A day or so before our departure came the news of the wall collapse with no trains going into Lime Street Station. Our journey would end at Runcorn then it was onto the replacement coach for what by train is a fifteen minute trip. By road it took forty minutes due to road works coming into Liverpool. Still it was all dealt with very well and efficiently.
We were based at the Holiday Inn Express on Albert Dock and our fourth floor room overlooked the Mersey. Many of the museums were right on our doorstep and I soon had a loose itinerary. The weather was our only fly in the ointment and we had to work round that one. I calculated later that in all we had two and half days of heavy rain and two and half days of sun and cloud.
First thoughts on Liverpool - it's big! It has the largest shopping centre I have ever seen and I don't mean just indoors. The whole of Liverpool One is a massive shopping precinct which makes life easy for moving from one shop or complex to another. The roads are ultra wide and the traffic lights take ages to change but once they do you can get across the whole wide carriageway in one go.
I admit I got lost in Liverpool on the first day. Hubby set off to Birkenhead (over the river on the Metro). The weather outlook was grim so rather than my original plan I opted to stay in Liverpool and seek out the Metropolitan Cathedral and take in the Tate.
The Cathedral just knocked me out. It is an amazing and awe inspiring building. Designed by two different architects it stands over Liverpool distinctive by its huge crown. The inside is round so everyone can see everything. The windows are amazing. All around the circular interior are various chapels all different. For £3 you can venture down to the crypt. Wow, what an amazing space. Very different from the main part it has huge brick arches. There are chapels and places of worship as well as concert hall, a display of photos recording the construction and what the Cathedral does today. There is also a video about the building of it and a treasury of artifacts - silver plates, chalices and robes etc. As there was no photograph allowed in the crypt I couldn't take any but even the photos I took in the Cathedral don't do this place justice. It has an atmosphere I've not experienced anywhere else.
By the time I came out the rain was pelting down so I headed towards the shop and the cafe and bought a hot chocolate. Afterwards I made my way towards the shops and promptly got lost! I came across the Chinese quarter and fumbled with brolly in hand whilst taking a photo (because I wasn't sure if I'd make it back here!). Finally I made it to the shops and bought a few bits and by the time I got back to the hotel I'd have happily have stayed there. But this was a holiday to be endured...sorry enjoyed at all cost. So I dragged my weary body out to Tate. Situated in Albert Dock and reached by the back entrance/exit of the hotel I could get there under cover - no brolly needed. I went to look at the Tracey Emin and William Blake in Focus exhibition. Sorry, but William Blake does it for me every time. Couldn't really see the connection here with Tracey Emin. This is a smaller art gallery than the one in London and nothing else really appealed. I went to the shop and flicked through the exhibition guide of an artist's exhibition I'd have to pay for. I'm glad I didn't take a chance on it, that's all I can say.
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| I rather liked this in the Tate. Wouldn't mind diving into this pile of clothes! |
In the evening hubby and I headed out - it had finally stopped raining - we went to eat. He'd had a pretty successful day so was happy with his finds. I was eager to see some sun. There was some on the way.
A few photos from our walk on our arrival in Liverpool:
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| Hotel - ours is the top room where the smaller orange pulley overhangs |
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| Salthouse Dock |
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| Albert Dock |
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| Open Eye Gallery |
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| Monument to all the engine crew who died on the Tatanic |
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| Fell in love with gorgeous horse statue |
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| View from our bedroom |
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