Outnumbered & Abroad: Liverpool & The Beatles (Part 17)
Liverpool (Sunday, September 30, 2018 - Day #6) - I felt myself stir in my slumber early, just enough to realize it was Warren Clayton moving off the lower bunk across the way. When he headed out for the shower, I let myself drift off for a few more minutes knowing that we were going to have a long and jam-packed day ahead of us.
The next clue Randi read and I couldn’t help but laugh. It was the kind of clue that I felt like you can’t read without busting into song!
“I want you, I want you so bad!” - Come on! It’s the Beatles! We were off to Liverpool for a pit stop for Beatles merchandise and brunch. As we left that morning, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the car packing skills we seemed to have acquired. I was very proud of myself because, typically, I would be the one that overpacked but, in this group, I had the smallest amount of stuff … so far. Warren Clayton, Randi, and one of NIcole’s bags took up the entire trunk. My backpack was tucked onto the top shelf of the back window and then Nicole had placed her backpack in between the Johnson’s in the back seat.
Despite how confusing it was to get into the Beatles square (as I’ll call it) in Liverpool, we were relieved to get a front row stall for parking. The Beatles’ museum was underground but, above, was a variety of unique and fulfilled casual shops; none of which were open this early. A recurring trend in the United Kingdom it seems that no one wants to open before eleven in the morning but, if they have too, they’ll bregrudgingly flip the sign at 9:00 am.
We decided to go to a little brunch care next to the gift shop where we were met with what was probably the worst customer service of the trip. I absolutely hate that for many sort of in-the-mainstream place that we have been, the individuals working have made us feel as if we are an inconvenience for being there. The young blonde haired lad could have been attractive, if it wasn’t for the sour look on his face. When he came over, after being seated for about ten minutes, and asked us if we were ready to order drinks, to which I responded, “Actually, I think we are ready to order food if you are ready?”
“I can’t do that,” he said with a sneer before snapping his writing pad shut and walking away without even taking our drink orders.
Despite our attempt to laugh it off as an “above his pay grade” kind of thing, it left us in a bit of a predicament. Were we supposed to order at the coffee bar? Were we supposed to go elsewhere? We really weren’t sure.
About ten minutes later a group of what looked like high school girls walked in.
“We can’t serve you,” the waiter snapped at them. Wide-eyed, the group of girls all left. I felt genuinely sorry for them but was thankful that they were taking their business elsewhere like we should have done. With a saucy air, he took our orders.
Nicole and I had decided to split churros (because apparently that’s a breakfast thing here) and toast. The old was good enough to make up for the poor customer service … except not. it was really good but that guy was that bad! I also got the distinct pleasure of watching Nicole have the same orange marmalade experience that I had had while in Wales. I only enjoyed it because I had warned her and she still didn’t heed my advice. My own redemption of her yelling at me just the night before? Gosh that stuff is awful.
I did my best to exercise some self control in The Beatles gift shop but that was impossible. I so badly wish that my mom had been there as I would have loved to go on the tour of the museum with her. She got me my first CD ever - a Beatles top hits CD. It wasn’t fair to make the Johnson’s and, potentially even Nicole, go on that. I bought myself a t-shirt and then two posters and a shirt for mom. It is amazing the cultural impact this one band had on the entire world!
This was also the first location that we got and sent a postcard from. it felt weird to not be the postcard queen as wet I travelled a lot in 2016, I would send what felt like hundreds of post cards from each of the locations that I went too! But my wallet nor my carpal tunnel could compete with the admirable and voracious correspondence of Randi Johnson - she was and is next level!
Leaving Liverpool, I felt like the city had reawakened. On the way there, I had been blown away by the sunrise. Just like I had wished the night before, I wished that I had a better talent of taking photos. I wish I had the photography skills to match the beauty of the sky so that I could always look back on my own copy of that moment.
Then we heard it - our first country song! Lady Antebellum - Need You Now. Surprisingly, what sat with me more was the telegraph ad that came on after it: “Words are powerful. Choose them wisely.”