Liverpool-A Compelling City

Check out the splendid waterfront, particularly the trio of fine buildings at the Pierhead; spend some time at the vibrant, refurbished Albert Dock; see the Beatles Story; visit the Maritime Museum and view the ultra-modern Roman Catholic Cathedral.

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Liverpool is a good city to get around. The city center is compact and easy for pedestrians. If you want to get across the Mersey to the Wirral you can take the underground or the ferry whilst buses and taxis are available for trips to suburbs such as Allerton and Aintree.

The Adelphi is a Liverpool institution like the Mersey Ferry and is the most historic hotel in town. Its public rooms are very grand and spacious and the guest rooms are well furnished and comfortable. The restaurants and coffee house serve up reasoably priced and tasty food and there is a hairdresser, a disco, a jacuzzi and facilities for business visitors at this centrally located hotel.

The Everyman Bistro is a superb eatery located in the basement of the innovative Liverpool theatre called the Everyman. It offers astounding value for money and it is no wonder that most lunch times it is packed. Despite being a very well patronised establishment its standards are high. There is a buffet style in operation where you go to the counter and obtain your order.

The range of food on offer is wide,inexpensive,yet exceedingly tasty. There are a lot of salads,quiches,pasta dishes as well as more traditional British food offerings. There is a huge range of delectables desserts, you can wash it all down with a glass of beer,wine,frothy coffee or a good old cup of tea.You can eat well here for as little as US48. The Everyman,close to the University of Liverpool and not far from the city center, is for everyman!

I have been to El Macho's twice and must say I liked the simple rustic decor, the friendly, exuberant service, the food and the drinks. It is a very lively spot and gets very busy so it is probably wise to book a table. I am told that Sir Paul McCartney dines there when he is in the city of his birth but he hasn't been there when I have.

They have a good range of Mexican starters with the likes of nachos, chillis, beans and among the entrees are seafood dishes and their famous Mexican Skillet which comprises charcoal grilled meats such as chicken and steak, peppers, onions, etc. There are a wide range of wines and on a hot summer's evening- there are hot summer evenings sometimes in Liverpool - you might want to order an ice-cold beer or a frozen margarita.

El Macho in my book ranks highly as regards authenticity and considering the quality of the food on offer, it is not really expensive - two could eat well here for around 20 pounds. Try finding a similar-style eatery in London at that price! It is open from 10.00 am to 5 pm and from 6pm-11.30 Tuesdays to Saturdays. Credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard are accepted. I like the lively atmosphere of this little bit of Mexico and also appreciate the fact that they don't hurry the customers to vacate their tables. All in all when you are looking for a change from traditional English food you could do a lot worse than to make a beeline for this fine eatery.

You get a bonus here - not only is there a museum where you can explore the wonders of the natural world and learn a lot about the Liverpool area but there is also a planetarium which will enthrall you about the mysteries of outer space. The museum is open from 10.00 am to 5 pm from Mondays to Saturdays. This place is well worth a visit and you can easily spend a couple of enjoyable hours.

The Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool is the largest in Great Britain and the fifth largest in the world. It is a powerful looking building and you do get great views of the city from the top of the 331 foot tower. There is a good gift shop if you want to buy a momento of your visit to Liverpool. The area immediately surrounding the cathedral is a bit run down.

This is one of the best maritime museums I have been to. It is located at the Albert Dock and entrance costs 3.50 pounds. It tells the sad story of the slave trade and the intriguing history of Liverpool as a transit point for millions of migrants aiming to seek their fortune across "the pond" in the US. Well worth setting aside half a day for a leisurely and interesting visit.

Liverpool has the oldest Chinatown in Europe and this exotic enclave near the Anglican Cathedral has recently been refinished with a huge new Oriental Arch built by a team of craftsmen from Shanghai, the Chinese city which is twinned with Liverpool. Oriental supermarkets, pubs and some of England's best Chinese restaurants are housed in this fascinating area. Try the Mayflower Restaurant; it is really good and serves authentic Chinese food at prices that are reasonable.

Among the attractive leafy suburbs of Liverpool is Allerton, which is also an excellent area for shopping . The place has its fair share of good pubs, trendy wine bars and first class restaurants. No 20 Forthlin Road, the former home of Sir Paul McCartney , and Penny Lane with their associations with the Beatles are not surprisingly much visited by tourists.

Liverpool has a large amount of green space and one of the nicest parks that is close to the city center is Princes Park. It was the first park in the city and was designed by none other than Sir Joseph Paxton who became famous as the architect of the Crystal Palace in London. Actually, Princes Park was his very first commission; that was back in 1842. The person who asked Paxton to design Princes Park was a very wealthy Liverpool philanthropist named Richard Vaughan Yates - he had purchased 90 acres from the Earl of Sefton and he decided a park should be created but houses would be developed around it. The end result was a total of almost ninety green and pleasant acres.

Today Princes Park is an oasis of green and is located at the end of a lengthy boulevard. It is replete with trees, shrubbery, walkways, and a small lake. It attracts a lot of folks, especially in the summer months, who enjoy the relaxed atmosphere to be found in this splendid park. It is much smaller than Sefton Park and was privately owned until 1918 when Liverpool City Council bought it at the bargain price of just 11,000 pounds. Now that was the bargain of the century for it actually cost around 70,000 pounds to build. Anyway thank goodness it has been preserved and well maintained for it is a vital "green lung" for the people of Liverpool.

Long before I had ever visited Liverpool the building I strongly associated with the port city was the Royal Liver building. This splendid piece of architecture featured as the opening to the TV comedy, The Liver Birds, which was an enormously popular show in the UK. Since then my early association has been reinforced. On every visit I make to Liverpool now I must go to the pierhead and see the three great buildings there, including the Royal Liver. I agree with the poet Roger McGough when he says the Liverpool waterfront at Pier Head is one of the greatest waterfront views anywhere. What is remarkable about the Royal Liver building is that it looks as solid as a rock, although built years ago it also looks very modern, and it is completely the right building in the right place. On top of it are the liver birds-the symbol of the city- so long may the Royal Liver building remain - as solid as a rock !

The Philarmonic pub is a Liverpool institution. All the travel writers visiting the city make a beeline for it and John Lennon used to visit it. It is a beautifully ornate, pub and it must have one of the most elaborate and smartest toilets of any pub in the land. Upstairs is a restaurant which is a popular dining joint, especially at lunch times. I have eaten there three or four times and found it offers good value for money. The fish and chips meal I had on my last visit was excellent.

It is the downstairs bar that most visitors and locals head for. Some nights it seems as though half of Liverpool is there - for it can get crowded and in some hot days in summer drinkers spill over to the pavement. Naturally when it gets so crowded it does get a bit difficult to get prompt service. The place has a good selection of beers and spirits and you can get wine by the glass.

There cannot be many visitors to Liverpool who haven't heard of the Beatles. If you want to find out more about this famous pop band you can join the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour. This is a 2 hour guided coach tour of Liverpool which leaves the Albert Dock at 2.20 pm daily. Cost is around US$15. You get to see the former homes, schools and birthplaces of the Fab Four and places like Penny Lane and Strawberry Field.

Childwall is one of the nicest suburbs of Liverpool and has a number of congenial pubs and good restaurnts. There are also a number of beauty spots such as Black Woods and Childwall Woods to explore.