This is a slow news day because 99% of my plans for going about Birmingham have come to naught. Yesterday, I started feeling not well, sort of like food poisoning not well. Fortunately, by early morning, I felt well enough to finish packing up and make it to the train. I arrived at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham shortly after 8:00 a.m., desperate to get to my room a mere seven hours before check-in time! (I knew the hotel had space because I had looked up availability on booking.com.) Of course, the woman at the registration desk gave me the standard line, "Your room is not ready yet but we will be happy to store your luggage." I offered to pay for an extra day and asked if, perhaps, a different room might be free. "Let me check." Then she disappeared. I think she went to her supervisor to ask what to do. Luck was with me and I was allowed access to room 539, a large cheerless room but well designed: a table with two chairs, another table for putting things on, A FRIG!!! comfortable looking bed and huge bathroom. And I was not charged for an extra day.
Although I have drunk gallons and gallons and gallons of water, I had not eaten a thing since yesterday early afternoon, which is not good. After managing a roll with butter and jam and coffee, I relaxed a bit and then took off to hunt and gather for later.
People, do you like to shop? I mean do you absolutely love to shop at mediocre stores until you can shop no longer but you just keep on shopping because the stores do not end? Yes? Well, Birmingham is the place to go! Man, do they have malls! Malls connected to malls! Streets lined with stores. I don't think Amazon.com is much of a thing here because these stores are doing a raging business.
I bought some things for when I get hungry and planned to do a nine mile walking tour of the city. But when I got back to the room to deposit the groceries, I realized that I just did not want to go anywhere. Maybe later. But I have been happily sitting on the bed doing puzzles, reading, and stuff like that. I took a hot bath. Then there was a knock at the door. A housekeeping lady said, "This is for you from the hotel," whereupon she gave me a large chocolate bar accompanied by a card from the manager welcoming Paul to the hotel!
Aside from the endless shopping possibilities, a striking feature of Birmingham is its dedication to bulls.
In the train station:
In the Bull Ring Mall:
Except for the bull in the station, the others....40 bulls and 88 calves are part of a summer exhibit to raise money for Hospice (not sure how that works). The sculptures are quite delightful! .
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