Thursday Thirteen

I got some good news yesterday regarding my holiday next year. So, with that in mind, I've been thinking about other places that I like to visit. Some, as you will see, are not places to go on holiday. Nevertheless, they are places that are special to me.

1. Blackpool: a seaside town in Lancashire, England. Situated along the coast of the Irish Sea, it has a population of 142,900, making it the fourth-largest settlement in North West England behind Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington. It lies 40 miles (64 km) north-west of the city of Manchester, and less than 30 miles north of Liverpool City centre. Also, a stones throw away from where I was born, so a particular favourite from my childhood.

2. Eastlands:The City of Manchester Stadium, also known as COMS or Eastlands,is a stadium in Manchester, England. Originally designed as part of Manchester's failed bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics, the stadium was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games at a cost of £110 million. After the Games, it was converted for use as a football ground and became the home of Manchester City F.C., which moved there from Maine Road in 2003 after signing a 250-year lease.The new home of my favourite football team. A fantastic place to watch them play, but I still miss Maine Road.

3.The Trafford Centre: a large indoor shopping centre located in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. The planning process for the Trafford Centre was one of the longest and most expensive in the history of the United Kingdom. Shops in Manchester, what more could a Northern girl want?

4. Edinburgh:the capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437.[1] It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow. Wonderful for a long weekend. If you can, go there by train, the views are spectacular. Ghost walks and Mary Kings Close are my particular favourite past times here.

5. Paris:the capital of France and the country's largest city.Shops, history and the amazing Opera House.Another wonderful place to go to for a long weekend.

6.Central Park :a large public, urban park in the heart of New York City and is host to approximately twenty-five million visitors each year. Central Park has been a National Historic Landmark since 1963. For me, this is the most romantic place in New York.

7. Stratford upon Avon:a popular tourist destination owing to its status as birthplace of the playwright and poet William Shakespeare, receiving about three million visitors a year from all over the world.I love taking a picnic to the park here and just watching the world go by. If you love teddy bears, then a visit to the museum is a must.

8. Warwick Castle: sits on a cliff overlooking a bend in the River Avon. Warwick Castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 within or adjacent to Anglo-Saxon burh of Warwick. It was used as a fortification until the early 17th century, when Sir Fulke Greville converted it to a country house. It was owned by the Greville family, who became earls of Warwick in 1759, until 1978. The medieval weekends are great fun and I can easily spend the whole day here.

9.York:is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. Take a picnic to the park and sit in the ruins by the river,it's wonderful. I've loved visiting the museum ever since I was a little girl.

10. Crete:the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Many happy family holidays have been spent here.

11.London:the capital of the United Kingdom and England.Has some fantastic book shops.

12.Corfu:a Greek island in the Ionian Sea.I've had some some wonderful girlie holidays here with my mum.

13. The Palace Theatre Manchester: one of the main theatres in Manchester, England.I've spent many a long hour here, watching some amazing shows.