On Leaving

Today I didn't do anything. This weekend I'm kind of taking it easy after spring break and our overnight, and since I'm still kind of sick. I'm getting better though! It's helping to lie around a bit.
So, as promised, here are my observations from Manchester and Liverpool yesterday and Wednesday. I thought they would take up more space, since they take up a whole page in my half-size notebook. Hmm.
Anyway.

Both Liverpool and Manchester seem to be desperate to break away from their reputations as the poor area of Europe. Each has obviously done a lot of work to "regenerate" the area, with "luxury apartments" and new commercial areas in what were some of the poorest parts of the cities.
Although I knew about the rivalry between the two cities, I had no idea how real it was – any time the tour guides mentioned the other city, it was always with some kind of snide comment: "Of course it was cold in Manchester," our guide said this morning. Interestingly, there was much less rivalry between the two football clubs in Liverpool, or at least our guide didn't seem to care. She was pretty impartial to both teams.
Both towns were much more spaced out than London, and I thought a lot of the midwest, especially in the new developments. A lot of neighborhoods could have been in the United States if the cars had been driving on the other side of the road and there had been a few more white picket fences.