Writer's Block: Local Favorite

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As much as I like people, I generally hate crowds. I therefore tend to avoid the stereotypically touristy stuff.

A) Seven Dials in an interesting one, not just for historical reasons, but also because it's an located on an unusual road feature, namely 7 one way streets converging at a roundabout.

I also know a fair amount of trivia about the Underground and disused/half-built stations. Sometimes when travelling between places I'll make an effort to pass one of these.

B) If my guest is a UK citizen (or grew up in the UK) then I'll also consider showing one of the churches which feature in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons (St Clement Danes being the most obvious choice).

If I'm showing people around Manchester (which has happened on occasion) then I have two favourite places:
C) The <ahref="http://www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/a57m/">half built exit ramp of the A57(M). Construction was stopped when the workers realised that it would send traffic onto a one way street — in the wrong direction.

D) Nearby to C is the Vimto casting. It's a wooden sculpture of the fruit ingredients for a semi-famous soft drink which was created on a nearby road.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=uk&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105521496432279428721.00046cbbab018023e45cd
has each of these listed for those who care.

Writer's Block: It Sounds Better When You Say It (in German)

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My favourite foreign-language word is the German word for butterfly: Schmetterling ( fluttery thing). I like it for both the sound and for the composition of the word.

There was a time when I was conversational in French, German and BSL. Sadly I've not kept up the use and my skills have decayed. I was saying to a group of workmates only yesterday that about 13 years ago I used to dream in German (though I don't recall that ever happening in French). That skills decline so quickly and also that I've not kept up my German, saddens me a little.

If I ever decide to emigrate (admittedly not on my current list of plans) then it's likely to be to Germany since I have at least a basic grasp of the language.