July 20 - July 21

Jessie and I started the day by walking past a Royal Navy ship, the Lyme Bay, that we had seen yesterday. After a 2 hour wait (time is cheap when you are unemployed) we were shown around by an officer. I practiced my best foghorn noises and panicked helm-spinning behind the wheel on the bridge and tried not to break anything.

We walked more around Albert's Dock for some Tall Ship-viewing but it was so crowded we didn't stay long.

Later in the evening, I decided to take a stroll to where the largest tall ships were moored and was happy to find no crowds or queues (I need to add more British-English terms). Ship-steering practice having been completed earlier that day, I confidently took the helm on each of the ships and imagined myself not crashing into anything whatsoever. There were ships from countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Poland, The Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Belgium.





























On my walk back to our flat I walked through an average or slightly below average status neighbourhood and was propositioned by a prostitute. I didnt think much of it except she looked a little scarred and rough but at the top of the next hill I saw another woman also looking for business. Liverpool strikes me as a little like Rockford, IL but even there I found it difficult to find this kind of action when I wanted.

Jessie's good friend Jake arrived the next morning so we met him at the train station around 11:00am. We went out around dinnertime for Indian fare and some beers at a pub, followed by a walk past a sombre-looking cemetary. I thought it would make a great movie location considering its overgrown vines, shubbery and presence. We also strolled through what is supposed to be the oldest China-town in Europe which contains the largest Chinese arch outside of mainland China. It was one of the nicest streets I have come across so far in Liverpool, good show.

On Monday, the tall ship regatta departed for their next stop in Norway. We bid them a cold and windy farewell along with the airshow salute. We spent most of the day at the Maritime, Slavery and Seized-Items museums (all free) and I think we were all impressed. I loved the Maritime Museum for its enormous ship models; Lusitania, Titanic and WWII history; and Liverpool's shipping line history. While out for an evening walk, we ran across a film crew and started chatting to one of the minders. Bob told us about his younger days fighting (and knifing) at football matches, recent shootings, hit-and-runs and murders in Liverpool, and his retired Uncle that drove drunk off a pier to die at 68. When we mentioned Jessie and I would be visiting Scotland this week, we warned us of dangerous trouble makers from that area, 'those jocks'.






























My favourite find of the weekend: a self rotating platform on which to park your small car while washing it.