Vaida never expected England to surprise her so much: “I had never even heard of one remarkable place”

Vaida usually plans her trips herself. This time, she flew to England to visit friends near Manchester and took the opportunity to see the region through local eyes. Over several days, the journey included medieval Chester, small English towns, the striking ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, historic York and the contrasting faces of Manchester.

The weather added its own surprise. On the drive from Vilnius to Kaunas Airport, rain repeatedly washed over the car while the dashboard showed 13°C. Liverpool greeted her with sunshine and temperatures close to 35°C. In the following days, the weather returned to more normal levels.

Her first stop was Chester rather than Liverpool. The city’s history reaches back to Roman times, when a legionary fortress was established there around AD 79. Chester later developed into an important medieval trading and border town near Wales, while retaining traces of different eras.

The best way to see the city, she writes, is to walk its old walls. Some sections date back almost 2,000 years, although the walls’ present appearance also reflects later centuries. From above, the view changes constantly: old streets and church towers on one side, greenery, the river and even a racecourse on the other.

Chester Racecourse was one of the city’s unexpected details for her. She watched preparations for an upcoming race and people arriving for the event. The walls also offer views of the Eastgate Clock, which rises above the former eastern gate, while the old town preserves the famous Chester Rows, two-level galleries lined with shops and passageways.

The visit also took in a Roman amphitheater, a park and the castle. But Chester Cathedral made the strongest impression. Its size, spacious interior and stained-glass windows fill the church with colored light. The building combines grandeur with intimacy, and its history includes a Benedictine monastery that later became the cathedral of the newly established Diocese of Chester in 1541. A small inner courtyard, with a fountain, sculpture and flowering plants, offered another gentle detail.

By the River Dee, Chester revealed yet another side. Just minutes from the medieval center, greenery, a promenade, water and boats created the feeling of a small resort town. For Vaida, Chester left an especially strong impression: a historic city that still offers many different faces.