Starting a series of notes about my summer journey through the United Kingdom and five additional countries. I will share where I went and what I saw. The beginning of the trip—in Manchester.
Today’s agenda is Liverpool, a port city in Britain.
Travel time from Manchester to Liverpool: 1 hour.
Gloomy clouds greet tourists coming out of the central station. Bright banners on the facades of shopping centers catch your eye as you descend the numerous steps.
We headed to the hotel, which is practically by the river. At that moment, my gaze fell on the endless road smoothly flowing toward the water.
The hotel turned out to have a stunning view of St Nicolas Church, where Scots married in traditional kilts. The family of the newlyweds gathered on the green grass around the bride in her white dress and took photographs. Just like in the movies!
We wandered to see the architecture and ended up witnessing a wedding.
The river estuary is a magnet for all kinds of cruise liners and sightseeing boats.
Along the way, there are ships that will never sail again. You get chills thinking about the years they traveled and what they saw on their journeys.
The windows of Liverpool’s Tate, the modern art museum, open onto the river; its main building is in London. A bright 10-meter letter “T” greets tourists.
The exhibitions were memorable for interactive works. To truly understand them, it’s strongly recommended to read the captions. Otherwise, they might easily pass by unnoticed.
In Albert Dock, a former unloading station and now a UNESCO World Heritage site, people kayak below while hipsters dine above.
We followed suit and entered the Thai chain Rosa’s Café.
In the city center, street musicians play in the evenings. A lot of people, both locals and tourists, gather to listen to the piano on the green grass of an amphitheater. By the pond, there is a colorful installation with the city’s name where you can take a couple of photos for memory.
Second Day
On the morning of the next day, I learned what Liverpool is famous for. On its streets, a band of musician guys who became world famous as The Beatles gathered.
On Castle Street, The Cavern Pub, where The Beatles began their careers, still operates. Even today, after lunch, you can hear covers of their songs on the street.
There’s a monument to the Beatles on the waterfront. The museum nearby exhibits the suits they performed in.
In the Liverpool National Museum, you can find both steam trains and 80s and 00s computer games, along with bird sculptures that adorn the neighboring historic buildings. From the top floor, there is an amazing view of the promenade.
Outside, there are stalls selling ice cream and quick snacks. Don’t forget that local seagulls are vigilant, waiting for a chance to snatch something tasty.
In the evening, walking through a bustling district with crowded bars and restaurants, we wanted to go to Mowgli with Indian street food, but unfortunately, there were no spots available—reservations need to be made in advance. Our next choice was Fattoush, a restaurant of Lebanese cuisine, with a very delicious menu and nice prices. We never regretted coming here, so I highly recommend it!
Perhaps I’ll gather all the places where we ate during the trip into a separate article with photos of dishes and descriptions of what we ordered! It will come closer to the end of the series about UK.
Back home, it was time to pack up because in the morning we needed to go to the airport. Having planned everything the night before, we left early to catch the bus to the airport. After waiting for more than half an hour, I checked the airport’s website and, lo and behold, it said that today there was a transport strike.
Quickly adapting, we called a taxi and peacefully made our way to the airport, talking to the Brazilian taxi driver about his homeland. Here’s a tip: check local news and the airport website the night before for strike announcements. They are common occurrences in summer, especially in England.
Afterword
Liverpool—a laid-back port city, is ideal for contemplating exhibitions, sunsets on the river, and seagulls.
Comparing Manchester and Liverpool, I can say that Manchester is more “my” city, I would return there again. Liverpool was interesting to see, but it turned out to be less thrilling for me.
The start of this journey: read about Manchester.
The continuation will be out very soon. Thank you for reading 🙂
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