Final Days In Leeds
May 27th, 2008 by Scuba
End of exam celebrations have started to quieten down, and so we’re into the last week in Leeds. Exams went pretty well, it was a relief to have four instead of seven this semester. Since exams, I’ve managed to see a bit more of Leeds (it was good to finally discover the River Aire in town) and spent today in Manchester. I’d been a couple of before but only for gigs, so it was good to see the city before leaving.
Manchester is pretty close to Leeds, just over an hour by bus, and similar in size. Seemed a bit more commercial and busier, but apparently Leeds has a higher population. After a pub lunch it was off to Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United FC. An upcoming Bruce Springsteen concert meant the football pitch was off limits, but we still got a tour of the stadium from the comfort of the north stand. Compared to Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough it was pretty massive. The entire crowed from the Boro vs. Pompey match that I’d attended a few weeks ago could have fitted in the stand, and Riverside’s total capacity was under half of Old Trafford’s. Even so, we were so close to the action in Riverside, so each have their own benefits. The museum was packed full of trophies and it was great walking amongst all the past glory.
After leaving the stadium, Ash and I explored the city centre. The was plenty of fantastic architecture to see, including the Town Hall, Library and Cathedral. Quite the mixture of old and new. I’m now writing this from the comfort of a National Express coach as we cruise through some typical English fog and rain back to Leeds. Thought I’d try out blogging from my trusty n810 Internet Tablet, which should certainly come in handy on the long train rides of our final jaunt through Europe.
We leave on Monday for Denmark, heading straight to Copenhagen for a few days for a taste of Scandivania. From there we hope to see Eastern Germany, The Czech Republic (and maybe Slovakia), Hungary and Austria. We’ve booked flights back to London from there for the 24th, just in time to see Radiohead. A pretty awesome way to bring an end to the journey, because after a few days in London we’ll be starting the massive trek back to Brisbane.
While it’s sad to be saying goodbye to the place I’ve called home these past nine months, home is seems very inviting and am looking forward to seeing everyone again in just over a months time. Sadly the friends we’ve made won’t be coming back with us (not just yet at least) so there’ll be some sad goodbyes to endure over the next few days. It’ll be a busy and exciting time as we prepare to move back home.