Day trips around Greater Manchester

Manchester is fun, but there’s so much more around. So, why stay put there? Here are some of my favourite spots for a day trip from Greater Manchester any time of the year. If you have been living in Manchester for a while and you still don’t know these places, you better start making arrangements.

A day trip to Buxton

Well-connected by bus or railway, the spa town of Buxton is a great place to visit as a family. Kids can run and play in the gardens, families can have a picnic near the Crescent, friends can have a few pints, and you can even go shopping. There are a few independent shops here! There are a couple of tourist visits you can take here, too. I enjoyed visiting the Poole’s cavern a few years ago -on the expensive side, but interesting anyway-. Finally, Buxton is a good first stop before visiting the Peak District.

A day trip to Liverpool

If walking down the streets towards Albert’s Locks isn’t your thing, you can always book a tour. My family did this pre-Covid, and they loved it. I usually take my visits for a pint to The Philarmonic, a pub for fans of classical music, and to the Cavern Club. My father, as a Beatles maniac, loved the Beatles museum, but I didn’t particularly enjoy it. I know it isn’t a competition, but I still prefer Liverpool to Manchester. Sorry, Liverpoordians!

A day trip to Chester

I keep telling people that Chester is a place to take your parents because it’s too boring for me. The cathedral is spectacular; walking around the city centre, through the medieval houses and the old city walls, is an experience. Still, after two hours wandering around the city, I can only think of a large pint and warm food. None of my visits has ever complained about visiting Chester, so the negativity comes from visiting it repeatedly.

A day trip to Macclesfield

A day trip to Macclesfield… and surroundings! Macclesfield is an excellent place to organise a pub crawl, with many independent pubs. If you drive, the Macclesfield forest and Teggs Nose should definitely be on your list. If you take the train, you can walk down the canal towards Bollington or Poynton and walk back through the Middlewood Way. Or ride your bike down the Middlewood way, of course! If you have time to spare, I suggest you claim the White Nancy in Bollington for superb views.

A day trip to Hebden Bridge

Hebden Bridge was one of the first places I visited when I first moved to Manchester. It’s a market town down in the Upper Calder Valley. Lovely to visit in Autumn. Famous for its vegan cafés, independent shops and creative vibes, it has a river, a canal and a few easy-to-reach paths for walking. If you get there with time, don’t hesitate to visit Hardcastle Crags. It’s breathtaking!

A day trip to the Peak District

There are so many Peak District little villages worth visiting I don’t know where to start: Edale, Castlefield, Hope, Bakewell, Chinley, Flash, Whaley Bridge… all of them with fantastic walks. So, bring on your walking boots and enjoy!

A weekend in Lake District from Greater Manchester

You don’t have a car, don’t you? Don’t panic. You can do loads in the Lake District, even if you don’t drive. You can take a train to Windermere and, from there, cross the lake with a boat or move around in a coach. You’ll miss out on the lovely paths and tiny roads, with water overflowing from all streams and beautiful forest colours, but I’m sure it’ll be an enjoyable trip anyway.

Some of the nature trails start outside of the main towns in Lake District, you can swim in some of the lakes if you’re lucky to visit in the warm season, and you can hire a bike for the weekend to explore around like we did the first time. 100% recommendable!

A weekend in the North of Wales from Greater Manchester

Step on the train to the North of Wales, and you’ll fall in love with its landscapes. One of my favourite areas in the whole country is Anglesey Island. It’s such a stunning place! Sadly, it’s impossible to find great accommodation on short notice without going broke, so I’d suggest you stay in the sore (can we call it sore if Great Britain is still an island?) and drive/take the train for day trips.

We loved the beaches in Anglesey and instantly fell in love with the southern part of the island. It was so peaceful, and there were little people around! The food was spotless, too. I dream of doing the circular cycling route around the island. One day!

A weekend in York from Greater Manchester

Another great spot to spend a weekend if you live in Manchester or happen to fly to Manchester airport. We always drive there from Macclesfield, and it feels like it took forever to drive from Leeds to York! It was 100% worth it, of course. I haven’t seen the cathedral inside, AKA York Minster, but I bet it’s gorgeous. We did walk around the Shambles and the riverside, the York City walls and the Museum gardens. If you have time, you can step on the train/your car once more to visit the Yorkshire Dales and Whitby. Yes, Yorkshire coastal towns are also worth a visit. I promise!

A Weekend Around Greater Manchester: Pick your time wisely

Yes, it’s worth travelling around Greater Manchester and using your weekends to get to know a few places around the city. There’s a huge contrast between the peace of the moors in Lancashire, the homely feel of small towns, such as Hebden Bridge, the beach days on the coast, the green fields in Cumbria and the industrial feel of Manchester City Centre.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my little article. If that’s the case, please, share, share, share!

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Will 2023 be the year when my blogging career takes off? Just joking! Of course, I’m not planning on becoming a blogger out of nowhere. I’ve decided to stop blaming myself. That can’t be healthy. Instead, I’ve decided to analyse if procrastination is putting me off blogging, as I suspect. Stay with me while I ramble examine it.

Is my perfectionism preventing me from blogging?

I always considered myself to be a professional procrastinator. I assume it. I always leave the hardest and most tedious tasks for the end… just the opposite of what you should do to be productive. Yes, I was that student typing last-minute my reports and, of course, fighting the printer to get the assignment printed just a few hours before it was due.

Then, I always thought it was laziness. However, talking about this matter with my workmate Rachael, she suggested that perfectionist people often see themselves as lazy or prone to procrastinate when it’s actually their fear of failure that’s preventing them from doing what they should be doing.

This idea resonated with me

Soon after our conversation, I came across an episode of the podcast “I shouldn’t say this but…” and my mind exploded. Katy Leeson, the author of this (rest-in-peace) podcast and self-confessed procrastinator, examined all the major reasons for purposely delaying or avoiding certain tasks.

There it was, once again, the combo of perfectionism + fear of failure was number one on the list.

It turns out I am a procrastinator because I care too much about what I do, and consequently, I don’t start something when I’m not sure the results will be good enough for my standards.

It turns out I am a procrastinator because I care too much about what I do, and consequently, I don’t start something when I’m not sure the results will be good enough for my standards. I mean, it’s nothing new that I’ve got a thing for things well done (I drive my husband crazy, LOL), but it never occurred to me that the reason why I do it is that I care too much. Damn it!

If you want to listen to this podcast, you can find the episode here: Spotify / Apple Podcasts, and I can’t recommend it enough. I loved listening to it while I walked around the park or the local cemetery. Yes, I walk a lot around Macclesfield cemetery, but that’s a topic for another post.

Where was I? Ah, I know.

So, it turns out I’m not a lazy person after all.

This got me thinking…

Do I no longer enjoy blogging?

I used to think that I didn’t take the leap and create content for my blog because I was too busy. Being a new mum, though, I laugh at myself thinking about this because, let’s assume it. I’ve had plenty of time.

Was it a lack of motivation, then?

Sometimes you like the idea of something, but then you don’t like doing it. I have often felt like I needed to create content to prove that I could do it. But since I was never in the right mood for doing it the right way, with the right mixture of good content and smart-placed keywords, with perfect SEO and readability scores on Yoast, with good quality but optimised images, alt text, the right internal and external links, the right anchor text… should I keep going?

I even wondered if travelling and food were something I no longer felt passionate about. If you talk to me for more than five minutes, you realise this is nonsense. I would take my one-year-old around the world if I had the money/days off to do so. He’s the best travel companion, although you need to be overprepared with extra clothes and snakes. You can’t have everything.

Can I overcome blogging procrastination?

So, how do I fix it? Do I force myself to write with the hope that I’ll create a habit out of it and find my lost love for blogging? Do I let it flow? I don’t know if I’ll be able to overcome this issue or if my procrastination will keep putting me off from becoming the blogger I once dreamed about.

I started this article in 2022. That’s how bad procrastination hit me. So, this time I’ll start by forgiving myself for all the times in the past when I felt guilty for updating my blog. I’ll start small, too, posting this unoptimised blog article. It might not be perfect, but it’s mine.

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Just as I’m 100% sure they’ll start their list with L O N D O N. How not!

Why ask AI for a List of the Ten Must-See places

Why are you asking AI for a list of the Ten Must-See places in England, Marta? you ask. A couple of weeks ago, it was 11 years since I packed my stuff and said ‘Adios’ to my life in Spain, in search of a new life in Cambridge with my back-then new boyfriend, a Catalan guy I now call husband.

That got me thinking… mmm… I should write a post with my favourite places for a short break in England. I say England because I’ve only been once to Scotland, twice to North Wales, and none to Northern Island, so I’m no expert on the whole territory.

Yes, but tell us about the AI bit.

Oh, yes. So, do you remember I do Social Media for a living? One of the software we use has an AI-assisted ghostwriting tool and I thought I could ask (him/her/them… it?) for a list, just for fun and to see if I agreed with the choices.

The 10 of the must-visit places in England that should be on everyone’s list:

Here are the 10 of the must-visit places in England that should be on everyone’s list, according to AI:

1. LONDON

London is the capital of England and a city that’s full of history, culture, entertainment and attractions. I mean, if you’re planning a trip to England, you should definitely make room in your list for London. It’s precisely the first place I stood foot in when I came to the UK back in 2007. I remember loving Camden, Notting Hill, the beautiful gardens with lakes and ducks and the Houses of Parliament. I wasn’t a big fan of Harrods, Notting Hill Market and Buckingham Palace. I did love (and I still do) the Tate Modern.

Hotels in London aren’t on the cheap side, so let me know if you need help with recommendations. I’ve been a few times, for work and for pleasure, so I can drop a few names or suggest some areas.

2. STONEHENGE

One of the most famous prehistoric sites around the world, yet one I’ve only seen on pictures and Windows computers. I’ve been told a trip exclusively to see Stonehenge isn’t worth the time or money, but I’d include it in a trip to Bath and other historic towns in the area. It’s on my travel bucket list.

3. THE LAKE DISTRICT

The Lake District is a stunning national park in the North West of England, perfect for exploring and taking in the natural beauty of England. Oh, I love the Lake District so much I wouldn’t mind moving there, even if I knew we’d have to deal with even more rainy days. I’ve been five times already. We love to stay in this little B&B or somewhere in the area. We’ll definitely be back soon to explore new lakes and new waterfalls, follow new paths and have the best meals. There are always new places to explore and new landscapes to discover in Cumbria.

4. THE COTSWOLDS

The Cotswolds – an area of outstanding natural beauty in central England, with quaint villages, rolling hills and stunning countryside. I’ve only been once to cast a voucher for the Pudding Club. It was a rainy weekend in July, and I was very hungover, so I didn’t have the positive experience one might expect. We should definitely get back to the Costworlds for a second visit.

5. BATH

Bath – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with beautiful architecture and a fascinating Roman past. And shops! Everyone talks about Bath’s independent shops and cafés. We need to get around here at some point, yes.

6. CAMBRIDGE

Cambridge – a university city with beautiful architecture and a great place to explore. What to say about the city where I first lived when I moved to the UK and where I met my husband? Well, it’s breathtaking. Every street in town pretty much has some stunning buildings, the punting by the river Cams, the walks in the Backs, the naps in Jesus Green… I miss living in a stunning place!

7. THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER

The White Cliffs of Dover – a stunning natural landmark with breathtaking views of the English coastline that I’m yet to visit. Maybe next year…

8. THE YORKSHIRE DALES

The Yorkshire Dales – a national park in the North of England, perfect for exploring and taking in the stunning landscape. I’ve only driven through The Yorkshire Dales on my way to Whitby. We must come back to Whitby and the Dales.

9. THE JURASSIC COAST

The Jurassic Coast – a stunning stretch of coastline in the South West, with amazing prehistoric fossils to spot. (Never been, sorry!)

10. BRIGHTON

Brighton – a vibrant and colourful city on the South Coast, with a great atmosphere and plenty to see and do. I’ve been a couple of times, once to see the Pavilion and the second to attend Brighton SEO. Brighton is definitely a place to visit if you’re around, but I don’t think I’ll be coming back anytime soon. It’s an upgrade from other coastal towns in the UK, but I’d rather see different places.

Which leads me to the following point: What should have made it to the list?

Some beautiful places that didn’t make it to the list of must-see places in England (and should have!)

I should have also asked ChatGPT for their recommendations to have a second opinion on the ten must-see places in England (I might do), but I think this list has missed Oxford and York, which I’d visit before Brighton, and the lovely towns and villages of The Penines and The Peak District. They happen to be closer to Cheshire, where I’m based, so I might be a bit biased here, of course. I wonder which would be the ten must-see places in Scotland or Wales and which of these ten in my list of must-see places to visit in England would get featured in a list for the whole of Great Britain.

Now tell me. Have you been to these ten places in England? What other place should have made it to the list, do you reckon?

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Source: Pexels / CitizenMarta / CitizenMarta

Ten things you should add to your 20s bucket list

1. Travel – Explore the world and experience new cultures and ways of life. If you’re reading this, you probably have an interest in travelling, so well done, you!
2. Take a risk – Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Listen to this: your 20s are the ideal time to do it. Don’t fear of making mistakes; that’s how you learn and grow. And what if it works?
3. Get financially savvy – Start planning for your future and build up your savings. Don’t do like me and spend it all on your travels, going out and getting wasted. Put some money every month aside in a saving account and don’t touch it until you’ve turned 30. You’ll thank me later.
4. Invest in your well-being – Take care of your physical and mental health. Over the years, you’ll learn to stay away from the toxic people surrounding you in your early 20s. Remember: true friends and loving partners don’t treat you like you are spendable. Caring is loving.
5. Read widely – Broaden your horizons with books from all genres. The more, the merrier.
6. Invest in yourself – Invest time and money in learning new skills and gaining knowledge. Don’t worry about the certifications but the actual value you get. Every new skill you gain will help you through life, either professionally or personally. With a bit of luck, both professionally and personally.
7. Declutter – Get rid of things that no longer serve you and find more joy in life. You don’t need so many clothes; that is for sure -said the person with Diogenes disorder-.
8. Develop a hobby – Develop a passion and find something that you can enjoy and excel in. Mine is blogging, can you tell?
9. Form meaningful relationships – Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you (go back to point 6 and read again).
10. Live life to the fullest – Make the most of every moment and appreciate the little things.

We only get one chance at life, so make sure to make the most of it

I am closer to my 36s than my 35s, and I’m still working through this list. I hope my tips help you realise how much you can achieve before you turn 30. Or, if you’re already past your best life, leave me a comment. Is it true that the 30s are the new 20s?

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We were practising social isolation even before the UK was placed in a lock-down, leaving the house only for the essential and not meeting any of our friends. You see, while, in the UK, things were quiet, deaths by Covid-19 in Spain were growing at alarming rates. With all my family and friends in lockdown, we got very concerned. In a matter of days, I went into panic mode and started to cancel all our travel plans and get ready for isolation.

I was meaning to take my time off work and in confinement to update this blog with fresh new content. I had run out of excuses not to blog about my trips. However, reality hit hard. Once I had all the time in the world to blog, I felt like there was nothing I felt like sharing. The closest I’ve done is to update an Instagram story a day. I’ve saved them all stories in a highlight called it ‘Lockdown diaries‘. Yes, I’m super original!

So, the first thing I’m going to do is….

To actually update my blog more often

Yes, I really want to create a content calendar, with some planning on what I’m going to write, some nice images, etc. All I need is to stick to the plan once I’m back to work. I always struggle to find the energy and the time to blog after a day of work. However, I really miss blogging. I used to blog in my early 20s and I totally abandoned it for Facebook and, more recently Instagram.

I also recently got rid of my Spanish Twitter account. I love reading about politics, but Twitter is a hateful place and I’m not really in the mood for those visceral tweets that make me angry. Is it just I or Twitter is full or resentful people? With Twitter gone, I’ve got less time for memes and more for blogging. Yay!

To go for a walk every single day

One of the perks of living in Macclesfield is the number of amazing paths and natural areas. You don’t even need to drive; there are lovely path walks just about 5 minutes from our home. I’m often too tired or too lazy to go for a walk after work and I’m definitely not a morning person.

Nevertheless, I’ve been going out for a walk or a run almost every day for the last month and I’ve loved having some time not to think about anything, away from my iPhone, iPad, computer or the telly.

Besides the walks, I’ve been doing some 5-10 minute video workouts at home and playing with my old Wii Fit. If you’ve known me for more than two minutes, you must have realised I’m not the most active person. This is precisely why I want to keep a routine.

To read more books (and to watch less Netflix)

Back when I was living in Madrid, I used to devour books. I remember reading on my way to uni and then, back at home, keep reading for hours. Then, when I moved to the UK, I moved to study English on those gaps and I, somehow, lost the habit of reading before bed. I blame it on Netflix.

When I’m tired, I tend to consume easy content (this is, re-watched movies or series), rather than reading a book, which requires more energy, especially when I read books in English and I’m tired. Still, when I travel, I always carry a book or my kindle. In the last two or three years. Being off work, I’ve used my free time to catch up with my readings and I’m absolutely obsessed with Patria, a story about two families antagonised because of the Basque conflict.

To spend some quality time with my family and friends

I’m all about travelling to see my family, but living in another country means than we often have to decide whether we go to visit my family, my in-laws (on the other side of Spain), or we go on holiday somewhere else. It’s tricky and we sometimes feel guilty we cannot spend as much time as we’d like with family and friends.

For once, I’m absolutely looking forward to spending some time with my family and relaxing with a glass of Toro red wine. Video-calls with my friends aren’t the same as face-to-face, especially if all they’ve done for the last 45 days is staying at home. I had two family trips planned before the lockdown was enforced, so we can always travel and enjoy each others’ company when it’s allowed.

So, these are the for top things in my list. If we can get something good of this nightmare that’s the Covid-19 pandemic is that most of the things we are worried about (eg. having a new car, cool furniture, stylish clothes, the latest iPhone…) aren’t really that important.

What do you plan to do when confinement is over?

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There are hundreds of amazing places to eat in Manchester and I can say I’m lucky that I’ve found some of the good ones. Because you don’t always have to go for the most expensive to get the nicest meal. Let me walk you through my favourite places to eat in Manchester these days.

The Mighty Mackie Mayor

I’ve got a thing for food markets. Blame it on my Spanish background. Manchester’s Mackie Mayor is my favourite by far, only followed by that food market at the bottom right of Portobello Road in London.

My favourite food at the Mackie Mayor has to be one of the Tender Cow’s steak dishes. Just yummy! Fish and chips look good, too, and I cannot recommend enough the avo toasts. The husband likes their pizza place, but I always find it kind of tasteless and in need of more cheese and, maybe, some oregano or other herbs. Try out the local beers (the pub is in the far corner, a little hidden) and don’t skip dessert. I had the loveliest lemon loaf ever!

While the main area of Mackie Mayor is bussy, the top seating area is always a little bit quiet. The corner area near the pub is the favourite spot for mums with babies and toddlers if you are looking for a quieter area.

The Pie Minister in Northern Quarter

My friend Ana told me once about this place. A little sceptical at the beginning, but then, we tried it and we just loved it. If you like British pies, this is going to be your paradise. Every visit we’ve had in the last two years or so has been taken here. No disappoints so far! Even my granny loved it when we took her to the Pie Minister, but she’s not picky with food anyway. Prices are really good (you can eat a pie with extras and grab a drink for a tenner), although the place is a little tight. Not the best place to go with kids, probably.

The Neapoletan pizza of my dreams

Last summer my friend Laura came over to spend the weekend. It was one of those rarely super sunny days we have from time to time. With the city all nicely decorated with bee figures, we started to hang around looking for the coolest bee designs. We came across this place in Peter street, right next to Albert’s Schloss, where we had planned to go for lunch. 

When we saw the pizzas in the couple of tables they had outside, we didn’t think it twice and decided to give it a go. Rudy’s Pizza was simply AMAZING. Just like the kind of pizza you’d eat in Naples. One day I’ll tell you about my trips to Naples. In the meantime, take my word here. Best pizza in Manchester. A pizza and an alcoholic drink at Rudy’s come together at something like £12, which is really good, compared to the extortionate prices in Pizza Express and similar chains.

In the mood for Mexican food? El Capo is your place

My boyfriend can hardly remember the first time we came here. He had been drinking with my friend’s husband while we two were at the cinema watching Bridget Jone’s latest film. We had the worst waitress that night, though. We had to ask for our nachos twice and they close the kitchen without telling us, so it was no pudding for us (to the husband’s disappointment). They offered some shots. I was driving back home, so I refuse. Let’s just say that my husband cannot remember how he made it home. 

Food, at El Capo, however, is great, so we’ve come back a couple of times with friends. It’s a large place and we are really bad at booking in advance, so this is important to us. If you love tequila, you’ll be amazed by their extensive drinks menu. Quesadillas are great. I cannot decide if I prefer the chicken or the pork quesadillas. Both were so tasty! Last time we went, though, they had a new menu without quesadillas. What on Earth? Still, food is amazing, but… I NEED those quesadillas back!

Don’t forget to order your nachos. Honestly, nachos are sooooo good here! In our latest visit, we had a variety of tacos, some of whom were very tasty, some too hot for me. Still, they cannot compare to the quesadillas I always went through in the past. I hope they take back this dish soon! 

Manchester Grub, best for Saturdays

We are yet to come to the new Grub in Manchester. They’ve recently moved and we’ve just happened to be too busy to go there. It’ll be happening, soon. I had a wonderful time last time I went with my friend Rachael. We tried for the first time the amazing Oh-Mei-Dumplings and I’m now totally obsessed with this mum’s Instagram stories.

Food changes every weekend in this venue and Sundays is Vegan day. Sadly, Manchester Grub has been vandalised a couple of times already since their opening, which is a shame. Do come and visit them, if you care for the independent venues. Oh, I almost forget, and they have a great beer selection!

So, these all are my favourite places to eat in Manchester at the minute. I know there aren’t fancy restaurants. We just like to try a few different places and we don’t really care for luxury when we go out with friends. What other places in Manchester do you like to eat out? 

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