the best band in the world, ever...

When getting to Bangor, Tecwyn (the program director), gave us a list of all the places that we would visit. I looked down the list and saw many castles and a trip to Ireland, during spring break. All of these things looked really great. And then there it was: 

Saturday, February 04 - Fieldtrip to Liverpool

Liverpool, the birthplace of The Beatles. I was stoked. Tecwyn told us that we would be visiting two cathedrals there and then we would have a chance to go to the Beatles Museum. Again, I was filled with excitement. I don't know when in my life I decided that I loved the Beatles. Maybe it was the years of listening to them with both my Dad and Stepdad. So to my dad's out there, thanks for raising me with a good taste in music, and the best band in the world, ever. 

best opening line, ever...

Ask any of the Americans that were there with me, it was just stupid how giddy I was to see this place. Our tour was set for 2 o'clock and we walked down to Albert Dock, the pier, a bit early. We decided to stop in the Beatles shop. And of course that was a horrible idea. I liked it too much, of course, and spent too much there, of course. All worth it in the end I suppose.

they need the toilets close just in case
somebody pees their pants in excitement...

The museum was beautiful and it was set up in such a fantastic way. The beginning started with how the journey started for the Beatles. It talked about their families and where they each went to school. There was a sign dedicated to The King, Elvis. John Lennon had said that "Without Elvis, there would be no Beatles." So that's where they started. While walking through the museum, we got headsets, and we got to press buttons for the different stations. With each station came various facts and important stories of the beginnings and happenings of the Beatles. It was simply wonderful hearing about all of the things that went on during their road to the top. 

It was all my favorite. But if I had to pick a few of my favorite favorite things, one would have to be "the Cavern." The museum did some intense investigating and recreated the pub where the Beatles first started playing. The stage and the bar was all the same. They describe this place as very specific. Apparently, back in the day, the Cavern was the place to be. There was a specific smell that went along with it. Always filled with people, smoke, booze, and just body heat. This place looked like I had stepped back in time. The stage in the picture below was a replica of the stage. I saw the pictures of the actual stage and they are almost identical. The squares in the background and the small, low stage. The museum did a wonderful job of recreating the scene. 

the stage...wonderful.

The rest of the museum had rooms representing the different songs and albums that the Beatles had created. There was a submarine for the Yellow Submarine, and a gravestone for Eleanor Rigby, and a field for Strawberry Fields. There were also branches for Strawberry Fields for the lyric "No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low."

Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

This is getting a bit long, so I will move on to the end, and my other favorite part. At the end of the journey there was a bit about each of the Beatles. There were quotes and pictures for each. It was really interesting to see what they thought about everything. 

   

So there is just a glimpse of all that I got to see at the museum. There was so much more, and I could probably go on for another hundred paragraphs. This was my favorite part of my trip so far. But there is more to come...

my favorites..."The Beatles will exist without us."
-George Harrison

"Sounds of laughter, shades of life
Are ringing through my opened ears
Inciting and inviting me.
Limitless undying love, which
Shines around me like a million suns,
It calls me on and on across the universe."

Across the Universe.