Today's itenerary was to head up to Sheffield, and see what it was like and hopefully see another show. But before I took off from Nottingham, I decided to eat breakfast at the same place I had lunch the day before. One thing that is different, not good or bad…just different, is customer service. In the US, as your meal and drink reduce in size, it is very common for the service staff to ask you how things are going. Sometimes to the point of annoyance because your conversation keeps getting interrupted. Here, you typically get checked on once about halfway through your meal. This is acceptable as is flagging someone down or getting up and getting someone's attention. I had another English breakfast, not much different than the last, although the last was a bit better.
Something I really like about the UK is how a half hour down the road really changes the whole atmosphere of where you are. It's not just landscapes that are varying wildly. It's more like each section has its own culture and identity that are unique. To me, Leicester felt tired and run down. Nottingham was lively and rebellious like it had been told to be that way. Sheffield feels blue collar and proper with a university vibe. The land itself is hilly which makes the light tram very welcome. I started by parking in a park open to the public 24/7. I wish we had even a sample of the greenspace this was.
Then, I took the tram down to the city center. I started with the Sheffield Cathedral, otherwise known as the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield. It was beautiful inside and out. And it being Sunday, the doors were open and a massive organ was being played very well. I loved working in church buildings and this would have been a treat. They had a section dedicated to the soldiers from Sheffield who died.in combat from all wars. On the wall even hung the battle standards throughout time, most tattered and torn from use.
I then walked towards the Millennium gallery and Winter Garden. I reached the indoor garden first. I can see how this would be appealing in the grueling Sheffield winter slipping and sliding outside to come to a warm botanical retreat. It makes much more sense here than in places that it is swampy feeling inside and out. The Millennium Gallery was smaller than I thought it would be, but it was still cool. I saw some really good ideas that I would like to mimic if I was artistic.
I then ate a late lunch/early dinner at a Malaysian restaurant. I didn't know much about Malaysia before I started looking at acquiring a second passport. But since I found out some things I have been interested in the mix of cultures that is Malaysia. It's proximity in the East allows it to freely mix cultures from India to China. I had a traditional Malaysian dish know as Nasi lemak. The picture doesn't do the food justice. The sauce was beyond flavorful and they added a small pile of chili oil to increase the heat if you like. I loved how it was light, but still filling. And instead of giving you a peanut sauce, they just gave you a pile of peanuts to add to each bite, if you like. I also had a Malaysian milk tea and it tastes just like the Chinese milk tea in Birmingham.
There are many more things to see and do in Sheffield, but because it is Sunday, things were closed. When I come back, there is a butterfly sanctuary I want to visit, as well as the Moor market. I had about 2 hrs to kill before I saw the show scheduled for today, so I went to a local movie theater and watched the new Jurassic World movie. The chairs in the Light Cinema were super comfortable and I think I might have missed at least 5 minutes somewhere towards the middle of the movie. After that was done I marched down to the City Hall to see Jack Dee. Jack Dee has been doing standup for a long time but is now best known for his wittiness on panel shows like Have I Got News for You. It was an enjoyable show at an incredible venue.
Sorry for the poor quality image. I didn't want to bother anyone by holding the phone up to get proper lighting. If you want to see him that bad, look him up. Anyways, tomorrow is a day in nature. I am taking my allergy pill now and headed off to bed. Cheers.