Friday morning I woke up and went through my normal morning routine, getting the girls up and ready and bringing them to school. Then I packed my stuff, got ready, and took a taxi down to the airport. My flight left Naples at about 1pm. I flew with EasyJet, which I definitely recommend not only for their extremely cheap prices but I really enjoyed the flight. It was comfortable, they offer good food, the staff is so nice, and since the company is fairly new the plane was so nice! It was great to see the view of Naples from up above...we also flew over the Swiss Alps which was absolutely amazing to see! We landed in Liverpool at about 4:00 local time. I cashed in my euro for pounds and hopped in a cab...I couldn't help but laugh because the cabs looked so funny and of course the driver was on the 'wrong side!'. My driver was great! I wish I could have hired him as a tour guide all weekend! He was telling me all about Liverpool and where to go and what to do and was giving me some great tips. We arrived at the hostel in about 20 minutes, and I was super nervous to see it. This was my first time ever staying in a hostel and my first independent trip so I was very anxious! Anyways, the hostel Nightingale Lodge was really great. I felt like I was in the dorms again, or in a boarding house. The staff was so helpful too! I stayed in a 4-bed all-girl room. After getting settled in I decided to head out to the center of Liverpool to have a look around and have some dinner! Luckily it wasn't raining, as the forecast had called for rain all weekend. Although it was cold, it definitely wasn't as cold as I was expecting. I made it down into the city center in about 15 minutes and was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting from Liverpool, but what I got was a small, bustling city, full of life and amazing architecture, extremely modern and very cultivated. I quickly learned that Liverpool was named 'Europe's City of Culture' in 2008, and I could definitely see why! I was extremely impressed from the start. So I walked around the center and explored a bit, and then I headed over to the Albert Dock where I had dinner at a restaurant called What's Cooking. I ordered the fish 'n chips of course, as well as a Cain's Dragon Heart beer. Liverpool is home to the Cain's brewery so I just had to try a local beer...this one was a brown ale with 5% ABV and was Liverpool's official beer in 2008. It was warm, delicious, smooth, and kind of spicy - perfect for a cold winter evening! After my yummy dinner I walked around the center some more, and checked out Liverpool ONE - an amazing shopping center with high-street stores, restaurants, a big cinema, parks, and a ferris wheel. If I could only shop in one place for the rest of my life it would definitely be Liverpool ONE! It was only about 8pm but I was getting pretty exhausted from traveling and walking and even from the one-hour time difference. So I headed back to my hostel to relax, and read literally about 1/2 of my new book! (Life of Pi - read it!).
When I woke up the next morning there were 2 other girls sleeping in the room. They had come in while I was asleep; I faintly remember hearing them come in. I got up pretty early because I wanted to make sure I had the full day to do everything I wanted to do. I got dressed then went downstairs for the hostel's free breakfast - it was decent: cereal, milk, toast, jelly, butter, coffee, juice. Can't beat that for being free! I headed out at about 9am and started walking towards the city center. It was pretty chilly and very overcast but luckily was not raining. I had my umbrella with me just in case! I walked through the center and on towards Albert Dock, where I was first in line for The Beatles Story! (Actually, I was the only one in line, but don't tell anybody I told you!). The Beatles Story was so amazing! Anyone who knows me, knows I love the Beatles! It was really great to learn all about the guys and about their early days and inspirations. Moving through each room was like moving through time...and everything was set on motion-sensors, so I would enter a room and it would be dark and quiet, then all of a sudden all the lights would turn on and music would start blaring! The museum featured so many great things: replicas of the Cavern Club and of Abbey Road Studios, the US reception of the Beatles, the Yellow Submarine, Strawberry Fields, Sgt. Pepper's, and so much more! At the very end of the museum, everything is decorated in white and 'Imagine' is playing and it shows a lot of world peace stuff, and I have to admit I got a little emotional! When I left the museum it was raining (darn!) so I thought it would be a good idea to get on the City Sightseeing Tour Bus. The bus stopped very close to the Beatles museum, so I hopped on and bought a ticket. I was able to ride on the top even though it was raining because the top was 1/2-covered. With the bus I was able to see the rest of the sites in Liverpool while staying dry and not getting too tired, and was able to get off and back on whenever I wanted. Specifically, I hopped off at the famous Mathew Street, which is the heart of the 'Cavern Quarter'. Here is the Hard Day's Night Hotel, the Cavern Pub, the Cavern Club, a famous John Lennon statue, and the Cavern wall-of-fame. I immediately went into the Cavern Club, which was through a narrow door and down several flights of stairs. It was such a great pub! I had to pinch myself to make sure I was really there! Not only had the Beatles played there, but also Elton John, The Who, The Rolling Stones, and tons more. And I remembered a scene from the beginning of 'Across the Universe' (one of my favorite movies) was filmed there. I wanted to stay for a pint but had to get back on the bus. When I was back on the street, there was a guy standing out there playing guitar. He asked where I was from, and after I told him North Carolina, he played 'Heads Carolina, Tails California' by JoDee Messina for me! It was really great. I then headed back to the bus, which I was going to ride around to Liverpool ONE so I could get some lunch. I ate at YO!Sushi, which is a Japanese-style 'katien' sushi bar that delivers food to customers on a conveyor belt. Basically the restaurant was shaped like a square, with an open kitchen in the very middle, and a bar with stools bordering the kitchen. As the sushi chefs prepared dishes, they would place them on the conveyor belt, which was moving slowly around the bar. You could take any dish you like, and at they end they give you your bill based on how many plates you have and their colors (i.e., blue plates were 1.50, green plates were 2.50, etc.) It was delicious and so much fun! After lunch I walked around Liverpool ONE in the mood for some serious shopping but was on way too much of a budget to buy anything. Urban Outfitters, H&M, TopShop, and Cult were calling my name but all I could do was window-shop and admire all the other girls with their bags upon bags of new clothes. By this time it was raining pretty heavily and water soaked straight through my thin boots. I decided to get back on the sightseeing bus to see the rest of the city. I got to see many more famous sites, including the Queensway Tunnel, the World Museum Liverpool, the National Library, the Town Hall, Chinatown, the Three Graces, both cathedrals, the famous Adelphi hotel, and more. I got off the sightseeing bus at the stop nearest my hostel to discover even more pouring down rain. Despite an umbrella and jacket, I was soaked to the bone! I got back to the hostel, dried off, warmed up, changed, and relaxed for a bit. After a while the rain stopped and I felt a bit re-charged, so I walked down to the city center again. The crisp night air after a day of rain made everything sparkle, and I admired the lights of the ferris wheel as it was going around. I have to admit I was a little lonely at that point. I probably had only spoken 10 words in the last 24 hours, and was doing everything by myself, while everyone around me was with their families and friends and loved ones. Couples kissing in front of the ferris wheel, the whole nine yards. I was having an amazing time but it would have been nice to have someone to share this with! I ate dinner at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen. I drank a Beck's and ate an avocado-bacon burger...delish! After dinner I walked around window-shopping in Liverpool ONE a bit more, but at 7pm everything started closing up. I wasn't really ready to go back to the hostel, but since I was finished with dinner, short on cash, and the major shops were closed, I headed back anyways. I got on the computer and relaxed a bit, read some more of my book, and passed out pretty early.
Sunday morning I woke up, had breakfast, and got my stuff together. I had to check out of the hostel by 10 and my flight didn't leave until 4 so I was considering walking around the city center again, but it was pouring down rain and freezing cold so I decided to just head to the airport. I took a bus to the airport instead of a cab to save money, went through security, and spent the afternoon shopping around the airport, had lunch, had a beer, looked at some magazines, etc. Finally my gate was announced and I was on the plane heading back to Naples!
Overall, I had an absolutely amazing weekend in Liverpool! First of all I was very proud of myself for initiating the whole trip, for planning it, and most importantly paying for the whole thing by myself. Secondly I was proud of myself for going as an independent traveler. Most girls my age probably wouldn't be caught dead eating by themselves in a restaurant, but I was fine with it! And lastly, it was great to experience another culture. I've been to London before, so I already knew how much I loved the UK. After 6 months in Italy it was nice to be able to speak English with everyone I came in contact with. Additionally, I can't get over just how impressed I was with the street fashion in Liverpool. I hate to say it, but British girls are a lot more stylish than Italian girls. I think it's because they don't give-in to the cliche' designer lines and instead show their individual personalities with their clothing. Every outfit I saw was flawlessly and creatively put together, from the outfit itself to the hair and the makeup. Think Lady Gaga meets Katy Perry meets Rihanna meets Pixie Lott and that's how basically every girl on the street was dressed. It's those type of outfits that you see celebrities wearing on TV and in magazines, and you admire them, but would never wear it yourself. Here's some interesting links I found on fashion in the UK:
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article6738670.ece
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/conservation/exhibitions/streetlife/
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-life/fashion/2009/10/14/fashion-so-what-liverpool-street-style-are-you-100252-24922566/
The main thing I loved about Liverpool was that it was such a cultured and cultivated city. I honestly think this ideal goes back to John Lennon (and the rest of the Beatles) being from Liverpool and everything he (they) did for world peace and acceptance. Liverpool is so liberal, so against racism, so accepting of the homosexual culture, so accepting of all different religions and backgrounds, so adept to bringing light to many subjects like depression and homelessness, it really impressed me and inspired me. Liverpool is definitely a model city that every other city, especially in the US, should try to be like. Just like a t-shirt I saw said: "Liverpool...probably the best city in the world."
Cheers!
