Planning is important on a trip like this, but it’s also good to leave room for a spontaneous adventure or two.
My day started with a bit more geocaching in Manchester, taking in the Rochdale Canal and Chinatown.
Then came a quick train ride to Chorley, which was carefully chosen for being halfway between me in Manchester and the amazing Bettina Röhricht in Lancaster. Bettina is a German translator based in the UK, so my opposite number in a way.
Unlike me, Bettina is also a coach. And a very good one. You might know her from the coworking sessions she offers or have seen me mention her fab “Happiness Mindset” course.
So as I was saying, I met Bettina in Chorley. We wandered round Astley Park, picked up some goodies at Booth’s supermarket (previously unknown to this southerner) and finished up with a delicious lunch at Calico Lounge. We shared our experiences of being a Brit in Germany and a German in the UK.
On the way to Chorley, I’d noticed that the train from Manchester went all the way through to Blackpool. I couldn’t resist the idea of adding in a quick trip to the seaside and I had a great time walking and paddling on the beach, gazing at the sea and wandering along the pier. Just what I needed to help me rest and reflect.
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For more information about my networking tour and how it came about, have a look here.
And read the rest of my tour diary here.
![View of a canal and part of the towpath. Blue sign that says 'Rochdale Canal'.](https://jane-eggers-translations.de/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/04/IMG_4097-300x225.jpeg)
![Waterside art by the Rochdale Canal. A life-sized horse and fox.](https://jane-eggers-translations.de/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/04/IMG_4099-300x225.jpeg)
![Lock gates on the Rochdale Canal, with rainbow-painted planters behind.](https://jane-eggers-translations.de/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/04/IMG_4103-300x225.jpeg)
![Two women grin into the camera. They are standing in front of a sign saying 'Welcome to Chorley. Lancashire's Market Town'.](https://jane-eggers-translations.de/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/IMG_4114-300x225.jpeg)
![Café table with a frothy cappuccino in a glass cup very close up at the front. Behind are a slice of carrot cake on a white plate, plus a white teapot, cup and milk jug.](https://jane-eggers-translations.de/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/IMG_4120-300x223.jpeg)
![The sun is low in the sky, the tide is out, and Blackpool North Pier stretches into the water.](https://jane-eggers-translations.de/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/IMG_4124-300x225.jpeg)
![View of Blackpool Tower and the beach.](https://jane-eggers-translations.de/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/IMG_4150-300x210.jpeg)
![View from above of two legs in blue jeans, with bare feet under water, being lightly splashed by a wave](https://jane-eggers-translations.de/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/IMG_4136-300x208.jpeg)
![A woman grins at the camera. She's standing with her back to the sea and the sun is low in the sky.](https://jane-eggers-translations.de/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/IMG_4132-300x225.jpeg)