Easter Break

Much to my amazement, work gives me six days for the Easter holiday. Gemma and I decided to use this opportunity to visit the cultural centre that is Liverpool work a brief visit to Chester. 

If you can pick who this is, you know where this is going...

Now, my knowledge of Liverpool is entirely based on British comedians providing entertaining commentary on the social activities of inhabitants of said city, which you can imagine is not to flattering.

  Hilarious narrowboats - Liverpool does have sense of humour - also, another hint...

So I was somewhat surprised when Gemma suggested we spend the better part of a week there. Those of you more musically savvy than myself (i.e. everyone) will recognise the cultural significance of the area, particularly the unearthing of a somewhat popular rock n roll band in the sixties; the Beatles.  And thus my learning experience began.

Learning!

Well, actually - the learning experience began with science, because, well...I like science. OUr trip to Liverpool took us past Jordell Bank Observatory so we stopped off for a quick gander at the 76 m Lovell radio telescope. The discovery centre was a little out of date but the telescope was HUGE! There was also a walking garden there that was severely lacking in anything even remotely floral.

My science appetite sated onwards to Liverpool we went. It is a really cool place. As expected lots of Beatles focus - and we pretty much bee-lined to the Cavern Club; the nightclub that is considered the their birthplace.

 A replica of the Beatles stage from the Cavern Club in the Beatles museum. My photos inside the club were not spectacular.

 Not surprisingly we were greeted by a the overtures of a Beatles cover band. We found our way to a few other attractions including the Beatles Museum, which was really good and followed the trail of the band's development and unearthing through each of the band members careers after splitting. We wandered around Albert dock, and took in the sites from the Radio City Tower. 

 View of Liverpool from the Radiotower. The big building is a cathedral.

I managed to find a comedy show which was not particularly funny; I decided this is because the comedians were not able to make fun of Liverpool and its inhabitants...I also insisted on visiting the museum because it had dinosaurs AND mummies. We also spent our entire time stalking Super Lambananas. These look exactly as the name suggests and I will leave the rest to your imagination.

Gemma caught one and put it in a cage because she hates lambs and bananas. Also animals, she just hates animals.

After a couple of days flaking around Liverpool we made our way to Crosby Beach, currently home to the Another Place Sculptures. Another Place is a fascinating beach installation in which there were heaps of cast-iron, life-size statues scattered across the beach and in the ocean. Apparently they were amde from molds of the artist, Antony Gormley. 

That ain't a poor man drowning (penis not shown).

The installation has been moved all over Europe before becoming permanently based at Crosby Beach. Interestingly, there has been some outrage as the statues to have a crude penis; a bit like the Simpsons with Michelangelo's David.

I had to subtly remind Gemma to reach for only his hand.

From the beach drowning men we headed towards Chester. Due to its location we crossed into Wales once or twice on our journeys. We visited the Easter food and drink festival where I ate a zebra burger. Other than that we wandered around the town. 

The river Dee and me on the City Walls

We only really dropped by as it has some old roman gardens and a cool city wall that the Romans built some of and the Normans expanded into a proper medieval city. The main city area was mostly filled with he medieval-style black and white two story buildings that I seem to come across every now and then (I believe York had it too).

Eastgate street in Chester