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.

******

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.