Being in the UK for three years now got me to discover some nice places around here but I feel sometimes that I am missing some must-sees! 2 weeks ago, I made a quick decision to go to Liverpool for a week-end. The plan was simple, travel by train to Manchester, spend the morning there then take a train to Liverpool and enjoy it for 24 hours.
2 years ago I visited Manchester for 4 days. I had so much fun and I saw how amazing this region of the UK is! The people are different somehow but most difference comes from the accent… This Northern accent that I don’t really get and that makes me feel like I’m a beginner english speaker again…
Stopping back in Manchester for a morning was great. The weather was awesome which is apparently a rare thing there! I walked around the city centre passing by those places I know and seen 2 years ago. Doing a treasure hunt and a pub crawl really helped knowing the city!
Then for £3 only, I got a one-way ticket to Liverpool. But I only wished I brought the nice weather from Manchester. I was welcomed by rain when arriving at Lime Street Station. My hotel was near so I went there quickly. The Adelphi Britannia really looks like the hotel featuring on the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel.
One of the main reasons I chose Liverpool is to see the Central Perk, a replica of the café featuring on Friends, the TV show. I’m such a huge fan! I found out that it was on Bold Street so it was the first attraction I visit. I went there all excited with my friend, we order our drinks and wait patiently for the mythical orange couch to be freed but it never happened. But anyway, on the screen we could see Season 10 episodes on repeat. Such a joy to be in Central Perk, watch friends and sip a hot drink.
Following my hysterical-fan visit of Central Perk, I finally can visit the city. I walked around Liverpool Cathedral, Chinatown and then follow my instinct to finally start seeing the Big Wheel of Liverpool. That’s it. It was Albert Dock.
Albert Dock is one of the most visited attraction in town. The riverside is popular with locals who enjoy a run or sit by to watch sunset and by tourists who find some popular attractions like The Beatles Experience. Indeed, Liverpool is proud for being the birth place of one of the biggest bands in history.
I walked around town until I realised I was freezing as the sun started to disappear, temperatures went as low as 12 degrees. And this is summer! I felt like it was time to go to Central Perk. Only then I realised there were two locations. The second one was on Hatton Garden which was actually my favourite from both as it was more authentic and more real. However I must say that I was so excited it felt surreal as well!
The night is starting early around 7pm. People are getting drunk quickly in the streets of Liverpool and the clubs and bars are getting very busy. By 9pm, it was already getting hard to move in the streets as they were so busy and it felt like it was the peak of the night. I was tired so I had to cut short my nightlife discovery. I got back to the hotel at 12am.
The next morning it was time to pack and go. I took a bus for the return to London. I must say that I had satisfying amounts of sleep on the way but still, it was a long 6 hours ride that gets so boring and tiring. But it was over quickly after all. And I got to see Liverpool and drink a hot chocolate at Central Perk, only I wish Gunther was there but he had to dye his hair…
