Visiting Liverpool: Something and Superlambanana

“There are some cities in life which strike like lightning, distinct and energetic. And there are others which give us room to breath as we pass through.” -Old Sean

Entering Liverpool

After a rapid tour of the most famous cities in Scotland, I returned to England, visiting Liverpool. My company is sending me to Ireland next and Liverpool is the logical staging point on the way to Holyhead, where a ferry can take me to Dublin.

Visiting Liverpool is… alright. It’s a nice city with a lot of attractions and charm. It’s a major heritage site with lots of interesting features, decorations in honor of The Beatles and compelling museums. But after visiting some of the most stunning cultural hubs in Europe, I found it somewhat underwhelming. The bay area is pretty, the local artworks are interesting and the docks are fun to walk around.

Despite this, I wasn’t terribly engaged. Sleepiness might’ve been a factor. I mostly just wandered around and took notes on the features I found somewhat interesting. I started at the Church of St Luke, better known as the Bombed-Out Church of Liverpool, where I looked at the statues, waved at seagulls and sorted out my walking route for the day.

Superlambanana

My favorite thing in Liverpool initially was Superlambanana, a bright-yellow, 8-tonne sculpture. It looks, perhaps predictably, like a streamlined cross between a banana and a lamb. The sculpture is fairly well-known and beloved within the city. There are a few dozen small models scattered throughout Liverpool.

I wish I had seen the main Superlambanana first and then all the smaller models later. The original 5.2 meter-tall artwork is actually fairly outlandish and impressive. But the smaller models throughout the city diminish the shock value of seeing it for the first time.

Along the Docks

With my art fix finished, I also went forth to The World Museum. The building hosts a surprising archaeology collection which was nice to browse and I appreciated the free entry. The World Museum is part of the National Museums Liverpool project, which hosts large, ornate education-and-research sites on the west side of the city.

At some point during my wanderings, I turned up at the Central Library of Liverpool and ducked inside, hoping to find a place to sit. I should have made the Central Library a higher priority and point of interest. The interior is an impressive architectural masterpiece with light pouring in from above. The main room is a series of imaginative and uneven staircases rising towards a circular skylight. I ended up resting for longer than anticipated, admiring the building’s interior.

The Beatles

Perhaps the best part of Liverpool is their lasting respect and pride regarding The Beatles. The nucleus of the band, built around John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed together in Liverpool in 1957. As such, there are many references to The Beatles throughout Liverpool.

The Beatles Story Exhibition/Museum located on Royal Albert Riverside Dock is a two-hour walkthrough experience discussing the band, their influences and their wonderfully-entertaining creative processes through mock-up displays. This venue shouldn’t be mixed up with The Magical Beatles Museum which houses hoards of authentic Beatles paraphernalia, including letters, bits of film, clothing.

The influence of The Beatles on the music industry can’t be overstated and Liverpool takes enormous steps in showcasing their legacy. I enjoyed walking past the The Beatles Pier Head, where the bronze monuments of the band members walk near the waterfront.

Further to the south, there’s also the European Peace Monument, often called The John Lennon Peace Monument dedicated to the memory of John Lennon.

Museum Trips

Overall, Liverpool turned out to be a hop from one museum to another. If there’s anything that Liverpool does extraordinarily well, it’s museum showcasing. Most of these lovingly constructed and maintained museums are located along the waterfront.

I had to spend my limited time carefully, so I chose to visit museums that interested me personally. I saw massive ships, paintings and nautical gear at the Maritime Museum, which was full of free exhibitions on seafaring heritage. The large HMS Conway Anchor sits out front, lounging on concrete in front of the brick building.

I also had a short amount of time to visit Tate Liverpool to browse some artwork, though I left somewhat quickly to seek out food. I found some snacks and made a slow loop through Chavasse Park as I ate.

A Breath of Familiarity

Instead of powering through the rest of Liverpool and expanding outwards from the waterfront, I decided to relax during the evening.

I decided to go watch a movie, specifically the Deadpool 2 film.

I’ll admit, I sometimes feel a bit silly watching movies in theaters while traveling abroad. It’s something I can always do at home. But sometimes, after the nonstop stimulus of exploring, it’s nice to be able to wait for a moment and rest, latching onto the familiarity.

Besides, Deadpool 2 brought me happiness. It stars Julian Dennison, who I think did a brilliant job in a favorite film of mine, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. He’s a very entertaining presence on screen.

By the time the movie ended, it had grown dark. I settled down to sleep and double checked my ticket for the following day. My time visiting Liverpool was done.

Tomorrow, I’ll be heading to Holyhead where I’ll have an hour or three to walk around. Afterwards, I’m taking a ferry to Ireland.

So until then,

Best regards and excellent trails,

Old Sean

Written July 3rd, 2018

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