Saturday, May 16, 2009, 4:42 pm

European Vacation Part I: Manchester, so much to answer for

On the plane to England we watched “European Vacation.” Now in France, it’s easy to wonder whether the French-speaking waiters, shop clerks and hotel receptionists are saying the same things to us they said to the Griswold clan. That said, we haven’t experienced a lot of the oft-discussed French rudeness. At least that we’re aware of.

It would be interesting to compare the American experience in Paris during the Bush years to the experience now. This afternoon, I got chocolate eclairs from a bakery on Île Saint-Louis, just across a break in the Seine from the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, and the proprietor had an Obama-Biden sticker near the cash register.

But before Paris, we were in England, first stopping in Manchester before heading south for London.

Aside from the lure of the biggest (international) football team in the world, Manchester is anything but a tourist draw. The former industrial capital isn’t much to gawk at and can be downright dreary in some spots. That is unless it’s the backdrop for the most important songs in the world to you. It is for me.

The Red Devils’ match day dressing room at Old Trafford.

My Mecca, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England.

The iron bridge referenced in The Smiths’ song “Still Ill” is adorned with adoring graffiti, including ours.

Since the crosstown derby between United and City was moved from Saturday, our last day in Manchester, to Sunday, we traveled instead to nearby Liverpool for the match between Everton and visiting Tottenham Hotspur. I was glad to have left my Wayne Rooney shirt in my suitcase.

It poured rain during the first half. Mandi got my rain jacket; I got soaked. The sun came out for the second half, but my first Premier League game ended in a disappointing scoreless draw.

Tags: European vacation, Manchester, Morrissey, Paris