Danny, our driver, is from Liverpool but told us, as a musician, he spent 20 years Stateside playing in bands; his wife is from Connecticut. They moved back here 6 years ago. No problem understanding this John Lennon wannabe. I wish I had captured a close up photo but if you can zoom in on the photo with RP at Ringo's childhood home you will see what I mean.
The Beatles are Danny's heroes and passion. He gave us an extended, enlightening and humourous tour of where Beatle Mania began. As 60s teeny boppers it was a nostalgic trip down memory lane, complete with Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, the childhood homes and the Case History, a city center sculpture created by a Canadian and donated to Liverpool, adjacent to the colleges of the guys who sang the tunes we still love. We had been told by some that this tour was a tourist gimmick. Absolutely not! The city has every right to celebrate this part of its history. The photos below capture some of the fun we had.
Some 3 hours later Danny dropped us at Albert Dock, home of museums, shops, bars and restaurants.
After a simple lunch at our new favourite spot, Costa, we parted ways. RP decided to take in the Beatles Museum complete with headphones tour. He has since been quoting Beatle trivia. Did you know John Lennon's middle name is Winston after the great statesman himself? Be prepared, he plans to enlighten you when we return.
I visited the maritime archives and took in the exhibits featuring Emigration and The Battle of the Atlantic. There was little on the early travels of my ancestors but I was able to get a photo depicting the ship my Grandad Smith came on in 1908, sailing from Liverpool to Montreal.
The exhibits are first class, extremely interesting and all pay tribute to the long history of this remarkable port. In a sad reference to a brutal time in history we learned that many were made wealthy by the slave trade. Slaves did not come to the UK but the slave ships sailed from here to Africa, captured the unfortunate souls, deposited the human cargo in the US in trade for tobacco and cotton, which was then transported to Liverpool. There is even a Confederate Embassy building near our hotel. Thirty million people from the UK and Europe left this port bound for the Americas and Australia in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including my ancestors. Trade between the continents was huge until the 2nd world war. At that time Liverpool was the lifeblood for the UK and Russia in that it supported a huge merchant navy which transported all manner of rationed goods from our continent to this continent. My Dad served during the war on an escort vessel protecting the vital cargo carried on the merchant ships. The Merchant Marines are highly respected and honoured in this city. We found this poignant tribute near the end of our museum visit.
Back to our comfy hotel for happy hour and then we were off to find a highly recommended Japanese restaurant called Sakura. Unfortunately Sakura had been sacked, or rather repossessed.
We found ourselves back at Albert Dock and chose the first restaurant we encountered. It is located in an old tobacco/cotton warehouse. Our waiter told us that 30 years ago it was derelict and slated to become a parking lot. Fortunately Liverpool's city council decided to revitalize the area. A remarkable job they have done. This restaurant, GUSTO, is tied for the best we have encountered along with Scotland's Bishopton Tandoori. It is a trendy, funky, happening place with reasonable prices, fantastic service and delicious food within a 5 minute walk from our hotel.
YUM, YUM! The freshest salad, delectable pasta, fine wine and even sticky toffee pudding for dessert. We enjoyed every bite.
I had thought to finish with our Gusto photos but we just had to take one more. When we returned to the hotel the entire lobby was packed with people in formal attire drinking champagne in honour of Neurological Disorders. We, in our tourist garb of jackets with Canada pins, cameras, umbrellas, caps and backpacks made our way to the elevator. RP was in his element hoping to snag some free champagne. I managed to get him in the elevator before he embarrassed me. No sooner had we arrived in our room than he decided we needed the GPS to program to tomorrow's journey. Within 5 minutes he was back with GPS and 2 glasses of champagne.
CHEERS FROM LIVERPOOL, CP & RP!
Tomorrow we head to Wales. Gordon from Scotland tells us it is the land of people with pointy heads who talk funny but can sing like angels. Cousin Gail tells us the road signs will play havoc more than the rounders. Our waiter tonight tells it is more beautiful than Scotland. We have no preconceptions and look forward to yet another adventure.
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