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from a rockiN’ past to a soULfUL prEsENt, LivErpooL is iN harmoNY.

Bonkers for the Beatles? Spend chunks of time gazing at pictures of the onetime Fab Four, listening to such nostalgia-infused tunes as “Let it Be” or “I Want to Hold Your Hand?” Me neither. So when the opportunity comes up to head to Liverpool, England, the birthplace of

each member, to retrace Paul, George, Ringo and John’s journey to superstardom, I’m intrigued—and skeptical.

Ducking down, I creep through the front door of the legendary Casbah Coffee Club. It’s here, on a nondescript street in West Derby, Liverpool, some two hours outside of London, that the Beatles

Come Together

The Albert Dock

Rockers wall, Cavern Club

by Kym Allison Backer

Strawberry Field, immortalized in song

Scouse, a local dish

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first came together. But before Paul, George, Ringo and John, there was Paul, George, Pete and John. This is the home that Pete Best—and his mother Mo—lived in.

Roag, Pete’s aptly named youngest brother, takes us through the rooms. He’s a masterful storyteller and within minutes, the group of tourists from around the world is hanging on every word. There are the tales of how the teenagers came together to perform at Mo’s request, how Mo became their de facto manager (and advised them for years after), and how they built a following that snowballed into a global phenomenon—shortly after ditching Pete for Ringo. Now, Casbah retains its famous “stage” and all the markings of legend. The corners where John signed his name, the colors that the band painted when Mo thrust paintbrushes into their hands and told them to get started. The ceiling of stars in the bar room, each star handpainted by the boys and now valued by Sotheby’s for more than one million pounds.

At the Hard Day’s Night Hotel (harddaysnighthotel.com), where pictures, articles and other historic memorabilia line the lobby gallery and decorate the walls throughout the property, I am lulled by the strains of soft, live music—all Beatles tunes, of course—and eventually I head to what must be the most comfy bed around, hang my “Let it Be” door sign and conk out.

In the morning air, my group sings along as Beatles play on board the Magic Mystery Tour bus. Our engaging guide, Paul, leads us through more monumental steps in the band’s lives—from each member’s birth homes, to the story of how they each meet, until we’re vying for images at spots like Penny Lane and Strawberry Field, located in the neighborhoods where the boys grew up and later immortalized in song. We even drive by The Empress pub at the corner of the street on which Ringo, gov’t name Richard Starkey, grew up, featured on the cover of his debut solo album Sentimental Journey. Next Up: At The Beatles Story at the Albert Dock (thebeatlesstory.com), we get to walk an audio and visual story that includes replications of some of the places we’ve seen, like the Casbah. It’s intimate, with the narration enhanced by the Beatles’ own interviews, and leaves me sympathetic to the lifesized wall projections of infamous screaming, fainting women in the grips of Beatlemania. I feel ya, ladies. I’ve been surrounded by nothing but the Fab Four for a couple days, and I’ve become a believer. I’m sold. I can’t stop humming their tunes. But the ultimate highlight comes late night at The Cavern Club (cavernclub.org), largely (and mistakenly) credited for igniting the Beatles’ fans. Misinformation aside, the band did solidify their appeal at the club, which cemented its reputation as the heart of the rock ’n roll movement by hosting a host of famous names over the decades. Now, with the 50th anniversary of the release of “From Me to You,” the first of many chart-toppings songs, Cavern Club is celebrating and honoring the group with performances by their resident Beatles tribute band. This band? Is great. Really. They strum in classic Beatles formation, and as the sets wear on, the standing-room only crowd is swept up in the illusion. It doesn’t hurt that they’re outfitted in classic Beatles outfits and fully mop topped. I sing along to almost every song, and the ones I don’t know…I don’t care. The hours go by, and the songs keep coming. And the crowd dances, and they sing. It’s Beatlemania 2013, ladies and gentlemen, and it’s available all year long—only in Liverpool (visitbritain.com).

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For most travelers, a keychain memento will suffice, but for my husband, Jared, and I, souvenirs should be wearable. Now, the simplest dress or pair of earrings is enough to give me the pleasure of

bragging, “oh these? I picked them up in Madrid.” But for my husband, a good shopping find is much less than happenstance; it’s methodical, painstaking and extensive. And this trip’s mission? The perfect bench-made shoes.

So it’s no surprise that as soon as we hit our first hotel at the ME Madrid Reina Victoria (memadrid.com), he scours the Internet to scout the best locations for men’s fashion while I inspect our new digs. By the time I figure out that the “Hey, You Sexy Thing” button switches on soft pink mood lighting, he’s planned our first outing….Off to Gran Vía, Madrid’s most happening street for shopping, restaurants and theaters.

After a quick 15-minute walk, we reach the hub, filled with tourists, shoppers, street musicians and vendors beckoning us to try their restaurants. As expected, we find a few cool fashion boutiques and our favorite international chains—many of which, like Zara, Mango, Pull&Bear, etc., were Spanish-originated. Within 20 minutes of our shopping stroll, I happily pick up my first purchase, a pair of suede loafers, though the day of shopping would be unsuccessful for Jared.

In the following days, we return to cover new grounds near Gran Vía and then hit the high-end retail district on Calle De Serrano, where stores like Chanel, Gucci and Prada and their affluent clientele congregate. Unfortunately Jared’s “perfect” shoes were not among the congregation.

In the end, Madrid yields a tour of the prestigious Prado museum, several great pictures from sightseeing, my first taste of paella at the San Miguel market, two more purchases for me—and even a chance encounter at dinner with Justin Bieber’s backup dancers, but sadly no shoes for Jared.

We head to Barcelona, excited about the much warmer weather and determined to find his shoes. Yet, we discover a great running and biking community, so we naturally transition from retail therapy to exercise therapy. I rent a bike from Go Bike Barcelona (gobikebarcelona.com) and ride along Jared’s three-hour run through the city’s beach and street paths. With endorphins running high, we return to our room at the TRYP Barcelona Condal Mar Hotel (trypcondalmar.barcelonahotels.it) to inquire about the city’s best shopping. Of course, we are directed to the crafts market on La Rambla and to Passeig de Gràcia with a list of four men’s fashion boutiques. It is at one of these boutiques that Jared completes his mission, picking up a pair of bench-made-in-store, leather whole-cut shoes. Success!

With this goal accomplished, we set out to take in more great experiences, including the Picasso museum, the Olympic Village and more fabulous tapas. However, in the end, we underestimate our hardest mission of all—repacking.

by Nina Hemphill Reeder

From bicYcLiNg to bELiEbErs, JoUrNEY throUgh spaiN For thE ULtimatE bENch-madE shoEs.

Fly into London Heathrow, which offers Heathrow Express service to Paddington Station via BritRail passes, then take a quick taxi to Euston Station, where you’ll board the train to Liverpool using the same pass. The company offers a range of options to condense your costs, depending on your itinerary (866-Brit Rail; britrail.com). Why visit? It’s a rich cultural haven—a vibrant rock ’n roll history, one of the country’s best museums (Museum of Liverpool). Don’t Miss: Afternoon tea at Panoramic, billed as the highest restaurant in the North of England. Grab a window seat for the most spectacular city view and misty glimpses of

Wales across the way. Later, grab a table at Gusto at Albert Dock for more spectacular views, this time the more than 150-year-old space’s bustling life outside the waterfront. Get Friendly: Liverpool is home to Central Perk, which replicates the décor and nuances of the coffee house that housed the daily confabs on Friends and serves divine concoc-tions to boot (central-perk.co.uk). Serve up: a tasty bowl of scouse, a meat stew that’s a local house-hold staple, served even at such lofty venues as Liverpool Cathedral. Work it off with a 108-step hike to the cathedral’s tower for sweeping city views (visitliverpool.com). —K.A.B.

Rock Around the ClockPanoramic 34, Liverpool

ME Madrid Energy Room

Madrid Gran Via Biking in Barcelona

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