Wet Wales and Lovely Liverpool

So we know its been a while since our last blog post, but life has just been crazy! When we have stopped we have usually been too exhausted to write our blog. But we are back in the swing and will have some quick posts for you – perhaps with a little less content than our usual posts.

Northern Wales

We dragged ourselves out of bed in Dublin at 5:00am and made our way to the ferry which took us back to the UK arriving at Holyhead Wales. On our way to Snowdonia National Park we drove to Conwy a beautiful little walled town, boasting a castle which dominates the entire place. We saw the UK's smallest house, and decided it probably would be any good to live in. After walking the walls we drove through Snowdonia to our ridiculously gorgeous bed and breakfast right on the beach of Aberdovey. 

Aberdovey is a sleepy little beachside town which during summer you could tell would do a roaring trade. The wind was howling and the rain pouring so we called it a day early. It gets dark here about 4 in the afternoon so you really have to make the most of the light while you have it. 

These photos were taken the day we left when the sun decided to show up!

The weather the next day was not much better, with nearly no visibility due to cloud and it did not stop raining all day. We had a scenic drive planned and while the road was great we could barely see anything, although what we saw was beautiful. Everything was closed for the low season so we decided to put Wales into a ‘next time we are here in Summer’ category. The next day as we were leaving Wales for Liverpool the sun made its way out and it was glorious, although the wind was so cold we still couldn’t get excited to get out and explore.

The views would be stunning if you could see them

Liverpool

Liverpool pleasantly surprised us. We honestly had no idea what to expect and to tell you the truth we weren’t expecting much. Perhaps having low expectations is the best way to explore a city as really nothing can disappoint you. We had booked a self-catered apartment, but the kitchen was rather like our Fort William one, and after that disaster we decided this was not the place to try cooking. This was the right decision because later that night we stumbled upon an amazing Moroccan restaurant and enjoyed unlimited Moroccan mint tea. This was to die for!

With the sun quickly fading we walked Liverpools beautiful famous Albert Docks which have been recently revived through redevelopment after decades of decline. This place is a bit of a creative hub, home to the Beatles museum, some stunning architecture (and some not so stunning modern stuff) and just has a cruisy vibe about it. This classic architecture shows just how incredibly prosperous Liverpool port was back in its heyday and lit up at night it is gorgeous.

The next day we did the Sandemans Liverpool walking tour, as always it was brilliant. It rained the entire time so we took no photos, so you need to take our word that this city is vibrant and beautiful. Even in the rain we could appreciate it. It was very interesting to find out Liverpools history, rise to prosperity, fall to poverty and reinvigoration as a centre of culture. We could write a lot of eye opening stats and history about Liverpool and its wealth and slavery trade but we won’t. If you’re interested why not google it. 

After enduring the last 4.5 hours outside in the rain and wind, we felt we deserved a large hot beverage even just to help our fingers defrost. 

Amy’s official mug shot

Mum I know what you’re thinking – ‘this is the perfect mug for my tea’. Yep we thought this to, and Simon commented that perhaps if we bought you one you could cut your 17 cup a day habit down to 4. Knowing you so well I told him that you would still have the 17 cups of tea you would just use this mug instead. We did not buy you the mug, I am not encouraging your habit.

Its fair to say that Liverpool has successfully capitalised on the success of the Beatles, with nearly everywhere you go seeing images of the Beatles thrust in your face. Naturally being tourists we jumped on the bandwagon and visited the Beatles museum. It’s hard to comprehend what these boys achieved in such a short period of time, and the legacy they have left behind. It is a great story and a sad story all in one. 

That night we did not want to leave Liverpool, it was the kind of city that we could have stayed and played in for a while longer. 

Lessons Learnt

• Start a band and be as successful as the Beatles – it pays off by the looks of things.
• Wear all the layers when going on a 3 hour outdoor walk. Be prepared to lose all feeling in your extremities.
• Go to Wales in the Summer because it shuts down for tourists in the low season.

Parting Thoughts

We loved Liverpool and we strongly recommend anyone to go and visit it. It has culture oozing out of it, brilliant architecture, rich history, lamb bananas, fabulous dining options, one of the biggest outdoor shopping destinations in Europe, its home to the Beatles and a football team that some people seem to go crazy for…

We think that Liverpool is underrated as a city, and should be thought of in people’s minds as more than the home of the Beatles and Liverpool FC. 

Moroccan Mint tea is the thing you must try, if you don’t have a local Morrocan restaurant we would recommend googling a recipe and making it! We certainly intend to make it a lot when we get home. 

Simon and Amy xoxo

TOO COLD AND WET FOR SELFIES!