Monday, August 24, 2026
Liverpool, England
74F and sunny!!
The sun shined bright on a warm day as we stepped off the ship to waltz into Liverpool! And Liverpool is a very convenient port—the main area of the city is within easy walking distance of the ship. Another mixture of old and new, Liverpool is a dynamic maritime city famous for its music history and legendary football (aka soccer) culture. Its population is around 518,000. The main city sat just a short, easy walk away from the water.
Some fun facts:
Old meets new in this busy sea town of 518,000
people. Here is what makes Liverpool special:
- The People: Residents are proudly called
Liverpudlians.
- The Name: It comes from Old English. Lifer means
muddy water, and pol means a small pool or creek.
- Chinatown: Europe's oldest Chinatown started here in the
1860s, built by arriving Chinese sailors.
- Hit Songs: Local music artists have produced more UK
number-one singles than any other city in the country.
- Famous Faces: Home to the Beatles, Daniel Craig, and Stephen Graham.
This lovely building was the former
headquarters for the
White Star Company (owned the Titanic)
Built 1896-1898/waterfront
Liverpool waterfront area
We took a nice walk along the waterfront into town, passing
through the historic heart of the city's trade.
In 1715, Liverpool built the world’s first commercial enclosed wet dock. By the 19th century, 40% of the entire
world's trade passed right through these waters. The famous Royal Albert Dock
opened in 1846 with a revolutionary fireproof design of iron, brick, and stone. And this busy waterfront acted as the massive
gateway where 9 million people emigrated from Europe to the New World.
Queen Victoria
After a leisurely walk,, our first stop was Dunkin for coffee—we have enjoyed
VERY strong coffee in every port, but today we gave ourselves a break with
Dunkin—and a toast to Friend J who also loves Dunkin coffee!
TK's choice-hazelnut filled donut
Next, we explored the giant shopping area, where
the streets are completely closed to traffic so people can cross easily. The
area has blocks of shops/stores/restaurants/banks/ cafes/department stores, and
so much more. We browsed a few shops
with no purchases made--- I admit that I like big cities.
Admittedly, we are totally unclear
as to why bicycles can zoom by
at any moment with
so many people walking
Since we visited Liverpool in 2024, Hotel
Chocolat was on my mind, a coffee and chocolate shop. I am wondering how well the chocolate raspberry
“smoothies” that we purchased will make the voyage home.
Hotel Chocolat
British Cocoa Grower
Raspberry Smoothie
https://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk
After a stop for a Coke Zero in a cute sidewalk
cafe, we continued to Mathews Street, the famous Birthplace of the Beatles.
The original Cavern Club opened in a warehouse
cellar in 1957 as a jazz venue styled after underground Paris clubs. It quickly
transitioned to rock ‘n’ roll, and the Beatles played nearly 300 shows here
between 1961 and 1963. It was in this music-filled basement that manager Brian
Epstein first discovered the band in 1961. Though the original cellar was
filled in during the 1970s, it was later rebuilt using 15,000 bricks saved from
the original site. The entire street is dedicated to the Beatles!
Cavern Club
Cavern Pub
a play on Cavern Club
Sgt Peppers--another pub
Rubber Soul--another pub!
The Sign overhead says
"Birthplace of the Beatles"
More city views:
We circled back around the area, walking along
the waterfront back to the ship. We have been averaging only 9,000-11,000
steps a day, but today was almost 15,000—and now I think we are definitely in shape
for our 50 day cruise in October!
Who would expect the Santa Maria
to be in port??
On our way back to the ship, we saw the Santa Maria docked nearby—
And the Beatles said goodbye as we
walked back to the ship!
Another great day in port!
TK’s Takes: Best day so far weatherwise! Liverpool is convenient to the port--everything right there. Dogs and seagulls today.
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