The stress of going out socialising!

Today the Italian conversation class met in person, face to face, for only the second time since the start of lockdown, for lunch together. We last did this just before Christmas. This looks like being the pattern from now on: Zoom classes and then a social gathering. One of our party did not turn up today because he is recovering from Covid and feels weary, weary, weary and another is still in deep stress as he tries to sell his house and buy a new one. But those of us who made it had a good time. Here are a few photos of what we ate. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went to meet a friend from the class at Piccadilly station as she didn’t know how to find the restaurant. She was already stressed when I met her, having just discovered that the yearly payment we old biddies make to be able to use our bus passes on local trains and trams had run pit yesterday. A kindly station employee let her through without making her pay for her train ride and informed her of how and where to renew her bus pass train and tram app at Shudehill exchange, which is where we were headed. We went down to the Metrolink platform, she bought a ticket, and then realised she had lost her beautiful gloves, her favourite glove, the ones she saves for special occasions, left presumably on the train she had just arrived on. 

We went to an information booth and got a useless phone number. We then tried the kind station employee who had let her through without paying. He was very helpful but unfortunately the train she had used had already departed. He planned to contact a colleague on the train. My friend should check at the lost property office on platform 12 later in the afternoon. We’ll see what comes of that.

The next problem was locating the restaurant, supposedly a few minutes walk from the Shude Hill Metrolink stop. Hmm! We walked up and down High Street and finally found it in a side street off High Street.  False information! 

We arrived maybe 10 to 15 minutes late, quite Italian in fact. But a good time was had by all.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!