Liverpool: Day 2

Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour!

13th of September, 2015.

I woke up in the city of Liverpool, looking forward way too much to have a fabulous day. I was expecting a typical British rainy and cloudy weather, but luckily sun was shining  through our window prettily and that made my mood even better. So me and my family, we set forth to have a magical mystery tour that was waiting to take us away. 

Well, actually we didn't take the Magical mystery tour bus that you can pay for because I have always been dreaming of exploring this city and Beatles places with maps, with people I love, so that I can stay everywhere for longer and have time to enjoy and think. Also, as I know, Magical mystery tour bus only takes you to Beatles places so you can see them from the window, you don't stop there. But maybe it's still a good choice to see more in less time, I don't want to make a bad advertise for them!

Before going to Liverpool, I searched on the internet for the most advantageous order to travel to Beatles places. 

Our first stop was Ringo's childhood house at 9 Madryn Street in Dingle. At first, it wasn't really easy to find the right bus stop, the right bus that would take us there, but people were so nice, talkative and helped us with everything. Also I've never met such kind bus drivers. They always say something like 'Have a nice day' or 'Thank you, bye' which I found so kind. 

The part of the city where Ringo grew up was, I have to say, kind of poor and not very clean. While we were looking for his house, we actually passed it and didn't even realise it although I have seen that house on pictures many times before. But there wasn't any plaque saying it's his house, nor even a number of the house. We then asked a kind old man who showed it to us. Then I realised it was really it because of the fans' writings all over it. I loved the fact that even the house is probably going to be demolished and the whole street as well, fans still come there and don't only think about John and Paul. The house was very small and didn't look the best way you can imagine. It really needs someone to buy it and make it a musem or something like that. When I imagined Richard spending his time there it was just so cool and I felt lucky. 

So I took pictures and then I found out I forgot my marker which I wanted to write my name with at many places. It made me feel sad, but then I found a little grocery store around the corner and I asked if they don't have one (why would they have a marker in a grocery store, I was so desperate) but the cashier was such a gentleman, he gave me his own one saying it's for free and he's sorry that he has already used it so it doesn't work the best way you can imagine. I was astonished! I thanked him to bits and he started to ask how was I, where was I from etc. I feel like I've said it 100 times, but people in Liverpool are just so so kind. 

So we came back to write our names there!

Empress pub just around the corner from Ringo's house which also appeared on the cover of 'Sentimental Journey' album

Our next stop was the famous place from one of my favourite songs, Penny Lane!

Waiting for a bus to Penny Lane

The way there was quite long, but we made it and it was worth it. I was watching Penny Lane at Google Earth years ago and now I was finally there! It felt surreal.

Beautiful houses on our way to Penny Lane

Seeing the 'Penny Lane' sign made my heart beat a bit faster. I understood well why Paul wrote song about this beautiful street. It was such a nice, typical British place to be but still felt special. I imagined little Paul walking there while he didn't he have an idea he would one day write a song about it. I really could see people now still appreciate this place because of the written names of fans on Penny Lane signs and, for example, a bar with Beatles pictures and interesting things in it.

I decided to write my name on Penny Lane sign with my precious marker as I have always dreamed of doing one day.

There I am, the blue one!

...is in my ears and in my eyes

Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer...

Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout...

Penny Lane is really a place to be. Cafés, restaurants, shops... We had lunch there and continued our adventure to the next stop which was John's childhood house at Menlove Avenue 251. This was one of the places I was looking forward to see probably the mostly. Although we had booked tour to John's and Paul's houses for the next day, we just couldn't see wait to see it that time!
We got lost a bit while going there because of taking the wrong bus, but it was fun. The street and streets around John's house were probably the most beautiful parts of city I've seen. Big, old but splendid houses with pretty little gardens everywhere. I recognised John's one immediately. At first, I just stared at it like a weirdo. I kept imagining little John being there daily, playing in the garden, I imagined Paul coming there to visit him. This house certainly has a big and precious history for every Beatlemaniac. Well, maybe not only for us. John, the hero, peace leader, in my opinion the biggest musical genius that has ever been here... And I stood in front of the house where he lived for years! How crazy.

Thinking of all the history that has been written there

Making my dreams come true

Just around the corner, there is a place where nothing is real. Strawberry Fields! Song that has always been such a masterpiece to me. Although the Strawberry Field gates are now just the replica ones I really liked them. I loved many names on them, although it can be considered as vandalism. But I saw it as some kind of beautiful tribute to John, people expressing how much they love and remember him. I always had that song on my mind and it all felt so sentimental to me.

Living is easy with eyes closed...

I know... I wrote a cliché. The important thing is that it's true.

The last Beatles stop for the day 2 was Paul's beautiful childhood house at 20 Forthlin Road. We walked there from Strawberry fields while we were passing the golf course through which John used to cycle when he went to see Paul. Isn't that cool? I even read in a book by his sister, Julia Baird, that John came there to pick lost golf balls and then he sold it to people who the balls originally belonged to. He just knew how to do it. 

Beautiful streets we passed while walking from John's to Paul's house.

I really liked this area. Amazing little houses with typical brick walls, lots of green places, everything looking very nice and like a normal, middle class part of the city.

It wasn't hard to find the house as it had a plaque saying this is the house of Jim, Mary, Mike and Paul McCartney!

This house truly is another piece of history. Can you imagine that more than 100 songs by John and Paul were written there? I would say this is one of the most important pilgrim Beatles places ever. The famous duo used to come here when they were supposed to be in school- they just smoked cigarettes, wrote songs and literally made history there. As Paul said, there were beautiful, but also sad moments that he went through there. A very special place. I was so happy, I just kept smiling all the time.

Very, very happy Adriana

When we came back for dinner to our hotel I was extremely tired after a long day full of walking, but still ready to see the city centre of Liverpool! 

Beautiful view from our hotel

As Prince Albert said: "I have heard of the greatness of Liverpool but the reality far surpasses my expectation".  That was what I thought as well.  I loved the suburbs of Liverpool so much and now we went to see the city centre.  I knew I would love this part of the city too even before going there. I found out how very special it really is when I was finally there, watching the sunset at Albert Dock. Something extraordinary I did not expect. 

Tired, but very happy I closed my eyes and was about to have some sleep to get energy for the next day full of new Beatles adventures and discoveries of the precious places.