Patchwork and reality escape

Along with entering the high society club, these words describe my visit to Birmingham. If I said the city is a bit shitty, it would be a rhyme and a truth. Me and my precious fast-walking German friend (I must admit to my other friends, which I´ve been mocking for their slowness in Nottingham; I´m a hypocrite) wanted to explore the city and especially visit the place that inspired the nature J. R. R. Tolkien wrote about in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We were shocked. The second we left the station, we were exposed to so many different vibes that our heads were spinning. It felt like someone couldn´t decide how the city should look, so they did a patchwork.

The trip started in Gay Village, a district filled with rainbows and nice bars. The scenery changed abruptly as we continued through the Chinese Quarter and then once again as we entered a Muslim part of town. I feel like we definitely got a local experience. We walked through trash, tried to dodge strange people's stares, avoided homeless guys asking for money, and constantly smelled urine and stale clothes. It got a bit nicer as we approached the Moseley Bog, our final destination. The neighbourhood felt safer, and we were more relaxed and criticised other people's house choices. The Moseley Bog felt like a complete change. We went from a nightmare to a dream. It was a peaceful, quiet forest; only birds could be heard, and we explored the place on meandering wooden bridges. Then we entered Birmingham's reality and hurried for our Afternoon Tea.

To say we underestimated the seriousness of the event would be an understatement. After an hour of research, I found a nice café called The Lost and Found in the city centre. It served afternoon tea for an excellent price. When we approached it, we found it was a beautiful historical building with a massive doorway, a fancy interior, and a waitress to seat us at our tables. Definitely not a place to wear your muddy shoes.

However, our primary anxiousness quickly disappeared as we were served Earl Grey tea and indulged in a wide selection of sandwiches and desserts. I can´t recommend it enough. It was such an immaculate experience. Afterwards, we wandered around the centre, a weird mix of historical and modern buildings.

As you can see, Birmingham has many sides, mostly sketchy but with some hidden treasures. Don´t go there alone, and you´ll be fine.

Love,

Book and Tea Girl