Liverpool!!

Breakfast at the Holiday Inn. We dined with hordes of hung-over footballers filling their plates to overflowing. (We did learn after a few days of eating out in Liverpool that pinching food from the breakfast bar could serve as dinner that night).

We started our day with a Hop on- Hop off double-decker bus tour of Liverpool. We opted for the white one with a live guide. The guide was absolutely great—an
Andy Rooney look-alike – down to the trembling hands.

Liverpool has been designated the European capital of culture 2008 so there was construction everywhere. We drove down Hope Street with the two cathedrals linked by a street of hope- the Liverpool Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, the Catholic cathedral. The Liverpool (Anglican) church is one of the largest in the world, the largest in England. It was begun in 1903 and finished in 1978.

The Catholic cathedral, consecrated in 1967, made of concrete, stone and mosaic, topped with a glass lantern- looking very much like a teepee. The locals call it “Paddy’s Wigwam”.

The Beatles theme rings through the city. On Hope Street, there was a suitcase monument commissioned by Paul McCartney. On the stacked suitcases were initials of Charles Dickens, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney. The Catholic Cathedral with it’s four bells, originally called Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are now called John, Paul, George and Ringo.

The other major theme comes from the history of the city as a major port city. The Whitehall Shipping line on the Strand, the “Three Graces” on the pier - the Cunard Building, headquarters of the Cunard Line, the Port of Liverpool Building, and the Liver Building (pronounced lie-ver) with 2 copper liver birds on its top.

St George’s Hall is one of the most impressive and oldest of the Liverpool buildings. Built in 1854, it was one of the first neoclassical buildings in Europe.

We took the city tour again and got off half way around the second time- getting off at the Central Library. John found the 4th floor history center and a superbly written summary of how the Mormon emigration from the UK was handled in the 1860-1880's. This covered Daniel and C.V's involvement in the 1850's. I found the free internet.

After a few hours at the library, we walked down Lime Street and stumbled onto the Adelphi Hotel. This historic hotel guests was a who’s-who -Frank Sinatra, Mae West, Roy Rogers- with Trigger, Churchill, Roosevelt. The bar was packed on this Saturday afternoon. We soon found out why- Happy Hour pricing started at 11 AM and continued until 6 PM. For the first time, we were able to have a glass of wine and a pint of beer at U.S. prices. The Liverpool accent made us feel like we were in Ireland. It had the "Amm" of the Irish. We met a great couple from Bootle, a suburb of Liverpool – Jackie and Tom.

At 6 PM the entire bar cleared out and we walked down the street to a Indian Restaurant and had a huge dinner.