Birmingham is a city to which I’d given short shrift for a few years, mainly because it was a stopping point on my Paris-to-Glasgow marathon bus trips. When you’ve been sitting for almost a full day, and you know there’s another leg to go, it’s hard to muster much enthusiasm for sightseeing. The bubble-wrapped Bullring shopping centre, though, intrigued me enough to finally make a date with Birmingham. It turned out to be city with a great art museum, some interesting architecture, and – most importantly – a pedestrian main drag where weary bus passengers can stretch their legs. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
