Liverpool

Our French speaking adventures ended in Paris, and we flew back to the English speaking world, landing in Liverpool. A short bus ride, and we were in town, and checking into our hotel. We knew it was a budget hotel, but the emphasis really was on budget. The staff were friendly (although it did feel a little like a scene from Fawlty Towers) and the room was clean, but I wouldn’t go back.

Liverpool has a long history as a port town. During the days of slavery it was a major stopover between Africa and the Americas. Now there is a huge display in the shipping museum honouring the thousands of people affected by that dark period. Liverpool’s more recent claim to fame is The Beatles. We spent several hours at The Beatles Story, an excellent museum following the rise and fall of the fab four, and then visited Mathew St, home of the Cavern and a LOT of cheesy memorabilia/tourist stores.

Highlights

• Watching a Beatles cover band perform at the Cavern, the club where the Beatles regularly played before the mania started.
• Eating an authentic greasy diner breakfast, complete with beans and black pudding.

Lowlights

• Eating an authentic greasy diner breakfast, complete with beans and black pudding.
• The hotel where we stayed – minimal room, next door to a night club. On the bright side, they had a power outlet where I could charge my phone.