Breakfast with Laura
This morning, Laura organized to take me out for breakfast. We ended up deciding that the best breakfast place would be in Chester, as this would allow us some time to walk around the old city after the meal. Laura arranged for us to go to a café for breakfast called Chalk which was on Watergate Street in Chester, which happened to be the street with the clock tower on it that I remember from the photos when I sent my Flat Stanley to England when I was in primary school. I mentioned to Laura how I had been finding the coffee in Europe to be not as good as back in Melbourne, but to my surprise, the coffee at this café was quite good and passed my approval, as a slightly snobby Melbournian. For breakfast, we both had the spiced apple porridge, which despite porridge not usually being my first choice, I quite enjoyed.
After breakfast Laura showed me around Chester a little bit, pointing out the cathedral, and then leading me down the street towards the Eastgate clock. We then walked across the city wall under the clock, passed the amphitheater, and up the river. I felt quite impressed by the architecture of all the old buildings in Chester, particularly the city walls and old bridge which are mostly still intact. We walked up the river, crossing over a foot suspension bridge, and then back down the river across an old Roman bridge, before completing a lap of the racecourse. I felt like we had a great one-on-one conversation about our interests, as well as many other topics. I remember at one point discussing the struggles of always having to spell out last names for people, which was interesting because I don’t know of anyone else back home with the same problem.
Heading to Liverpool with Boyd
After completing our walk, Laura drove us both back to her house where I would be meeting Boyd. After a quick coffee, Boyd took me into Liverpool firstly in the car, and then on the train. When we arrived in Liverpool, we walked towards the river Mersey, to look at the famous Three Graces buildings. Boyd pointed them out to me, as well as the nearby Beatles statues and some factories which were across the river.
Museum of Liverpool Life
Next, we went into a nearby building where the Museum of Liverpool Life is located. The museum was quite interesting, covering quite a diverse history of Liverpool. I enjoyed learning a lot about the time when my Grandad (Ron), was still living in Liverpool. One large artifact from this time was a tram from Liverpool overhead, which Boyd told me Ron would likely remember.
After completing the museum, Boyd took me up to see the town hall. We then walked down the street, to see the Cavern Pub, where the Beetles often played before they were famous. Then we walked to Derby Square, where there was a Queen Victoria monument, although we couldn’t see it because there was currently a protest there. After stopping for a sandwich and a coffee and the Pret close by, we walked around the Albert Docks and passed the entrance to the Beatles Museum.
After completing all this sightseeing, I felt like I now had a good overview of Liverpool’s attractions, although I am sure there are many more to see. Boyd and I ended off the day by having a nice meal at an Italian restaurant outside Chester called Pesto.
