Day 11 – June 30, 2024 – Liverpool, England

Today we kept our decision to do our own thing in Liverpool and it made it a lot easier since we were at the port. We had a leisurely breakfast and waited until all the early morning excursions left before we headed into the city. Liverpool is known as the home of the Beatles, so there were lots of Beatle’s memorabilia and knick-knacks to buy.

After leaving the port, we headed to The Museum of Liverpool, which had three floors of galleries that is packed with Liverpool’s history. We then walked to the old warehouse district, Royal Albert Dock, a collection of old brick warehouses full of shops and restaurants. We stopped for lunch at Porters, where we had an amazing beef and Irish stout pie, and we shared some prosecco.

We then walked all through the shopping district of Liverpool and went to the Walker Art Gallery, which is a 130-year-old museum that contains one of the best collections of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite art in the country.

Next, we walked back through town, and then down Matthew Street, which is where the famous Cavern Club is and where the Beatles first got their start. It opened on January 16, 1957. The Beatles’ first performance at the Cavern Club was February 9, 1961. The Beatle’s performed there 292 times and their last performance was August 1963.

We stopped at The Pump House and had a pint of Guinness each and soaked in the atmosphere before heading back to the port.

We boarded the ship and then cleaned up. Met up with the parents for happy hour and headed to the Constellation Theater to watch a cover band of The Beatles. They did an amazing job and even dressed up like them. “Paul” even played the guitar left-handed. After the show we headed to dinner and then we went back to the Constellation Theater and watched a comedy show with Jeff Stevenson. He is from the UK, and he was hilarious! What a great evening! He was supposed to join the boat in Killybegs and was unable to due to the bad weather we had, so he made fun of that, which was good.

After the show, we all turned in for the evening. Great day today! Tomorrow we will be in Holyhead, Wales and we have an excursion to Caernarfon Castle.

Nite all 😊

ABOUT LIVERPOOL (taken from the daily newsletter)

Founded in 1207, it grew from a small fishing village into one of the world’s major ports during the 18^th and 19th centuries. The city played a crucial role in the transatlantic slave trade and later became a hub for trade with the Americas and West Indies.
The port, which includes 7 miles of docks along the River Mersey, was instrumental in its economic growth. The city’s strategic location and excellent transport links, including the first intercity railway connecting Liverpool and Manchester in 1830, further boosted its development.
With a population of approximately 496,770 in 2022, Liverpool is known for its distinctive culture, architecture, and musical heritage.
It is the birthplace of The Beatles and the Merseybeat sound, which significantly influenced popular music in the 1960s.
It has world-class museums, art galleries, and two cathedrals.
Sports plays a significant role in Liverpool’s identity. The city is home to two Premier League clubs, Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C., which have a fierce rivalry and passionate fan bases.