I say hello and you say...
Trip Start
Jul 14, 2010
1
33
Trip End
Apr 26, 2011
Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
This festival takes over the city center. There are six stages set up over a huge area and thousands of people attend the free event. The crowds are thick and varied walking through the windy streets. It was while we were standing in the middle of one of these crowds that I took out my small Sony and realized I had forgotten to put my memory stick back in! I was disappointed I wouldn't be able to take any pictures but decided to enjoy the day despite my lack of picture taking technology. Jason and I listened to the first group for a few minutes before walking around to see what else we could find. We ate some subway while waiting to meet one of his friends, Rita, and her boyfriend Chris, and watched a Billy the Kid Statue shoot his water gun at the occasional passerby. After meeting up with Rita and Chris we set off to find a Pub in order to share a pint, my first British Pint. I had the experience of cramming into a Liverpool pub and ordering my own half pint of Carling Extra Cold, recommended by Chris. Of course the ironic thing about that beer choice, which I only just discovered, is that the Carling brand is owned by the American/Canadian company Molson Coors Brewing Company. We took our pints and made it back outside to stand outside the pub watching the patrons, several in custom, enjoy their break from the music. While having my first pint, which tasted like any other beer I have had, meaning of course I was making funny faces while forcing it down, we looked over and saw a man in a butcher’s costume with a large string of sausages hanging out of his pocket. This was in fact quite hilarious and Chris eventually walked over to grab them and ask if they were real… fortunately they were not!
We moved on in search of more good music and memories. On our walk we stumbled across the Cavern. This is of course monumental because this is where the Beatles were discovered and become famous. It 's found in a back alley between buildings filled with other bars and though the original is no longer operating as a club there is a replica in its place and a new Cavern right across the alley. We spent some time in this alley, admiring the festive atmosphere swelling within its walls, residual from times past and added to by the countless party goers seeking a glimpse of this historic alleyway. We explored the bricks, making up the new cavern, to see if we could find any of our favorite groups that have played in the club, and made a stop in the Beatles store before moving on.
We had fun taking pictures around Liverpool, both delving into our artistic abilities, in the midst of the festival. We finally had to start heading back to the train station to make sure we caught a direct train back so the trip would only be one and half hours and not two and half. It was one of the best days I’ve had since coming to England despite not being able to take any pictures of the town. I discovered a new place, met some new friends, had my first British pint, and discovered something new and wonderful about myself. All in all that is not a day to be disappointed in!
