Wednesday, above and underground

I got an amusing story from Twitter recently. A boater was reprimanded by a passer-by for emptying her teapot into the canal.

"You shouldn't do that!"
"Why not?"
"Well, it pollutes the canal, doesn't it?"
"So what do you think I should do with my tea-leaves then?"
"Pour them into the sink, down the drain like everyone else."
"Ah! And where do you think they go after I pour them down the drain?"

Passer-by pauses for thought, then trundles off, muttering under her breath.

>>>===<<<

I photographed the Titanic apartment...

and its neighbours, both to-rent holiday apartments. Unusual, huh? Better than the nearby Holiday Inn?

Grace and I got on the Hop on/Hop off bus again this morning at around 10:00am. Yesterday's ticket was for 24 hours, but none of yesterday's drivers had bothered to time-stamp the ticket, so it really became something of a permanent ticket. When we boarded for our final trip today, I paused just inside the bus to get the ticket from my bag, and the driver waved us both in, and didn't even want to see that I had one!

We disembarked close to St George's Hall. It had looked interesting in a brochure we'd picked up, with fabulous architecture and lavish interiors like this.

photo - www.liverpool-360.co.uk

There's a modest garden to one side of it...

and inside, a route that takes you past prison cells, a courtroom and the judge's chambers, but the hall can only be viewed from a balcony. Entrance to this public (please note) hall is not allowed, except on special occasions like the one pictured above - a Winter Arts Market.

  

It was a disappointment. The Grand Hall is remarkably beautiful, and we'd have liked to walk around, down on its floor.

We left, and walked to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (yes, aka "Paddy's Wigwam") And yes, the exterior is odd. Like the Anglican cathedral just down the road, it, too, had a different original design.

And it has a remarkable history, too. People who would not normally believe in them have called the building of this cathedral a miracle. The raising of the money alone was incredible.

The interior wowed Grace more than me. But it is quite stunning.

And we went down into the crypt (no photos allowed), which isn't even under the cathedral, since it was built for an earlier design that was abandoned. It's a long, unusual story you might want to read for yourself.

The Anglican Cathedral smiling across at the Roman Catholic one

Our walk through this area took us past some grand old buildings that desperately need renovating, being too much part of the heritage of the city to be allowed to full into ruins.

Hopping back onto the tour bus, we returned to the docks for lunch, and then a visit to the underground remains of the original Liverpool dock, which was the world's first wet dock, and which changed the history of global commerce as well as that of the city. The two guides, passionate about the subject, and very knowledgeable, made fascinating something that you might otherwise think dull.

(and no, it's not very photogenic, either!)

Our day finished with a fine meal at Café Rouge, to celebrate Grace's birthday. A fitting ending to another great day.