After an overnight flight to Gatwick and a train into London we arrived at our AirBnB which was located in a lovely old home being refurbished by a young couple...
It was located in a neat neighbourhood full of shops and pubs and near to the Underground station...
Since we have been in London before and saw most all the sights we decided to spend the day just leisurely walking through Central London. We took the tube and started at Trafalgar Square which is one of the most important and bustling squares in London: designed in 1830 to commemorate the British victory against the French and Spanish fleets in the Battle of Trafalgar.
It has a large fountain protected by lions and a tall column dedicated to Lord Nelson...
Of course in London you are never far from seeing evidence of the Royal Family so as we walked we passed the Royal Guards...
These guards were practicing drills in the courtyard...
There were the Palaces...
Buckingham Palace...
Kensington for the younger royals...
Tributes still to Princess Diana whose birthday was July 1...
Big Ben was getting a makeover...
The River Thames was busy...
We especially enjoyed the beauty of the parks...
The Royal swans...
The flowers...
Taking a break...
We visited the Diana Memorial Fountain designed to allow children to wade and play in it...
Monuments remembering those lost in war...
Triumphant arches...
Peaceful places to sit and enjoy the day...
And finally a cold pint in an old pub...
Another day found us at a busy train station where we took the slow train to Liverpool...
We passed by small towns, big cities and green countryside...
Liverpool is home to one of Britain’s biggest industrial heritages. Like much of the North of England, Liverpool has its roots in the industrial revolution, when it became a major port. This made it a hub for diversity and culture as people from all over the world travelled into England via Liverpool. The city is a haven for music-lovers, having created ‘Merseybeat’, a style of music that produced The Beatles, The Who and The Kinks. Liverpool is considered to be a ‘capital of culture’ in both England and Europe, with numerous art galleries, museums, and a vibrant nightlife. In fact we were pleasantly surprised with this place as we set out to explore...
The highlight of the city is the waterfront along the Mersey River which is one of the most interesting River walks we have seen anywhere and is now a World Heritage Site.
The Tate Museum of Modern Art is a prominent feature...
The Liverpool Museum, all free admission is another example of new architecture among the older buildings...
The Maritime Museum’s exhibit reminded us that the “ Titanic “ was built here...
We also learned a lot about the role of slavery in the history of this city...Liverpool was a major port for the transatlantic slave trade. Many local merchants and their ships were involved in slavery from 1700 until its abolition in 1807. As a result much of the city's wealth in the 18th century came from the trade. The personal and civic wealth gained from slaving cemented the foundations for the port's future growth. Slave ships were often built or repaired in Liverpool. Nearly one and a half million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic in Liverpool ships.
Also some interesting public art including this sculpture of an immigrant family, there were nine million people immigrated to America through the port of Liverpool during the earlier days...
A modern piece among the old...
The city is full of interesting buildings both new and old...
One of the most visited group of buildings is called the “ Three Graces”, built around the turn of the 20th century...
Also lots of pedestrian streets and public spaces...
No trip to Liverpool is complete without some reference to the Fab Four and here they are everywhere...
Then for all the Beatles fans there is Eleanor Rigby..."all the lonely people"
The Beatles got their musical start here and often played at the iconic Cavern Club...
This club is located on a street that is full of music and drinking venues...
In fact the city is full of music and good times, live bands everywhere...
People enjoying the sunshine which we were repeatedly told does not shine often.
Many shopping venues....
Yes, this is inside a shopping area....
Though with the poor value of our dollar against the British pound we did not shop!
We thoroughly enjoyed our brief time here and would have certainly liked more time to visit the many attractions we missed. We did get a chance to have supper with an old friend...
And a few pints with new ones...
Now off to Wales!
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