England and Back Again: Journeys- My time in Liverpool (Part 1)

For me, the city of Liverpool was the destination of my most recent trip, but for many others the city marked the beginning of their journeys. From the thousands of immigrants dreaming of a better life in the new world to the a small group of working class musicians playing their music in a former bomb shelter, the city has marked the start of many new journeys for countless individuals. I'll get to my own connections to the city in a little, but for now let me begin with the beginnings of my own journey to this fascinating city.
It all the started at 5 in the morning last Friday, when me and a few friends headed off on the trip to the city of Liverpool, which was sponsored by the University of Exeter Erasmus Society. During the 5 hour bus ride, I immediatly spotted something that I hadn't expected to see in late March, snow (ironically, it was snowing back in Williamsburg that same weekend, 'insert global warming remark here').

Yessir, it was a regular winterwonderland, but by the time we reached Liverpool it seemed that we were in the middle of a winter blizzard. As the winds and snow raged around us, we decided to get lunch, which tasted very good.

After that we back out into the storm to visit the Liverpool Cathedral. The Cathedral began construction at the turn of the twentieth century and is the fifth largest in the world. Needless to say its pretty impressive...

Foreboding? Yes. Spooky? Yes. Awesome? You'd better believe it. Surprisingly for such a huge Cathedral, the inside was very warm, and we spent a good deal of time there to avoid the snow outside. The atmosphere of the building was strangely cozy, and it helped give me a better sense for why people might be drawn to build Cathedrals in the first place. Obviously, power and prestige play a part, but a strong building large enough to provide refuge from the weather and other dangers of the world is a very comforting idea. There was a sense of peace within the walls, that stood in marked contrast to the winds and snow outside.

Another cool part of the Chathedral was the wide variety of paintings within. They ranged from the classical to the modern.

Eventually, it was time to head out, and we once again returned to the storm.

Soon, however, we got quite lost, but that proved to be an excellent chance to explore the city.

That evening we had a home cooked family-style dinner.

The next day, the snow had calmed down a bit, so we headed out once again. Our first stop, the Beatles museum...

As we began the exhibit the first thing we saw in the heartland of the Beatles was... Elvis's jacket?

In retrospect it makes sense (and even if it does, it's Elvis's freakin Jacket!). John, Paul, George, and Ringo had acknowledged the debt that they owe to the King of Rock in Roll. Moving on, the museum was filled with memborabilia of the Fab Four, guitars, drums, outfits, and recreations of famous events.

Why is it that seats from the 60's are larger than seats in the 2010's? This is why I prefer the train.

Why you would make glasses out of Gold is beyond me, but to each his own.

While I'm not the biggest fan of the Beatles, its impossible to deny the impact that they've had on both music and pop culture. For that reason, it was very interesting to see artifacts from their long career.

After we left the Beatles Museum, we traveled to the Liverpool Stadium, home of the famous Liverpool Football (soccer team). The tour took us behind the scenes and had memorabilia from the team's long history.

VIP Access...

The Press Room...

Here's about a good as time as any to announce that I'm now the head coach of the Liverpool Football Club. First order of business, we're now the Liverpool Soccer Club!