Loving Liddypool

If you are walking down a street called Penny Lane and you pass a banker with a motorcar, a fireman with an hourglass and see a shelter in the middle of a roundabout there is only one place in the world you can be--Liverpool, England. Liverpool is a lively, cosmopolitan city with a massive amount of things to see and do. The city with a population of 600,000 is situated on top of a majestic waterfront and has a bustling city center. It has a rich heritage that is home to the Beatles, eight National Museums and Galleries, two celebrated soccer clubs, the famous Odeon Cinema, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Liverpool is famous throughout the world. Chances are if you go to Liverpool you are a Beatles fan. And there is no shortage of Beatles related signs, memorabilia, tributes, etc. There are various sounvenir shops, statues here and there, and even four streets--Ringo Starr Drive, John Lennon Drive, Paul McCartney Way, and George Harrison Close--are named after the fab four.

Quick Tips:

Grab a fish 'n chips and take your sweater and sit by the lakefront. The people in Northern England are well known for their humor outgoing personalities so do not be surprised if people randomly come up and talk to you. The people are extremely friendly and if they have a liking for Americans unlike almost any other place in the world. They tell you the best places to eat, the best places to visit and ask you what brought you to Liverpool ("You came here for the Beatles didn't you?") The Scouse accent is very difficult to understand but most people do not mind repeating themselves two or three times (or four or five times in some cases).

Best Way To Get Around:

The bus system is a bit hard to decode but easy to use once you figure it out. But for most part, you do not need a car to get around Liverpool. It is a big city but all the places you will want to see are in a concentrated area.

If you are a student, the best place to stay is the Embassie Youth Hostel that makes you feel right at home. The owner of the hostel prefers to be called Kevin and loves to chat anytime. His favorite memory is when he was in a contest and won 3rd place while a lesser known band at the time called the Beatles won 5th. The hostel offers free tee and toast, has eight beds to a room and is $17 a night.

Normally I wouldn''t stay at an "unoffical" hostel, but this one is pretty cool and the location is great. Warning: when I was there, there were no lockers to put your stuff in and the doors didn''t lock. My stuff was fine, but just to warn you...

Click here to visit their website.

BY CASTING WONDERFUL SPELLS THEY TURN THE MOST ORDINARY COACH TRIP INTO A MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR. IF YOU LET YOURSELF GO, THE MAGICIANS WILL TAKE YOU AWAY TO MARVELLOUS PLACES. ARE YOU READY TO GO? SPLENDID!

The brightly painted yellow and blue bus takes you to all the Beatle homes, birthplaces, schools, favorite hangouts, Strawberry Field, Penny Lane, and the final stop is the Cavern. The tour is best suited for the biggest fans as it has the potential to bore most people. If you can get excited by seeing the stop where Paul used to catch the school bus every day, this tour is right for you. You can get your ticket to ride outside the Merseyside Welcome Center at 2:30 daily.

It's kind of a cheezy touristy thing. But it's a very complete Beatles tour. Recommended for the Beatle buff.

This is where the Beatles played probably hundreds, maybe thousands of times. It is still open as a club/bar--mostly teenagers, and peoplein their early 20's hang out here. But many tourists pop their heads in to check it out. Not too much Beatles stuff. It has been through major renovation since their time, but it looks basically like it did before. The people were pretty friendly, and made me feel comfortable. I had a long talk with a guy from Sweden and danced with the locals. There's a place across the street that has all the Beatles stuff--the Cavern Pub. Don't confuse it with the Cavern Club. There were a lot of tourists who couldn't figure out which was the real place John, Pual, George and Ringo hung out. They have tons and tons of Beatles memoribilia, it's pretty tacky, but fun if you're in the tacky mood.

As an art major, I have been to many art galleries and this is my absolute favorite in the world. It is beautifully laid out, well organized, the staff is friendly and the art is incredible. The collection is somewhat small but every piece belongs there.

It houses the largest collection of modern and contemporary art outside of London. Entry fee is 2 pounds and 3 pounds for entry to their top floor that usually has a special exhibition.

www.tate.org.uk/liverpool

If you tire out Liverpool, or more probably the other way around, you can go down to the waterfront and take a ferry 'cross the Mersey. The ferry offers commentary on the fascinating maritime history and gives spectacular waterfront views. The 50 minute ride makes two stops across the river at Seacombe and Woodside. The ferries run from 10 AM to 3 PM weekdays and 10 AM to 6 PM weekends from the Pier Head. When you dock back in Liverpool, they play the infamous song.