Liverpool Trip Part 2

So Sunday morning prior to meeting J. I got the train to Formby, and I walked, or is it stalked! My great-grandparents house again, I walk to the end of the street and had a wonderful cup of coffee and one of the best almond croissants I think I've ever had in my entire life, and that is saying something! 

I got the train back and was back in Liverpool and for some reason decided then to Google our Nelson shipping company once more, and maybe the way in which I asked Google the question it came up with the dock from which the Nelson company shipped from!

And it actually is the Nelson Dock! So I walked to it, and in retrospect I could have got off the train much earlier on my return Journey because the walk took nearly an hour and I was retracing those steps that I had taken on that train! 

Needless to say it was a very long walk and once there I took a couple of photographs, and nearby some people were working on some land just clearing it, and tidying it up. 

There was some Portacabins there on the site, and inside was a lot of information about the docks going back to the very start of the Liverpool dockyards. 

The many people that left their countries far and wide, and all the merchandise that came and went from the docks. 

I was going to get a taxi back to the city center, but chose instead to just walk and take my time. 

Then I met J. And we walk down to the Albert dock and we had a drink aboard a boat called the Daffodil, it was a beautiful sunny warm day and we sat there on the top deck, glasses of blush wine in our hands, and reminisced about our days back home, in Spain. 

After we left the docks we went to a restaurant to have dinner, and then I walked J. A little way back towards the bus station and then I turned around and went home to the hotel room. 

Monday morning before leaving for my return journey to Nottingham, I went into the British music experience in the Cunard building by the docks. 

I would have gone in there before, but, my granddaughter was going to be in there! 

I had booked my hotel room and to meet my friends, back in January or February. And when my granddaughter said she was going to be in Liverpool about 3 weeks before I was going there, I couldn't believe the coincidence! Absolutely incredible! Of all the days and weekends in the year, she was going to be there that Monday morning before I left in the afternoon. 

Even the fact that I chose to arrive Saturday and to leave monday, instead of staying Friday and Saturday and leaving sunday, which would have been a more usual weekend away. 

I had walked around the music exhibition which was amazing and definitely worth a return trip, or three, there had been no school parties in as I had entered a 10:00 a.m. when it had opened, so I thought I would go and have a cup of coffee, exiting through the shop, the only way out as per the norm, out into reception I went and there she was! 

We chatted a little bit and I also spoke to two of her teachers, one of which I had seen many times before. 

You can't make life up can you?! Although I suppose if we could some of our lives would be very different. 

M.

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one.

Pocahontas
 

Liverpool Weekend part 1

13th through to 15th of June, and absolutely no excuse for my lack of Blogging, procrastination some I guess...

Feet not touching the ground a lot maybe? 

So! June 13th train to Liverpool Lime Street!

Off the train and straight to Costa for coffee and something to eat! Well needed, train journey was okay, except a hiccup where something was supposedly on the track and we were told we had to get off.. we did, only to be told we didn't have to now! So my last 3/4 of an hour was spent standing up on an overpacked train, I haven't moved out of my seat and gone on to the platform could not get back to my seat. 

I had been to Liverpool once before, to the city center but only briefly back about 30 years ago, helping someone collect something which I can't even remember now what! 

After my coffee and lunch I went to find the hotel so I would know where to return to at 3:00, I now had about an hour and a half to wait, so I walked down to the Albert dock I had a wander around, and saw a small boat was about to leave for and half an hour sail around the docks, I paid and boarded, no actually I boarded then paid after I'd ordered my hot chocolate with marshmallows! 

I had sat down at a table for six, where a couple was sat already opposite me just leaving one table for six in case a big family came along. 

We chatted here and there along around the journey, it was the first time the girl had ever been on a boat of any kind whatsoever! 

After the boat trip I walked to the hotel and got there at 3:01 perfect timing, entered got my room key card and went up to my room. 

Was I really lovely room it was dual aspect out onto two streets, Fenwick Street in front which was where the hotel was and the road on the side which went straight down to the docks, and forgetting the actual name no it's Brunswick Street, and also known as the A41!

Which oddly is the road throughout my lifetime of being in England I had always been very close to, not emotionally! But as in lived on lived by or worked on or worked by all of my life in England up until now. 

These are various buildings in Liverpool I'm sorry I have not listed their names there was the Cunard building which is where the British music entertainment show is. 

And above this beautiful building near the railway station. 

Above is the Nelson dock, which is where our family shipped from back in the late 1800s. 

This great upside down house in the city center, I didn't go in next time I will my ticket for the music exhibition is open all year so I will be back! 

If you remember I had two friends meeting me in Liverpool for this weekend, both of which couldn't make the trip for my friend coming from Spain, and my friend here in Liverpool was working, so I did get to see her on sunday, J. Was so good to see her I waited up by the bus stop where she was getting off the bus, I knew the number, and as soon as I saw her I started leaping about I could banshee, and so was she inside the bus!

M.

At 65 everything goes downhil

So why does everything feel like uphill!

©MarianBonelli

Here I am on location! That sound cool doesn't it, although here I am at work is the deal... I am placed in a region not mine, but when told the location I had to do it, that and not good idea to turn down work of course!  But here I am, near the land of my grand father, he was born in Rice Lane Liverpool, I am near Southport, so not that far away, but this town seemed familiar and looking on the map found its right next to Formby! Where my great grandfather and mother lived their final years and died...

I have now walked the street they lived in, a couple of times, unfortunately I couldn't find the exact house as I only know the name and no number... But, well near enough, no no, anyone who knows me knows that's not enough, feel very disappointed couldn't stop and stare and feel connected with their exact house and home...

I have been to Southport a few times now, if it brightens today I will go to the botanical gardens, but I have been to The Atkinson, a old beautiful building in Lord Street, spent an hour only appreciating local artists and craft work, really very good, wish I hadn't had to walk around so fast, galleries are meant for time, thinking, taking in...

Anyway... I have used the maps on my pho e to get about, which has worked both ways, sending me round in circles, literally!  I ended up following a random Mercedes the other day, I had been following signs for a shopping centre, the signs stopped and I figured she might be going that way... She was, so I did!

Had to pay parking, at a retail park!?! And in the town really expensive, bit like Neath, but then maybe with them both being coastal... (Mmm, true, not Neath! Lol), and here the beach is way away from the town centre!!

Tried to grab more photos, phone playing games!!

Posting now just in case!

TTFN
Marian