Day 16: down to Bristol

Metrolink from Whitefield to Manchester Picadilly: free, as I didn't have any change for the machine, and there was no little man in a bright orange vest to zip off with my 20-pound note to the smoking woman on the loading platform whose sole task seems to have been to provide change from a little pouch

Costas coffee, Picadilly Stations, cafe latte and an almond croissant: £3.60, if memory serves

Boots, honey & lemon Strepcils for my achey breaky throat, a banana and a yogurt smoothie for the train: £5.58

Cross-country trains, Manchester to Bristol, changing at Birmingham New Street: a whopping £53 because plans kept being up in the air and I ended up leaving it too late

Bus from Bristol Temple Meads to Sarah's work: £1.40

Sands Restaurant in Bristol for a Lebanese lunch for Sarah, baby bump and I: £17.05

Oxfam bookshop, books for prezzies and me: £27.64

Visited Bristol's lovely cathedral, but unfortunately the inside garden was closed. Still, a pleasant way to while away a couple of hours waiting for Sarah to get off work and Simon to come to pick us up and take us home for yummy Slovene blueberry booze and a lovely homemade dinner.