We arrived safely in Birmingham around 3:30 p.m. yesterday and had no trouble getting a taxi to take us to our little hotel. And when we say "little"...we mean absolutely tiny. The rooms are about as big as a king-sized bed, but are surprisingly comfortable and swank. After arriving at the hotel last night, we decided to explore the city centre and find a eatery. We were both extremely hungry, but managed jet lag very well. We were going on 30 hours without sleep and feeling just fine.
The next day, we woke up to find that it was 12:30 p.m. We got ready and went back out into the city. Our explorations included the beautiful city canals, a million shopping centers, and Millenium Pointe, which is where the Birmingham School of Acting is located. That building is insane. Inside there is the acting school, the Thinktank, which is a sort of science/technology activies museum for children, and an IMAX theatre. It is a strange place to be attending school. We also got to briefly explore the art museum, which contained many paintings, our favorite being the Pre-Raphaelite ones. Luckily for us, it is currently Artfest in Birmingham so we witnessed several art booths and live musicians.
Our first impressions are many. We wanted to live in a city, and here we are. Birmingham really is how it is described....urban and industrial. It's no London. If you are looking for a quaint, romanticized, English town, this is not your place. That town is 30 miles south in Stratford-upon-Avon. However, as far as innovation, progress, and modernity, there is a lot to be found here. Some of the buildings are absolutely amazing, especially the Thinktank and the Bullring. While we are admittedly disappointed by the lack of "typical" English ambiance, we are confident that there are many hidden gems in the city that are left to be discovered.
Tomorrow we will hopefully move into our apartment, which will be a whole new exploration all it's own. We miss our friends and family. This whole adventure still seems like a vacation.
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