Blackpool, United Kingdom
October 3, 2011
Trip to Europe 2011
03-Oct-11
It was a long morning of 4 trains after leaving The Henry in Bath. The first headed back line to Bristol, where we picked up the next to Birmingham. A Virgin train to Preston ran late so the connection for the train the Blackpool south was missed, so had to take one to Blackpool North and cab to the hotel. We picked a hotel that cost a couple pence (pricy for the town) because there are some really bad places along the main promenade. Those hotels all have large windows where people are in the small lounge rooms looking out. A night, it’s fun walking by. The people look like they are in aquariums and look rather foolish in the kitschy decorated rooms. The whole town has seen better days, it could have been a week or two back in the 1800’s, but great to see the old brit playground.
Walked down to Pleasure Beach one of the amusement parks to wander and people watch. It was a mix of old a newer rides, now getting the same sponsership like US parks with a whole nickelodean section which is worth missing. The park was pretty empty as being monday and the weather less than pleasure.
The lights on the streets are a big jumble of wires during the day, we took the trolley along them on the promanade from the south to the north pier where we took a walk in some of the closing shopping district then found an Italian sitdown restaurant on the north end of town. One of the few non deep fried food spots in town. The waiters at “Taramisu” (Closed Now) worked every Italian flirtations they could use while singing old dean martin that was playing out in the dining room, as if they were working a large tip, but it seems that nobody leaves them in England. The 30 second shoulder rub before ordering wasn’t enough! Carrying luggage is heavy! I need a whole back rub! The food was good too.
Leaving the restaurant at sunset, the lights were beginning to bright as the sky to the west over the ocean looked like a sky from Hawai’i. The cold blowing wind told a different story. The first section of lights we’re a beautiful bright blue LED display but as walking down the promenade got into some older and tackier displays like the section called “faces”.
After walking to the hotel to turn in early for next days journey, the fire alarm went off. This is one of those things that follow me. It went off in the hotel in london also, and 4 other hotels at least in past travels. Luckily it wasn’t 3:30 in the morning.
The breakfast was great and we made it on time to the next train to York. Blackpool is kinda ugly in the daylight, but so is las vegas in the US.