On my last Contiki tour we had a half day stop in Liverpool, that was either plenty of time, or not nearly enough time. In that half day, the city did not call to me, though it was fun to see some of The Beatles sites. Liverpool is more of an industrial city, which like many other industrial cities, struggled as the industrial revolution ended. The city has gotten a bit of a face lift recently, it was a cultural capital a few years ago. It does have some nice spots, but other areas were kinda blah.
I'm not a big Beatles fan, though I do enjoy their music - but the Beatles connection was the highlight of the city. Driving down Penny Lane and seeing the Magical Mystery Tour (didn't take it), Sgt. Peppers, Cavern Club, their homes, schools, etc. It brought the Beatles songs to life. After looking at my pictures a friend commented that the places from the Beatles songs really existed! |
| White Star Line |
There is a new shopping area in Liverpool (near the Cavern Club), it looked very nice. I wish we had more time to explore it. Unfortunately some politician, Nick LeClegg, was in the city which disrupted our parking and ultimately our time table, leaving us with just enough time for a quick lunch on the go and to see the Cavern Club.
With just a few hours in the city it struck me as a good city for a day or two, maybe a long weekend. There are lots of Beatles sites, the White Star Line (see where people checked to see if their family survived the Titanic), and shopping. But compared to other cities in England, Liverpool doesn't have as much charm.
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