Liverpool

I haven't updated for a while because I haven't really known what to write. It's been such an interesting experience even though I haven't done a whole lot.
I've spent most of the time with family, hearing all sorts of stories about my Mum, Dad, me, various others. A lot of gaps have been filled in and a lot of questions answered. I can't go into it all here 'cos it's kind of private but it's been a bit of an eye-opener. Funny at times, sad at others. Fascinating at all times.
The city itself is interesting - a lot smaller than I remember! Every now and then I see something - a street name, a building, etc - which triggers a childhood memory. That's kinda cool :) I've had a look at the houses I grew up in, the park I played in, the schools I went to. Most of them are still there. The old cinema my brother and I used to go to on Saturday mornings is now closed and pretty much derelict though. The docks have been tarted up a great deal. I remember we used to catch the bus into town and catch the "ferry 'cross the Mersey". I took the ferry ride the other day. I think it's the same boat :) The whole Pier Head and docks area is completely different though - all touristy now, instead of a working dock area. Liverpool is still a working port town though and there's a lot of commercial traffic up and down the river. Kind of comforting in a way.
The Liver building and its Liver Birds on top are still there and that's a good thing. The birds can be seen from all sorts of different places around the place and I find that reassuring somehow.
The other thing I've noticed is the overwhelming presence of The Beatles. They are everywhere! I'm sure that if I'd stayed here all my life I'd hate them by now. Locals say they don't even notice all The Beatles stuff. I certainly have. I went on the Magical Mystery Tour - basically a bus tour of notable Beatles sites: the houses they grew up in, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, the Cavern. I'd already been to the Cavern but not to the other places. I was annoyed that we couldn't get off the bus at John's house in Menlove Avenue. Wrong tour. For 15 quid it wasn't really value for money. I got a few decent pics but plan to go back and get better ones at some later stage.
Apart from that I've done the ferry, the cathedrals, the "Iron Men" at Crosby beach. All have been fascinating. I was especially impressed by the Iron Men and the Anglican cathedral - fabulous piece of architecture. Check flickr for pics if you're interested.
The weather, in general, has been lousy. Average temperature of 18C and rain most days. At first I didn't mind the cooler temps after the stifling heat of the US. Now I'm ready for something a bit warmer and drier.

I'm off to Manchester on Monday, just for the night. Fly off to Ireland on Tuesday.

Later....