Today started early as we set out for a non-soccer day to Liverpool. We were dropped off at Albert Docks, on the River Mersey. Liverpool is on the West end of the UK near the Irish Sea and just across from Dublin. We only had a few hours to spend there, so we started at the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Ships were the lifeblood of Liverpool and this free museum had some great history.
There were quite a few replicas of ships from the start of the docks (1837) to present day. There was a lot of information about WWI and WWII ships and what part they played in the war. Another exhibit was the Sinking of the Lusitania, something I learned about in History class this year. Germans sank the ship with Americans on board; that action precipitated the US entry into WWI.
A fact that we didn't know, there were many ties to Liverpool and the Titanic. White Star Line, the company that built the Titanic, was headquartered in Liverpool. Many of the officers, including her Captain were all from Liverpool. There was a special display in the museum about the Titanic along with items recovered from the ocean floor.
There is a Beatles Museum and Exhibit at the Docks (for a fee), but we decided to head into town. It is on Mathew Street that the Beatles were born! There are few shops, including a Beatle's store with some original memorabilia.
We then saw a cool place from the outside that seemed to have some character so we popped in. We had to go down about 5-6 flights, but the place was amazing. Many stars have played here -- Beatles, BB King, Queen, and many others.
Next got a bite to eat, got on a bus, and headed to Chester. Chester has some history as it started in 70 AD. It has some Roman Walls protecting the city, old churches, and nice quaint shops. We also got our first rain while here. This turned out to be a good thing as we hurried into Chester Cathedral and was able to join the last Tower Tour.
This is a picture of the entire structure from the outside. We were up at the top!
They are doing fundraiser at the Cathedral to raise money for their education program with Lego. There was a Lego Exhibit (we didn't go), and they are building an exact replica of the church. For one pound I was able to place a Lego Brick -- 1 of 350,000.
I'm adding my brick.
This is where my piece will go -- one of the stained glass windows.
And this is the window in the Church where I was building.
My dad's Grandma Benich always liked to light candles in the church. So whenever my dad comes across that opportunity, he lights one in her honor.
We had a little time left to explore Chester so we headed down some side streets and out to the Roman Wall which is around the city. The wall was constructed in 70-80 AD. It even has a moat around it!
We got rained on pretty good in Chester; our first rain of the trip. We headed back to the hotel, had dinner, played some games with the girls, and I am ready to call it a night. Our last full day in England is tomorrow!
Love,
Delaney
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