Liverpool is one of the few cities on this trip I haven't visited before. I didn't have much time to research it before I arrive, so I only learned enough to know the major sights I needed to photograph. Although these sounded great, I must admit my expectations for the city overall were somewhat low - probably because I lived for two years in southern England, where they are not generally very complimentary about northern England! But I thought Liverpool was awesome and I would recommend a visit to anyone.
First of all, they have done the most beautiful job of preserving and rejuvenating their historic buildings (especially the Albert Dock) and creating some very cool modern architecture right alongside them. There is a remarkable lack of the horrible, uninspired, concrete stuff from in-between periods, at least in the parts I visited. And the entire historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, called "Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City," which is a rare honor.
There are also many old buildings that have not been restored yet, but I thought they were pretty cool, too. Faded paint, missing windows, crooked bricks, plants growing out of walls, artistic graffiti... very fun, for a photographer at least! And they are not all in some run-down neighborhood, where they might make you feel unsafe or depressed, but are interspersed throughout the city in all their picturesque urban decay.
Liverpool also feels like a very authentic, working city that welcomes tourists without being "touristy." I saw few other recognizable tourists during my visit. Most people seemed to be locals, just doing their thing - going to work, running by the river, going out to bars. And virtually everyone I spoke to was very friendly.
Liverpool so easily could have plastered Beatles stuff all over the city in order to give tourists what they expect and sell more mugs, but for a long time of wandering I didn't come across the Beatles at all. I was very impressed by that. They are clearly very proud of their "local lads", but instead of just giving tourists what they expect, the city teaches visitors what they should expect from Liverpool: maritime heritage, museums, two unique cathedrals, good shopping (especially the new and impressive outdoor mall called "Liverpool One"), and a contemporary music scene.
I worked very hard in Liverpool, in part because I liked it so much. As soon as I checked into my hotel, I hurried right back out again because the light was so good. And for the next two full days, I was out from morning until night, including: two extensive night photography sessions at the Albert Dock and waterfront, complete tripod and three-lens treatment at both cathedrals, two visits to the Anglican Cathedral, a visit to the Maritime Museum, a visit to the Tate Liverpool, a two-hour Beatles bus tour, and walks along the colorful Bold Street.
I also kept busy trying to keep my camera dry, or drying it off, or cleaning the lens, as it rained on and off throughout my visit. One night on my way back to the hotel, it poured torrents. I looked like a drowned rat by the time I made it back.
The result of my labors is a grand total of 2,361 photos, which I've been working my way through in whatever spare time I could find the last few days, often on trains. Unfortunately I don't have time to write very much in the way of backgrounds or descriptions, but I hope you enjoy this visual overview of Liverpool!
Hotel
My hotel, Base2Stay Liverpool, was in a historic warehouse in the Ropewalks district of Liverpool, about 10 minutes' walk from the Albert Dock. My room was tiny, but the price was right and the location was excellent. I was quite happy there.
The Albert Dock
The Albert Dock was built in 1846, and it was revolutionary in several ways: it contained no wood to protect against fire; it allowed loading directly into warehouses from the ships; and it featured the world's first hydraulic cranes. It fell into disrepair after World War II, but was beautifully restored and reopened in 1988. I thought it was quite handsome and spent a lot of time there.
The Waterfront (Pier Head)
The waterfront in Liverpool (officially named "Pier Head") is a wonderful place with welcoming public spaces, a riverside path, and a fantastic variety of architecture. There are three historic buildings that face the water, known as the "Three Graces." From left to right: Liver Building (built 1901-11); Cunard Building (1914-16); and Port of Liverpool Building (1904-07).
The modern buildings that have recently joined them are the Museum of Liverpool (2011), the Pier Head Ferry Terminal (2009), and a new building of black glass still being finished.
One of the nights, the full moon was rising behind the Three Graces and it was spectacular. It's too bad I can never capture that properly in a photo - it is just too bright.
There are several painted animal statues along the waterfront, and they pop up in surprising places around the city as well. They are very cute, and I was trying to figure out if they were cows or what, when I found a label and got my answer...
The Museums
I enjoyed both of the museums I visited, not least because they are both free and both welcome photography! The first, the Merseyside Maritime Museum, is quite interesting and very detailed - you could spend hours in there if you're into maritime history.
One major exhibit covers the sinking of the Lusitania, Empress of Ireland, and Titanic, all of which had close connections with Liverpool. There were large models of the ships, artifacts, re-created rooms, and lots of signboards explaining the history and significance of the disasters.
There is an extensive World War II section, with artifacts such as communication machines, uniforms, and an example of the bombs that rained down on Liverpool in the May Blitz of 1941.
One especially unique exhibit was entitled "Hello, Sailor!" and covered gay life in the navy. Apparently it was quite tolerated on the ships, but then the sailors had a very hard time adjusting when they returned to the real world. It was very interesting! I especially enjoyed the re-creation of a gay sailor's bunk, complete with dress and hot posters of Steve McQueen:
Also part of the Maritime Museum is the International Museum of Slavery, with exhibits on the African cultures from which the slaves were taken, the reasons for slavery, the horrible conditions, and eventually emancipation. It was rather harrowing, but very well done and important. It included this nice contemporary artwork with an American theme:
Tate Liverpool is part of the same museum as the more famous Tate Modern in London. It is located in the Albert Dock and has a nice, small collection.
The Cathedrals
Liverpool has two major cathedrals, one Anglican and one Catholic. Both were built in the 20th century and both are huge.
The Anglican cathedral, a.k.a. Liverpool Cathedral, is particularly impressive in size. When I first saw it, the word that immediately came to mind was "massive." I liked it more than most Gothic Revival churches I've seen, which I never like as well as medieval Gothic.
The Catholic cathedral of Liverpool is officially named the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, but locally it is known as "Paddy's Wigwam." You'll see why. I wasn't personally a fan of this one, but it is certainly unique... and they allowed me to use my tripod, which was awesome.
The Beatles
Of course I spent plenty of time exploring Beatles places while in Liverpool - see this post.
Various Other Sights
Liverpool Lime Street train station
Bold Street and St. Luke's Church
Same again. Bold Street is known for its bohemian, international flavor. I happened to visit during the Bold Street Festival, so there were also street performers, delicious-smelling food stalls from Chinese to Moroccan, and Chinese drummers.
A butterfly and a flower on Bold Street
St. Luke's Church, a.k.a. The Bombed-Out Church, completed in 1831 and damaged by bombs in 1941. It has been left unrestored as a city park.
Detail of St. Luke's
Ferris Wheel and Echo Arena
Taxi
Food in Liverpool
I had two meals out while in Liverpool, and both were great. The first was at Pizza Express, an old standby that importantly offers free wifi, located in the Liverpool One shopping center.
Dough balls - what a clever and delicious concept.
Pizza Fiorentina, with spinach, olives, and an egg in the center. One of my favorites.
The second, and much more memorable, meal was Sunday roast at a pub/restaurant called the Shipping Forecast, just around the corner from my hotel on Slater Street. I was determined to find a Sunday roast on my first Sunday back in the UK, and I'm happy it was so easy to find a good one. The pub was friendly and comfy and the meal was delicious. (There were four options for the roast; I chose pork with apple-sage sauce.) While ordering at the counter I had a fun chat with a South African fellow customer and an Australian waitress, which was a nice social interval for a solo traveler.
And one evening I had "dinner" at the Albert Dock, at a restaurant called Circo.
Here's why I used quotation marks! This lovely sticky toffee pudding may have been a proper dinner, but combined with hot tea it suited me just fine for waiting out the rain.
Coming up next: York, including an excellent day trip to Selby Abbey and Castle Howard.