Hull is Where the Heart Is

December 29th:

Next stop is where I'm staying this year - Hull, United Kingdom. Just a short ride away from Manchester. We got a car from Manchester to Hull and rode on the highest highway in the United Kingdom. We passed by a lot of sheep and wind turbines. We arrived at the university before noon, took a tour of campus, saw my flat, and headed off down the street for a traditional afternoon tea.

We went to a local shop called Sweet Little Things, and ordered got a mix of sweet, savory, and vegan afternoon tea. There was tea, prosecco, orange juice, and Pepsi to accompany all of the sandwiches, scones, and cakes we got. It was basically a mega charcuterie board and everything was delicious.

After tea, we caught a bus to the marina, where people park their boats and you can get a great view of the bridge. We spent time looking at the shops and restaurants that nearby, saw the bridge, and then headed to The Deep, an aquarium in Hull. We saw lots of fish, adorable penguins, and learned about the history of Hull and the whaling industry.

After leaving The Deep, we went to a taphouse and enjoyed drinks while playing Scrabble before heading to find somewhere for dinner. We tried to go to a couple of different pubs, but there were no seats. We ended up at a Brazilian steakhouse (a different one than the one Cam and I went to on my birthday) and enjoyed dinner there. After dinner, we explored a bit more of the city center before going to get our bags from my flat and returning to the hotel.

Remember how I bought that board game in York? I had brought it with me, so my family and I settled in the play Birdwatcher (which is fast paced and pretty fun if you're looking for a recommendation). We enjoyed some of the snacks I had gotten my family for Christmas and the cookies that the hotel provided.

December 30th:

We had another day to get a bit of a later start and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel before heading to Hull Minster, a short walk from the hotel we stayed at. Hull Minster was built in 1255, and I was able to book a tour of the tower, which is the tallest public access point in Hull at 150 feet high. Our guide showed us the bell room, where you ring Hull Minsters 15 bells from, the top of the tower, and the clock room. We watched the clock strike 12, which triggered a bunch of bells to play. It was very cool. After the tour of the tower, our guide showed us around the Minster itself (which was not included in the tour, shout out to our guide) and we got to learn more about all the different portions of the church.

After leaving the Minster, we headed to Lion & Key on our tour guides recommendation for fish and chips. I don't like fish, but everybody else said they were very good, so you'll have to take their word for it. After lunch, we headed towards Hull's museum district, where we went to to the East Riding and Streetlife Museum. The Streetlife Museum is worth a visit (you know, if you're ever in the area). It houses old bikes, buses, carriages, and cars.

Apparently the creator of the Venn diagram is from Hull and he has a bridge named after him. We took a short detour to see his bridge before heading to find some coffee. After grabbing some coffee, we stopped by the St. Stephen's shopping center to see what we could see before heading to have dinner at Hammond of Hull. My parents and I had charcuterie and wine, Cam and Jack had sandwiches. Everybody enjoyed their food.

After dinner we headed to go see A Christmas Carol at Hull Truck Theatre. The actors used sign language throughout the play and I thought that was super cool. It was a great show and I'd absolutely go back to see another one. We headed back to the hotel and played another round of Birdwatcher before heading to bed. We had an early day headed back to London on the 31st.

In order: Penguins at The Deep, The Walk to Hull Minster, View of The Deep, Humber Street at Night, Afternoon Tea, Tickets to The Deep.