Abbey and Brittney do Birmingham part 2

We had so many wacky adventures around Birmingham that I have to do a two parter!

That’s right, Birmingham has a wealth of wackiness and we exploited it to its fullest.

Ok, let’s start with Brabbie gets goth. On one fine day we took to the Jewellery Quarter to find some jewels of course, but we quickly discovered the Jewellery Quarter of Brum is actually the Pawn Shop quarter. Thankfully we are quick to adapt and found a cool graveyard instead.

My dream is to someday purchase this graves keepers house and turn it into a badass B&B.

Most of the graveyard was unkempt … derelict even. I was 90% sure Abbey and I were going to fall into a grave and probably die there. There was just so many holes, open/broken graves, and precarious headstones. I mean just look at this photo of poor Abbey with one foot in the grave.

Look how bad ass we are with all that barbed wire in this weird alleyway!

On another day adventure we journeyed to the Black Country living museum. It’s a neat museum meant to represent old timey life with old timey buildings.

We arrived late in the day just before a storm was about to hit the area. The whole place had a weird vibe. You know, the feeling before a thunderstorm on a hot day. It had that calm feeling, but we were in this bizarre 1830’s mid England industrial landscape. I believe we used the word “dystopian” a bunch.

And because it was the end of the day we were basically the only people left exploring the park.

Well, us and the few costumed workers who had clearly already checked out after a long hot day.

Then the rain hit and we committed to getting soaked while we continued to explore.

After a weird adventure through time we got off our bus at the wrong stop which happened to be right in front of this adorable pie restaurant. It boasted the best pies in the world. Pie and beer seemed like the right answer after being rain soaked.  Team Brabbie used their hand dryer as hair/clothes dryers in what was not our most picturesque moment.

This pie in that moment was the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Maybe they’re right to say they have the best pies. I was feeling a bit traumatized from the day, so they probably could’ve fed me anything warm and I’d be happy. Though, the perfection of that pie and beer in that very moment is stuff dreams are made of.

On our “lazy” days we would wander, check out the shops, and consume liquids. All the liquid.

We lived near a high end shopping mall that had a Bellini and espresso bar in it. Such a weird combination of drinks we had to try it.

Our last day in Birmingham crept up on us. I was expecting it and trying not to think about it, but it came. To make the most out of our last day in Brum we decided to head to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory theme park. It was definitely one of the more surreal adventures I’ve been on. Words like bizarre, wacky, uncomfortable come to mind.

Upon entering each person receives 3 large chocolate bars to start your journey through the wonderful world of Cadbury Chocolate. It’s full of “educational” tidbits on how white people found chocolate. I won’t go in to any detail, but you can imagine a few scenes missing in their story.

twins.

twins.

Cadbury World even has a ride … it’s … um … well I think I cried during it. Not happy tears.

What’s the deal with the sexy rabbit trying to sell me chocolate!? Explain yourselves England!

And then we found an adorable kitteh in the parking lot! Catbury! amiright?

Just like that we were leaving Birmingham. We packed our bags and said goodbye to all the places and things we fell in love with. The coffee shops, the canals, the pubs, the people, and the streets.

(click here for the panorama if the embedded one doesn’t work, or to see it full screen)

Forever onwards. Onwards to London!

~B~