Chester is one of the best cities in the UK. As soon as you arrive in Chester you will appreciate the city’s unique atmosphere and sense of history. Founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, much of the Roman influence remains and Chester’s city walls are the most complete in Britain. Combined with history and heritage(遗产), Chester is a dynamic city full of bars, pubs, clubs, hotels and restaurants for you to discover, tempting you to visit again and again.

Chester is easily accessible by many means of transport — whether you are travelling by rail, car, bus or plane. Please check our route planner below to help you plan your journey to Chester. Once you arrive in the city there are numerous car parks; however, during rush hours the easiest way to travel in Chester city centre is via park and ride facilities, which are parking lots with public transportation.

From bed & breakfasts to the luxury of Chester’s only five star hotel, Chester has all covered. Whether your trip is for business or pleasure your room is just a click away!

One of the best ways to see Chester is by a guided tour and you have a variety to choose from. Whether you choose the traditional guided walk, to be guided around Chester’s historical landmarks by bus or to take a boat down the River Dee, you will sure enjoy the delights of Chester.

Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling all the time.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.

Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境) — the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.

The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”

In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.

In Melbourne lies an 87-square-meter, three-story, two-bedroom and one-bathroom house. That may sound like a real property advertisement, but it could be the home of the future.

Made from organic materials and run on sustainable (可持续的) energy, the building, known as “The Greenhouse”, is completely zero waste. It was designed by zero waste advocate Bakker, as part of his Future Food System housing experiment. “The greenhouse is inspired by nature — it’s an ecosystem where nothing is wasted,” Bakker says.

Organic waste is fed into a biodigester where it ferments (发酵) and turns into gas for cooking or fertilizer for produce; rainwater is harvested and used for irrigation and a specific system, where plants grow using waste from fish; and hot steam from the shower enables a wall of mushrooms to boost. The house is designed, says Bakker, with the roof as the foundation, loaded with 35 tons of soil, which provides fertile (肥沃的) ground for produce — more than 200 plant species grow on the roof, as well as insects, snails, fish and chickens.

The site is more than just a model home; it’s been a real one for Jo Barrett and Matt Stone, who were chefs at the small in-house restaurant. “To be able to grow and produce food on a tiny footprint in the city and turn it into exciting dishes is completely unique,” says Stone.

Through the project, Bakker wanted to demonstrate he could feed a family with his design. “I think we’ve proved that it’s actually more productive than I imagined,” he says. “We’ve harvested 35 kilos of potatoes from a square meter.”

He hopes the example will offer a blueprint to future homes and an alternative to current food system, which is to blame for over a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (排放). Creating a circular system could also greatly reduce food waste.

“We’re the only species that generates waste. In nature, there is no waste; everything becomes a food source for something else,” says Bakker. “If we transform to a circular system, we have so much potential to stop the destruction of wilderness and forest.”

How to Pick a Great Book to Read

The world is full of great books, just waiting to be read. How can you pick one you’ll really like? Here are some tips:

●What makes you happy?

    11     Are you really into dinosaurs or dogs or a specific person? Are there a few careers you’re interested in? You can find books about almost anything you like, and you’re more likely to enjoy reading a book if you’re already interested in its subject.

●Fact or fiction?

Some books are entirely made up and imagined. Those are called fiction books. Novels, short stories are all examples of fiction. These books can transport you to another world or help you imagine something beyond your own experience.

Non-fiction books give you the who, what, when and why.     12     Non-fiction books can bring everything to life from the first trip to the moon to what it’s like to explore the deepest oceans. Try both fiction and non-fiction books to see which you like better.

●Find a family favorite.

What was your mother’s favorite book when she was your age? Or your dad’s?     13     Then you can talk about what they liked about it and share your thoughts. It’s a fun way to get to know your family a little better, and to find a book you’ll enjoy!

●    14    

Your local library is a great place to find books that you’ll love, and you don’t have to search all by yourself.

Tell a librarian about your interests—rock stars, sports teams, historical events, whatever you’re into—and the names of some books you already like. Your librarian can help you find other books that you’re sure to love.

●Launch a book trade.

    15     It’s always fun to see what your friends are reading. Even if they’re not exactly bookworms, you can all encourage each other to read and share books and authors you like.You also can look for book trades in your area.It’s a great way to build your personal library for free!

You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his dogs.

For many years, I enjoyed living with my dogs, Tilly and Chance. Their ________ was nearly enough to keep my loneliness at bay. Last year, I started dating, but with ________. When I first dated Steve, I ________ he had a dog, Molly, and a cat, Flora. While I was ________ he was an animal lover, I ________ that three dogs were perhaps too many, and my dogs might attack the cat.

The next week, we ________ our dogs together. It was a hot day. When we paused to catch our ________, Steve got down on one knee. Was he proposing? I liked him too, but so soon? He poured water from a bottle into his hand and offered it to my dogs. ________, I began to fall for him.

We continued to date, though neither of us brought up the future. And then in late November, Tilly had an operation on her ________. I took the dogs out four times a day, and I worried that Tilly ________ climbing the stairs could reopen the wound. Then Steve ________ his house. All worked ________. The three dogs formed a pack, with coaching, ________ Flora’s space; Steve and I formed a good team caring for Tilly. We made good housemates.

A year later, much to my delight, this man produced a little box with a ring and proposed to me. He did not kneel down, nor did I ________ him to. It was giving ________ to the dogs that brought us together.