Liverpool, England, UK...

A before dark sail into Liverpool certainly limited shut down the possibility of sail in photos but, I did get a bit more sleep. When it was daylight, I did not think there was much on the way of photo opportunities…was I wrong! Liverpool is a photographer’s dream. We had a great day touring with our guide Ruth, a local girl who grew up on Penny Lane. Liverpool’s roots date back to the early years of the 13th century. Since the Industrial Revolution, it has changed into one of the region’s busiest ports and industrial areas. Now, it’s known the world over for its diehard football fans and abundant historic and Beatles-related attractions.  Our first stop was the harbor front to have our photo taken at the bronze statue of the Fab Four. Watching over the river are 3 exquisite buildings, known as the 3 Graces, the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building…what stunning architecture. Revitalization at its best, the former waterfront docks have been renovated into a marina and entertainment area known as the Royal Albert Docks. The city is a haven for music-lovers, having created ‘Merseybeat’, a style of music that produced The Beatles, The Who, Gerry and The Pacemakers and The Kinks. We walked down Liverpool’s Mathew Street infamous for The Cavern Club. In the music scene the Cavern was the home of The Beatles during their early years. The street is a collection of bars and restaurants expanding on the Beatlemania theme. We walked to the City Hall to see its stunning neoclassical architecture. We explored a number of haunts that were once the stomping grounds of John, Paul, George, and Ringo before they were household names including Penny Lane, Ringo’s childhood home, The Bank, the Barbershop, Eleanor Rigby statue, The Cavern Club and other prominent attractions that played significant roles in the band’s rocket to stardom. While touring around the streets of Liverpool we caught a number of street art scenes. We stopped to see the Liverpool Cathedral the biggest cathedral in the United Kingdom and the world's longest. Liverpool was the most heavily bombed city during the Second World War. An estimated 10,000 homes were destroyed, 4,000 civilians lost their lives, and thousands more injured. The docks were targeted, and St Luke’s Church endured catastrophic destruction…now known as the Bombed-Out Church, the structure has been preserved but not rebuilt and serves as a memorial to those who lost their lives in WWII. We all thoroughly enjoyed our time in Liverpool, really a hidden gem. We left Liverpool for Chester via the tunnel under the Mersey River. Ruth gave us an amazing look at Liverpool!!!  Our tour of Chester will be the second part of today’s blog.