Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! The Beatles and more

Of course, having grown up listening to The Beatles, the best part for me was visiting their museum and seing the places were they lived and played.
For those interested in history, Liverpool was badly damaged in World War II, bombed by Nazi troops because of its strategic position as a gateway for American troops and supplies.

Quick Tips:

Every August there is a festival - International Beatles Festival - in which cover bands from all over the world come to play The Beatles' songs. If you want to go there at this time, book in advance, it's a very busy season.

Best Way To Get Around:

Downtown Liverpool is not very big and it was easy to get around on foot. I didn't take any public transportation.
There are ferries (the oldest ferry service in Europe) and cruise tours in Mersey River.

My room - a single en-suite (£29.00) - was very basic but clean, and all rooms come with TV and coffee/tea-making facilities. Breakfast is good, not only with the traditional eggs, bacon & sausage, but also with cereals and granola, which are more my style. The hotel has a lift.
There is a pub on the premises, which is nice if you like this, but the noise when they're having a party can reach your room, as it happened in one of the nights I was there.
The Lord Nelson is conveniently located next to Lime Street train station - turn right as you leave the tracks and exit, then walk uphill to your right. They have a website at http://www.thelordnelsonhotel.com/
When searching for a hotel in Liverpool I found them very expensive. Aachen Hotel was also recommended.

The menu offers options for all tastes: salads, pasta, pizza, fish, chickes, steaks, burgers. I had a Chicken Kiev and it was very well served and tasty. Some dishes have Hindi sauces. The restaurant, very conveniently located in the city center, is spacious and has an interesting decor (a bit too flashy for my taste). Waiting lines are normal, but you will be seated fast. If you are in a group, maybe it is better to make a reservation, especially on weekends.

They are open everyday from 10am to midnight. Click here for their menu.

A big attraction for The Beatles' fans is The Magical Mystery Tour, a 2h-bus tour that runs everyday and shows places related to their history, such as their childhood homes, as well as locations made famous in their songs, like Penny Lane and Strawberry Field. The latter is an orphanage partially supported by Yoko Ono, John Lennon's widow, and she also bought his childhood home to transform it into a museum.

Paul McCartney's home at Forthlin Road is also now a museum, restored with the help of his brother home photographs, and can be visit upon reservation only (the tour only stops there). This was where many of the Lennon & McCartney songs were written.

The guide narrates the tour with funny remarks and puns using their lyrics, while the background music is, of course, some of The Beatles' most famous songs.

The tour ends at the Cavern Club, in Mathew Street. In fact this is a rebuilding of the original one, demolished in the 1970's. The Cavern was originally an underground bomb shelter during the World War II. Some years later, an enterpreneur decided to bring into Liverpool something he had seen in Paris: a music club in the underground. It soon became a success and musicians from all over UK and even abroad played there. The Beatles had over 300 appearances at the Cavern.

The tour departs at 1:40pm from the Tourist Office at Queen Square and 2:00pm in front of The Beatles' Story at Albert Dock. Additional tours are available at weekends and summer holidays

The Beatles' Story is a very well designed museum dedicated to the famous quartet, with posters, displays and objects retracing their history from their early days to their single careers. There are special tributes to John Lennon and George Harrison. The museum makes us feel like stepping back in time, letting us revive the succesful career of the Fab Four, including their tough begining at dark Hamburg clubs and glorious moments of their world tours.

George Michael donated a piano that belonged to John Lennon and in which he composed "Imagine" (however, this is not he famous white piano used in the videoclip). He paid over US$2million for it in an auction in 2000.

Old and young generations who appreciate The Beatles will enjoy the visit. The museum is part of the Albert Dock, 19th century warehouse buildings converted into an entertainment complex of museums, galleries, restaurants and shops.

Check the museum website at http://www.beatlesstory.com. Ticket price: £8 for adults, £5 for children. Opening times: Nov - Mar: 10.00am - 5.00pm ; Apr - Oct: 10.00am - 6.00pm

The Liverpool Cathedral is UK's largest Anglican church - it is twice the size of St. Paul's in London - and is the fifth largest cathedral in the world. The interior is very sober, with large naves of high ceilings and stained glass windows. The Grand Organ is probably the largest operational organ in the world. One can climb the tower for great views - it's over 100m high.

The cathedral was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed the classic British red phone booth. Its construction began in 1904 and the cathedral was consecrated in 1924, but its was finished only in the 1980's. I didn't find it especially beautiful, but it is a remarkable architectural landmark of Liverpool. The gardens around it are very beautiful.

Not far from it and connect to it by Hope Street (very appropriate!), there is a modern Catholic cathedral - the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King - which I found very ugly, though also very famous in Liverpool. For those interested, it is located next to the University campus.

A curious note: the Anglican cathedral was designed by a Catholic, while the Catholic Cathedral was designed by a Protestant.

Open from 8am to 6pm. Admission is free but contributions are welcome.

One interesting open-air sculpture that can be seen in Liverpool is "A Case History": a luggage pile paying tribute to the famous people who have lived in Liverpool, such as Charles Dickens and, of course, The Beatles (George Harrison and Paul McCartney are represented by guitar cases). Built in 1998 and opened to the public in May of 1999, it was created by the Canadian sculptor John King. Some of the pieces were made from casts of the original items.

Albert Dock, 19th century warehouse buildings converted into an entertainment complex of museums, galleries, restaurants and shops.

It was the first structure in UK to be built entirely of cast iron, brick and stone, and was open in July 1846 by Prince Albert. Much of it was badly damaged during World War II air raids. Built to accommodate sailing ships, the docks were closed in 1972. The refurbishment of Albert Dock began in 1983 and the official re-opening ceremony on May 1988 was performed by Prince Charles.

The Albert Dock houses three museums: The Beatles' Story, the Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum. There is also a Holiday Inn hotel, over 30 office units, 115 luxury apartments with views of River Mersey and a dozen of restaurants, bars and cafes.

Created in 1903, the University of Liverpool has many interesting buildings, many of which built of red bricks. One of them is Victoria Building, right next to the Mechanical Engineering College, and was completed in 1892. At that time, Liverpool's colleges, together with Manchester's and Leeds', were part of the Victoria University.