Blogs from Liverpool, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Last night we had a lovely dinner in the dining room of the castle we were staying in. Don finally got to try some some lamb. I had the cod because it was the lightest thing on the menu. We ordered an old fashioned as our pre-dinner cocktail which stumped both the waitress and the bartender. The bartender did do her research and looked up what would be the best whiskey - and landed on a peaty scotch. It was very odd (if she hadn’t come over to explain the research she did we might have sent it back) and it was a lesson to us not to order old fashioneds in Scotland. This morning, after a lovely breakfast we set off walking to the village of Portmeirion. This well-known tourist area completely flummoxed us. It ... read more

So why Liverpool? With this trip being quite fluid based on where we were asked to cat sit through Trusted Housesitters and the location and timing of being able to meet up with friends, the rest of the time was pulled together in a much different way than we normally do. Based somewhat on geography, things to see in that area, finding a place to stay at a reasonable price and easy to get to by public transport, Liverpool made the cut! We didn’t have much time to research what we would do or see while there, but figured there would be enough for a few days so the train tickets were bought and the reservations made. In the end, it worked out to be a nice stop on our journey. Of course, when most people ... read more

A quick trip to see new baby and help out where possible. Views are around Liverpool, but mainly near the Mersey. Added “feature” is a few bits of snow.... read more

With great expectations, I set off to attend the 10:30 choral Eucharist at Liverpool (Anglican) Cathedral. Getting there was fairly direct and took the predicted 25 minutes. The solid building on top of a hill overwhelmed the surrounding gardens. I almost gasped with the feeling of awe created by its weighty presence and enormous height. Seated in an optimal place to best hear the music, I listened to the priest regret that there was no choir this Sunday. The congregation of about 150 sang in typically muffled tones. Recompense was the excellent organ - so resonant that the sound seemed to come from the Cathedral walls themselves. The altar was also very large, dwarfing the celebrants of the service. In contrast, the columns were so gracefully made that they look like folded drapes. The service was ... read more

At 5:50 p.m. I am sitting in Darby Square, one of the few places with benches for sitting. The other cities also had a similar dearth of public benches, as if they are scared of people loitering with intent. I was going to have a cup of tea and write these notes; unfortunately, the streets are becoming empty, and shops and non-pub cafés are closing. Just a few minutes ago I explored Matthew Street, the self-advertised “Beginning of the Beatles”. A version of the Cavern Club is there and doing a roaring trade from grey-haired tourists - the first place in England the band played according to the Beatles tours pamphlets. Along the one-block street are Beatles-themed pubs, clubs and souvenir stores, but the advertising is circums... read more