While we were walkking on the street, we found some interesting objects.
At first, I thought that somebody had thrown these things away including
a guitar together with many cases.
At around 4:30, the Magical Mystery Tour finished at the Cavern Pub. After
that, we saw some shops near Liverpool Lime Street station. However, surprisingly,
the shops began to close at 5 o'clock although we were in Liverpool! When
it became 6 o'clock, almost all the shops were closed and most of the people
who had been there had gone! The area was almost deserted. Actually, we
didn't even have a guidebook, so it was difficult to find a restaurant.
It never happens in London, much less in Japan. That moment, we somehow
understood, "In Japan, we can easily find many shops which open all
day long. Maybe, that situation is strange."
Thus, ever in the city of Liverpool, we finished to eat an early dinner
at a Spanish restaurant which we had finally found and went to bed at some
minutes after 10 o'colock as well as the day before in Southport. Yes! Night comes early in Liverpool too.
Partly because we went to bed so early, the next morning before 8 o'clock, after finishing breakfast, we left our hotel on the Lord Nelson Street and started to take a walk.
We passed through St. Luke's Church and Chinese Arch which we had seen
from the bus during the Magical Mystery Tour the day before. Then, we went
to Liverpool Cathedral, one of two cathedrals in Liverpool. Liverpool Cathedral
is the largest Anglican Cathedral in Europe. Construction started in 1902
and was finally completed in 1978. The stained glass windows were very
beautiful. When I entered the dim building, I felt an overpowering holy
atmosphere.
Next, we visited the Metropolitan Cathedral. It is the Roman Catholic one.
When I think of a Roman Catholic cathedral, I may imagine an old building,
but this is a complete modern concrete one. I heard that it had been completed
in 1967, but it looked sill under construction. When I saw the building
both from outside and inside, most certains, it isn't a typical cathedral
at all.
Time flew and as it was already approaching 10 o'clock. We returned to
our hotel to check out.
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After we checked out, we asked a hotel employee to keep our luggage. Then,
we began to go sightseeing. We had planed to leave Liverpool after 3 o'clock.
We walked to the Liverpool Town Hall. During the Magical Mystery Tour,
the bus guide had said that the Beatles had waved to their fans from the
balcony after their American tour was such a great success.
After that, we went our separate ways until 1 o'clock. I got on the 11
o'clock ferry and my friend went to see the Tate Liverpool.
The Mersey Ferries cruise took about one hour. After the cruise, I began
to walk to the Beatles Story museum along the River Mersey. On the way,
I found the Yellow Submarine. When I was in the bus the day before, I didn't
know how far every spot was. However, when I enjoyed strolling along by
the river, I gradually began to know where each building was located. I
went to Albert Dock and Tate Liverpool and finally arrived at the Beatles
Story a good time before 1 p.m.
The admission fee was seven pounds ninety five. I thought that it was a
little expensive, but I was there, so I entered. In the Beatles Story,
you can see the recreated old Cavern Pub, some old TV clips and so on.
If I were their fan, I might be extremely excited, but I'm not. Therefore,
when I finished seeing everything, I still thought seven pounds and ninety
five was expensive!
the Liverpool Town Hall
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At one o'clock, I met my friend. On the way to our hotel, we saw the shop
in the Beatles Story and dropped in the nearby tourist information centre.
Actually, we planed to have lunch at a pub near the hotel, but when we
entered it, we understood that it didn't serve meals. Therefore, we had
fish and chips at a pub in the station. Then, we got on the 15:15 train
to London.
Soon after we left Liverpool, the train stopped near Crewe station for about ten minutes. The announcement said that it stopped because some children had done something. Finally, the train began to move. Whew...
However, after the train arrived at Crewe, again, it didn't move. My friend
listened to the anouncement carefully, and said, "They said 'Because
of vandalism'. Children seemed to destroy this train's engine, so they
are changing it to new one.." Ho hum...
Therefore, the train would arrive at London about thirty minutes late.
"Again, we'll be late.", I thought. At that time, when I looked
through the window, I saw a beautiful sunset.
"Wow! That blue of the sky is really beautiful." "Yeah...We
can't see that colour in Japan. The shade of blue is different." "The
colour reminds me Turner's paintings."We talked each other.
We were enchanted by the sunset until the sun completely disappeared into
the horizon.
If the train wasn't late, we couldn't see that beautiful colour of the
sky. We thought that we were rather lucky.
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(2004.3.13)
To Liverpool 3--Mersey Ferries
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 Trip to England |