Blue Badge guide, Jean Bailo.
We walked past the huge Manchester library opposite the historic Midlands Hotel where I was staying, visited the Manchester Town Hall (which looks more like a cathedral) and Albert Square, and then headed towards the shopping district, where impressive malls such as Arndale Centre reside.
One of the best ways to explore Manchester city is to take Metrolink, Manchester's tram system. It's easy to know when you're getting close to the Old Trafford stadium, home of Manchester United: shops start declaring their allegiance to the football team.
"It's not as if they are allowed to support any other team," Bailo remarked as we walked past a shop called The United Chip Shop.
Old Trafford is a huge stadium fronted by a no-nonsense glass facade with legendary football manager Sir Matt Busby's statue at the top of the ManU megastore. Across the street, you can study the pavement and spot the names of ManU football players etched in gold in the brick.
The tour, about an hour long, took place in a relatively empty stadium, and I learned two things from it: You can get lost in the stadium and, after going up and down a series of stairs and through several corridors, I discovered the Manchester United players have a rather down-to-earth changing room.
But soon it was time to return to the hotel, and as my black cab drove past an old church that has been converted into apartments (with a great view of the church graveyard), I know I was going to remember Manchester fondly.
Liverpool
A small aspect of the Liverpool Metropolitcan Catheral of Christ the King, a humongous cathedral with beautiful art inside.
The Beatles and Liverpool Football Club (LFC) are the two most famous groups of Liverpudlians. Thus, on my first day in Liverpool, I visited Anfield, a sacred site to LFC fans.
The stadium is located in an unassuming-looking neighbourhood, but like Old Trafford, it is fronted by a megastore which sells almost everything - pet collars, T-shirts, diaries, you name it - each emblazoned with an LFC logo.
Anfield has a warmer feel than Old Trafford (perhaps because of its cosier size), and the museum far more extensive. So, I personally preferred the Anfield tour. However, I probably shouldn't have said it out loud to the tour guide, because he made me repeat what I said twice to the tour group, which included ManU fans!
Interestingly, I was told, most Liverpool folks support the other Liverpool club, Everton.
Soon after Anfield, I dropped by The Beatles Story, a museum dedicated to the Fab Four, at Albert Dock. A confession: I'm not a Beatles fan. Despite that, I enjoyed walking around the museum, which piped famous Beatles numbers into live sets (like Yellow Submarine) and even spots where the Beatles had played, like The Cavern Club where they performed about 300 times.
That night, I visited the actual place at 10 Mathew Street, which is a street full of clubs. I was lucky, because a Betles tribute band was performing that night!
As familiar Beatles songs filled the narrow cellar space, chairs fell over, people bopped to the music with a pint of beer in hand, an over-excited patron swung himself between two pals and people bumped into me left and right as they squeezed their way towards the stage. It was chaos! But nobody cared - nor did I, because the music was so good!
But there is so much more to Liverpool. On my last day there, I visited two remarkable buildings: the massive Roman Catholic cathedral, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, and its gothic, equally massive, Protestant counterpart, Liverpool Cathedral. Both are wondrous works of architecture with beautiful sculptures, painting and architectural features.
The people of Liverpool and Manchester believe that the 'south' has forgotten about them. But Liverpool is certainly not the ignored stepchild any longer; it was recently crowned the European Capital of Culture 2008, and this has resulted in massive building projects, including many hotels (among them, a Beatles-themed hotel called A Hard Day's Night) and shopping malls. It's certainly a place to mark on your tour calendar.
Rare bits of Wales
Green meadows dotted with sheep, snow-topped hills, sparkling rivers made bright by the winter sun. Villages of stone cottages with pretty flower beds. Sights like these from my train window made the arduous task of lugging my 15kg trolley bag up and down the stairs of railway stations worth it.
I was heading to Cardiff from Cheltenham, and it's a long ride - about two hours and 40 minutes, to be precise. By the time I arrived, it was late afternoon and the sun was already setting.
Cardiff, as I later discovered, has a more modern and industrial look compared to the southern towns such as Oxford.
However, it's not short of historical buildings (Cardiff Castle is in the middle of the city) or amusements (I bought some beads with Celtic motifs at the Victorian shopping arcade called the Royal Arcade, and at the Cardiff Central Market, I bought crunchy grapes and succulent plums).
I also discovered that Wales has its own 'national' language: Welsh. Therefore, there are signs in English and WelshHere's a surefire way to impress the folk back home after visiting Wales. Tell them about the longest place-name in Wales and Britain: Llanfairpwllgwyngyll gogerychwyrndrob wllllantysiliogogo goch or "St Mary's Church in the hollow by the white aspen over the whirlpool and St Tysilio's Church by the red cave."
Or if you have trouble, like I do, remembering the names of people they've just met, just shorten it to "Llanfair PG".
On my second morning, I visited Cardiff Bay, once docklands left to decay after the decline of the coal industry but now home to a 200ha freshwater lake, the five-star hotel St David's Hotel and Spa, restaurants galore at Mermaid Quay and the Wales Parliament building.
The Millennium Centre, where they hold acclaimed theatrical productions, looks like something out of a science-fiction movie so it isn't surprising that the British sci-fi series Dr Who often shoots in front of the place.
The statue of poet Dylan Thomas peers at the sea at Swansea.
Although my guide bemoaned my misfortune in not having time to explore the rugged beauty of north Wales, I still found beauty in the waterfront city of Swansea.
Besides the National Waterfront Museum and The Dylan Thomas Museum, one can admire the yachts at the Swansea Marina and Maritime Quarter and enjoy the sight of the picturesque villages dotting the hills around the area.
But my favourite place is St Fagans National History Museum, where historical homes and buildings from Wales throughout the ages form the "outdoor museum".
It was fascinating to enter the traditional cottages, churches and farmhouses. And since it's late afternoon when I got there from Swansea, the cottages were dark and icy cold inside, with only by a fireplace to provide weak light and warmth.
"This was how it was back in the old days before electricity," said the guides who sat quietly in a dark corner of these abodes.
Some of these houses were actual buildings that were taken apart brick by brick and carefully reconstructed here.
It was unfortunate that the blacksmiths, saddler, teashop and store were closed when I was there (though I did spy the baker throwing breadcrumbs for the birds) but at least I got to see some sheep in the fields.
