In this segment, we explored three iconic English cities, each forever linked to a legendary figure or groundbreaking moment in history.
First, we visited Nottingham, a city forever intertwined with the enduring legend of Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw known for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
Next, we traveled to Manchester, where technological history was made. It was here that the world’s first stored-program electronic digital computer—nicknamed “Baby”—was born in 1948, marking the dawn of the digital age.
Finally, we arrived in Liverpool, the birthplace of a musical revolution. It was in this vibrant city that The Beatles came together in 1960, going on to become one of the most influential bands in music history.

2025.08.15 – [GB] London ==> Nottingham

Rob and Jessica prepared breakfast for us before we bid them farewell at 10 a.m., marking the start of our tour through some of England’s larger cities. We took the Tube to St Pancras International train station, feeling excited about having scored some inexpensive first-class train tickets to Nottingham.
Our excitement was quickly tempered by a couple of disappointments. First, we discovered that the first-class lounge at the station had not reopened since COVID, so we had to wait for an hour in the common area. Then, once on board, we learned that the air conditioning in our coach was broken—turning our ride into something that felt more like a hot yoga session than a train journey.
Still, all was not lost—we were offered complimentary refreshments and sandwiches, which helped a bit. Upon arriving in Nottingham, we made our way to our hotel. The streets felt much quieter compared to London, offering a more relaxed atmosphere. We were also pleasantly surprised to be able to check in 40 minutes before the usual 3 p.m. check-in time.
For dinner, we visited a tapas restaurant, then later took some time to explore a few of the streets in the downtown core.

2025.08.16 – [GB] Nottingham ==> Nottingham

We had breakfast at one of the local Wetherspoon pubs before beginning our day of sightseeing. Our first stop was Nottingham Castle, whose history is closely tied to the legend of Robin Hood—the infamous outlaw known for robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. In modern times, it seems Robin Hood’s spirit is still alive, as the steep admission fee felt like a bit of a robbery itself, offering poor value for tourists.
Later, we visited the City of Caves attraction and thoroughly enjoyed the 45-minute guided tour through the underground tunnels. Afterward, we grabbed some pastries from a local bakery before heading back to our hotel for a late afternoon rest.
Dinner was at a fast-food Greek restaurant, a casual but satisfying way to end the day. Altogether, we walked over 12 kilometers exploring the city.

2025.08.17 – [GB] Nottingham ==> Manchester

We grabbed a takeaway breakfast meal deal from Tesco before checking out of our hotel at noon and heading to the train station. When purchasing our tickets to Manchester, we were surprised to learn the journey included a transfer in Sheffield.

The UK’s extensive rail network is operated by 28 to 34 regional train companies. Even on our short tour of England, we’ve found ourselves needing to purchase tickets from at least half a dozen different operators. While we could have used an aggregator app like Trainline to simplify the process, we opted to avoid the extra processing fees. Instead, we’ve been relying on Google Maps and the Trainline app to help us choose the best routes and schedules.

Once in Sheffield, we had a short 20-minute wait before catching our connecting train to Manchester. Upon arrival, we walked from the station to our hotel. After checking in, we noticed the hallway was uncomfortably warm. Inside our room, a desk fan was working overtime, circulating the air. We knew the hotel didn’t have air conditioning, but with outside temperatures in the low 20s (°C), we hadn’t expected it to be an issue.

We had a 5 p.m. reservation at a nearby restaurant for a traditional Sunday roast. Aside from the noisy atmosphere—a common trait of many urban restaurants in England—we enjoyed both the food and the service. After dinner, we wandered through Chinatown, the second largest in the UK.

Back at the hotel, we remained puzzled by the heat indoors, despite the cool weather outside. A bit of research revealed that the building’s circular design causes poor air circulation, leading to excessive heat build-up. Several online reviews warned travelers to avoid staying here during the summer months.

Later in the evening, we stepped out to pick up some ice cream treats to help cool down.

2025.08.18 – [GB] Manchester ==> Manchester

We struggled to get a good night’s sleep due to the heat in our room. By mid-morning, we headed to the Wetherspoon pub next door for breakfast. Afterward, we returned to our room for a short break before setting out on our planned sightseeing walk.
Although Manchester boasts several museums and art galleries, we weren’t particularly interested in visiting them. We also discovered that a few of the attractions we had hoped to see were closed on Mondays. We wrapped up our walk at the Science and Industry Museum before heading back to our hotel. We learned from our visit that the University of Manchester played an important role in the early days of computers. Fortunately, the overall temperature in the building—and in our room—had cooled down a bit by then.
For dinner, we went to the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet next door. While the seating was a bit cramped, the buffet selection was one of the best we’ve encountered. We ended the evening with another long walk, covering over 12 kilometers throughout the day.

2025.08.19 – [GB] Manchester ==> Liverpool

We had another restless sleep from the street noise and light coming through our room window. We alternated our breakfast routine with some take-away meal from Tesco. We checked out of our room at 12pm and walked to the train station. We boarded our train at around 1pm as it was a few minutes later. Our half-empty coach was much more comfortable than our 1st class train to Nottingham. Unlike most things in England, we’ve found the public transportation quite reasonable priced as for example our 1h train ride from Manchester to Liverpool costed less than $17cdn including both of us. Upon arriving in Liverpool, we walked to our target accommodation, an apartment we booked through Booking.com. We were a bit disappointed by the location of the apartment in relation to the tourist attractions. This was a bit of a planning error as we usually tried to book our accommodation near the attractions we planned to visit. We were especially frustrated by the fact that the company/landlord had not sent us the access code details to enter the building and apartment. After numerous emails, text messages and calls, we were finally provided with the information. Later, we walked to the nearest supermarket, 1 km away, to purchase food items for our next two breakfasts and dinners. One of the reason we opted for an apartment in Liverpool was take advantage of a clothes washing machine. We had a relaxing dinner and evening in our apartment.

2025.08.20 – [GB] Liverpool ==> Liverpool

Jenny started our day with a lovely homemade breakfast before we set out for a full day of sightseeing. We took an Uber to our furthest destination first: Liverpool Cathedral—the largest cathedral and religious building in Britain. It was fascinating to see how the church welcomed visitors by incorporating modern amenities within its historic interior. Inside, we found a coffee shop/restaurant, a children’s workshop, and even an extensive gift shop, all seamlessly blended into the sacred space.

Our next stop was The Beatles Story Museum, where we thoroughly enjoyed the audio self-guided tour. It offered deep insights into the formation, rise, and legacy of the Beatles, enriching our appreciation for their place in music history.

Afterwards, we took a leisurely stroll along Liverpool’s pleasant seafront, joining many other tourists as we explored several free museums along the way. Later in the afternoon, we took a break at a cozy coffee shop to rest and recharge.

Before heading home, we stopped by a grocery store to pick up ingredients for our evening meal. We returned to our apartment via Uber and spent a quiet, relaxing evening enjoying dinner and winding down from a wonderful day.