Vegans, beware, don't drink tap water

It is no mystery that Liverpool is known for being the birthplace of the Beatles, the hometown of Liverpool FC, and the surest place to make you sad you only had seven hours to explore it. But who would´ve thought you would find out tap water isn´t vegetarian-friendly?

The city is easily approachable by all forms of transportation, though I strongly don´t recommend horseback or going by a school bus crammed with people with no windows open. You can start your journey anywhere, though Albert Dock offers a nice and strong introduction to the city´s vibe. Colourful little shops filled with a wide selection of souvenirs, sweets, original home decor, The Beatles merchandise, and Harry Potter robes are a good start to your day.

If you decide to follow the river upwards, you can pretend to be strolling with The Beatles themselves, or at least their bronze statue version, in front of The Three Graces. Behind The Three Graces, up way Water Street, you will stumble upon Liverpool Town Hall, a majestic piece of history. And from there, it is only a few minutes to get to the most important street for us, The Beatles fans – Cavern Street. The smokey late-night atmosphere breathes at you as you walk past Cavern Club, where Brian Epstein, their later manager, first saw The Beatles. They performed there an unbelievable 292 times.

After re-entering the boring world again, you can take a photo of Eleanor Rigby´s statue and go to St John´s Gardens, a beautiful place of nature, from which you can admire the majestic Saint George´s Hall, World Museum Liverpool, and Liverpool Central Library. All of them are worth entering, so take some time to explore them from the inside.

If you arrive in Liverpool in the morning, around this time, you´ll probably be hungry already. Don´t worry, I got you! Five minutes away from Saint George´s Hall, there´s a pub on a corner called Ma Egerton´s. Here you can order the famous Liverpool scouse – a stew typically made from meat with potatoes, carrots and onion. Ma Egerton´s has a lovely pub atmosphere – dark alleys, stylish dark wooden floors, a fireplace, vintage posters, and an interesting staff. The barman was a very specific man, the kind of person you can´t tell when they´re joking. He seemed pleased and annoyed at the same time. When we wanted to order tap water, he said it´s not for vegans, though. We stared at him in confusion, smiled politely, and wanted to move on, but he wouldn´t let it go. He said there are microorganisms in the water, so vegans can´t drink it.

Well, the joke was good, what can I say? It´s just that you never know what´s going on inside these people´s brains. After nourishing yourself, our journey can continue! I want to emphasize the importance of nurturing yourself on city trips. An hour of sitting down, taking in the atmosphere of the place, and eating good food can do miracles to your mood. After the meaty miracle, you simply have to go to the Liverpool Cathedral.

The size of the interior will take your breath away. As someone with 187 cm, I don´t feel small often, but in that place, I did. I felt overwhelmed and awed at the same time.

And it would not be a complete visit to Liverpool if you didn´t go into The Beatles Story Museum. You can get there by using Jamaica Street, which is full of street art, and if you need to spice up your Instagram feed, blue graffiti wings you can pose with will do the job.

The Beatles Story Museum is a wonderful experience. With rooms specially designed to portray different stages of The Beatles, you will feel like you´re going through these stages with them. Be prepared to spend around an hour and a half there and be very tempted to buy a lot of stuff from the gift shop.

If you don´t have to rush back before the nighttime, exploring the city during the night is undoubtedly a wonderful experience. From one of my sources, if you happen to be in Liverpool on Sunday, complete your The Beatles experience by going to the Cavern Club in the evening, grabbing a pint of beer, and listening to the band performing there. And don´t forget, all you need is love (pa-pa-pa-ra-raaaa)!

Love,

Book and Tea Girl