England - Friday 9th May - Liverpool Day one

We have met a lot of famous rivers on our trip.

The Clyde only a few days ago in Glasgow, and now in Liverpool its time for a ferry across the Mersey.

(In a weeks time we will be floating down the Nile). 

Oh course its the song 'Ferry 'cross the Mersey' by Gerry and the Pacemakers.

In this mural look at all those Liverpool landmarks behind Gerry, we are all going to become very familiar with some of those over the next few days. Especially the two cathedrals and the Liver building.

This great mural is in the Ferry Terminal which is named after Gerry Marsden.

 

Its another beautiful blue sky weather day, cool but not cold, my fleece jacket is plenty warm enough.

 

 

Imagine when it had 100's of sailing and/or steam ships in port.

It would have been so dirty and noisy.

 

Our ferry was the Royal Iris. Which was once (with a different name) the ferry from the sitcom 'The Liver Birds' This is a T.V. comedy program (when they didn't call them sitcoms). I must have been about 10.  But looking at that skyline it all came flooding back.  Honestly us girls have come so far!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VFYuOJJdjE

 

Then it was short walk to the Royal Albert Dock.

The first thing to write about is the love locks. I have photographed love locks and blogged about them from many parts of the world, but here there must be millions and millions.

 I'm not making it up, there are millions and they are everywhere. Some locks are cheap little things and others are beautifully engraved. I hate to think how many rusty keys are in the bottom of the Mersey.

The photos don't do it justice, I was amazed.

 

Then Finally.

I've been trying to avoid the 'B' word. 

 

I love this fab four, but it is like a disease that has consumed the whole of Liverpool city. I remember having similar concerns about Leipzig and their Christmas markets. Beautiful, but whoa, hold on.

 

 

Here they are in bronze, 

these statues will return again to a post in a couple of days.

 

Here they are with the Liver building behind them and only a spit from where the above bronze statue is today. (Liver pronounced like diver). Although they look like they are on a ferry.. I wonder...

(1962, piers head, everyone bow down to the power of google) 

 

A recreation of the Cavern Club. Even the original doesn't exist anymore.

Good spot to sit and wait for Graham to catch up with his reading of every card.

It reminds me of St Mungo's tomb from a few days ago. 

 

 

Then back to our apartment, but not before an ice cream and another carousel horse for my collection.

 

 

This one is Michael, I like that it has a boys name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel Day - Thursday 8th May - Glasgow to Liverpool.

This is a great start to the day,  our train was cancelled.

Another train had hit an object on the tracks so all the trains heading south were disrupted.

We changed our plans to catch the next train leaving at 11:38 and went for coffee while we waited. At least we were able to board the next train early enough to get a seat and to find a space in the luggage rack. (Finding space for our luggage has been a challenge on some trains this trip). We also had the foresight to buy sandwiches as this train had two trainloads of passengers squeezed into one so there was no way to get to the onboard kiosk. Passengers were standing in the aisles and vestibules.

Although the whole trip they driver didn't know if we were going to get through or the train would have to terminate early. They were  great up updating everyone over the loudspeaker. The girl sitting behind me spent much of the trip in tears speaking on her phone to her Mum and boyfriend about the best place to get off. Honestly, I wasn't sure whether to slap her or give her counselling. As it turned out we went through the problem zone (cheer!) and we changed trains at Warrington as planned.

But not before a big group of blokes got onboard, all together on a bucks do, with the matching T-shirts  and the obligatory pre-loading with beer. They were off to the races. Fortunately they were still in the cheery, cheeky drunk stage when we had to squeeze past them to get off the train! A cultural experience.

 We finally made it to Liverpool Lime street and it was a 10 minute walk to our apartment. Its on the second floor and there is a (slightly dodgy) lift. 

This one has a washing machine and a kitchen which is always a bonus. Saves a lot of money when you can have cereal for breakfast and not have to go out.

 The apartment was advertised as being quiet.

They must have a different definition of quiet.

Nothing in Liverpool in quiet. 

The emergency services drive everywhere with alarms blaring. The first night there seemed to be a siren every hour. Constant buses in London road.

The traffic lights are most likely the reason.

Earplugs at night helped. It wasn't as noisy over the weekend.

 

  

 

 

 

Scotland - Wednesday 7th May - Still in Glasgow

 

Last day in Glasgow and its a short one as we need to buy a new suitcase get back to our apartment to repack! One of our suitcases has had a breakdown, I'll tell you that story at the end of this post.

 

Our first stop today was a National Trust Scotland property called the Tenement House. 

We are National Trust Australia members so admission id free for us. 

 

 This is a preserved example of what housing was like in the 19th century up to the 1970's.

 

Thanks to Miss Toward, who lived here most of her life. 

 

There is a fantastic You Tube video on the website. 

Now you can go there too! And I can visit again...

 

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/the-tenement-house 

 

 I found the bed nooks interesting, they would have been warm but how does one change the sheets?

 

 

The smell of gas.

No, not from the range, from the original gas lit light fittings.

I'd be asleep in 3 minutes, fall into the bed nook, snooozze.. 

 

Some places have a 'thing'. (I'm sure I've talked about this before on a previous travel post).  

A mascot.

At the Tenement House it is a Wally Dug.

I'm sure you have seen them on the Antiques Roadshow, they use to be cheap but are now worth a fortune. ( I compare them to Australia's plaster flying ducks on the wall)

 In most homes they sit each side of a fireplace mantle.

There wasn't a fluffy one so I bought one as a fridge magnet.

(If anyone has a Staffordshire, or similar, Wally Dug they would like to re-home, please let me know.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire_dog_figurine 

 Our next stop was the Tennent Brewery.

 

We are on a tour, there is us and a nice Canadian lady . 

There are 100's of steps. Nobody told me about those.

 

Arrrgh, this is training for Egypt.

 

 

They are filling the kegs.

They fill them upside down.

 

We saw some amazing assembly line and packing rooms but not allowed to take photos...

 

I drank the beer before I remembered to take a photo.

It was very nice too.

But maybe I was thirsty.

 

 ===

And its the time to say a sad goodbye to Big Bertha.

We tried to buy a new suitcase before we came overseas, but we ran out of time and options.

So Graham took Big Bertha and I took the smaller Bluey.

(I need something I could get on and off a train by myself). 

Vail - Big Bertha.

 She has been to the dragged through the UK numerous times, as well as most of Europe, South Africa, Fiji, New Zealand, all over Australia,  and other places.

My favourite memory is walking up the Grand Canal in Venice,as we were walking to our hotel. The minions  took the luggage to the hotel on a barge which passed us as we walked and Bertha was right on the top of the barge with a big smile on her face.

 We left her behind in Glasgow. Her wheels were no longer sensible and unfix-able. 

Just  across the road from our apartment was the St Enoch Centre and they had a department store that had the most brilliant types of luggage and we knew which one would suit. I wonder how long the Glasgow boy suitcase will last.

Although I did like the hot pink luggage set.  

Graham says I shouldn't be so upset about an immanent object... 

I wonder if he has the same attitude about his cars?... 

 

 

 

Scotland - Tuesday 6th May - Glasgow

Today we visited a couple more sights of Glasgow, with our first stop at St Mungo's cathedral.

 

 This is the oldest church on mainland Scotland.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Cathedral 

 

 

 This is  St Mungo's tomb above.

 

St Mungo performed four miracles concerning a bird, a tree, a bell and a fish which swallowed a ring. Which is why these symbols are everywhere in the cathedral.

 

I bought a little highland cow in the gift shop to add to the menagerie.

 

I've named it Wee Coo.

 

(I also forgot to mention that have a little unicorn from sterling castle, they have unicorn statues on the roof of the castle and the unicorn is the Scottish national animal. Its named Silver). 

 

 For something completely different we then visited the Science Centre.

 

Which was huge and full of school kids.

 

 Now Graham wants to go to Questacon in Canberra....

 

 

We went out for dinner tonight. To an American themed restaurant, they seem to have a lot of these in Scotland.

 

Graham hates me taking photos of him while he's eating....