A Weekend Away!

Last weekend we went away to Manchester to visit our youngest daughter.

No great excitement, you might think - not like nipping over to NY or Paris for a day or two - BUT it was the first night I'd spent away from home in a year, and so much about it seemed strange - from the simple fact that we no longer had responsibilities tying us to home, to forgetting how and what to pack, or the oddness of sleeping in a strange bed.

Peel Park

As it was a last minute decision, booked and taken within a week, I didn't have much time to quibble or panic over what I was doing.  I've always preferred the friendliness of small BnBs over the anonymity of large hotels, but finding one can be time-consuming; I've now discovered AirBnB though. We've tried it before and liked the set up (and, let's admit it, the price), so I searched and found an en-suite room in Eccles, about fifteen minutes away from my daughter's flat, traffic permitting.




Before my parents were ill, we'd holiday several times a year; a main fortnight, a week at one half term, a long weekend at another, a quick overnight jaunt somewhere. I had a packing routine, knew exactly what I'd need to take, and which things weren't really needed at all. This time, I nearly forgot to take a hairbrush! And 45 minutes into our journey we had to stop to check my husband had brought his wallet; he had. Phew!

After these minor dramas, all went well. The AirBnb was lovely. Our room was large, newly decorated with modern shower, and luxury hotel-style toiletries. Toast and cereals were available for breakfast, and the hosts were sociable and friendly. It almost seemed like visiting friends, and definitely took away some of the weirdness of being away from home.

River Irwell

For the rest, it was the usual sort of mix for weekends with my daughter. We spent a lot of time outdoors, rambled round the local park near Salford university, and National Trust gardens - Dunham Massey and Quarry Bank Mill, both within in reasonable distance of the city.

Poutine

In the evening, our daughter had found a new, interesting place to eat - this time Brewski on Moseley Street for Canadian comfort food; poutine and rhubarb gin with apple juice mixer. And on the way home, we stopped off to visit Bugsworth Canal Basin. Most importantly though, it was lovely to be able to go and visit my daughter in 'her' home again, rather than her have to make the trip down to us.

Cheers!

By the time Monday arrived, I felt like I'd been away for a week at least. I need more spur of the moment breaks like this, and hopefully soon a proper holiday.