Finally a wet experience in Liverpool

It is now Sunday. Friday was a quiet day, the usual walking etc…but yesterday we had booked to go to see the Lucian Freud exhibition (you have to “book” to go to everything these days, but you could often do it on the spot if you hadn’t) at the Tate Liverpool. Omnia had an all day online conference, and Amr and I caught the bus into the city.

We did some shop wandering as our time slot was 3.30, and it was already turning into a rainy afternoon. We only had our puffy down jackets (non rainproof) as didn’t anticipate being out in the weather much…by the time we made our way to the Tate, on Albert Dock, it was definitely raining and extremely windy, and it was quite a long distance in the open.

Very glad to be in the shelter of the gallery, and we loved the exhibition. So then we had to make our way back which was when we had our worst storm experience…by then it was pouring with rain and the wind was so strong you could barely walk. We had to meet Omnia who was driving in, and we were going to have dinner at a Lebanese/Mediterranean restaurant with friends who we had met before on our last visit.

We got back to the big John Lewis store and sheltered there as too early to meet…I was just soaking - wet pants (had worn my velvet pants which absorbed the rain, instead of my walking pants which would have dried very quickly) and generally damp all over! We had a rather bad coffee/chocolate in the store cafe, and went to meet Omnia.

It had miraculously stopped raining by then, just wind, so told Omnia we’d meet her at the restaurant and walked the 17 minute walk following Google’s directions…still battling wind and a few raindrops…got there a bit early and they were still setting up our table so we decided to have a drink at the Irish pub round the corner, as we found the restaurant didn’t serve alcohol. Very therapeutic! Warm and noisy and full of a crowd watching the football. Then back to the restaurant and a lovely meal.

Poor Omnia has got laryngitis and is very croaky, but says she feels ok otherwise. (Not Covid!). We are getting getting ready for our return and have to fill in a government form which I know will be a fraught experience…logging in, giving many details and submitting. Has to be done more than 72 hours before departure (but not more than a week Amr found out after trying to do it today)…Maybe tomorrow it will work. On Tuesday we go to York for our final excursion, for 2 nights, return on Thursday.Read more