Amsterdam Hilton celebrates John Lennon and Yoko Ono

by Jeffrey White on

Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton,
Talking in our beds for a week.
The newspaper said, “Say what you doing in bed?”
I said, “We’re only trying to get us some peace”.

Christ you know it ain’t easy…

– The Beatles, “The Ballad of John and Yoko”

That’s one of my favorite Beatles songs, and both John Lennon and Yoko Ono helped to make the Amsterdam Hilton one of the world’s most famous hotels, if at least for rock ‘n roll fans, when they picked the spot to camp out in bed for seven days during their honeymoon in 1969.

Right now, the hotel is in the middle of a special exhibition celebrating the famous couple and their “Bed-in for Peace,” during which they gave interviews, from bed, to scores of international journalists and furthered the anti-Vietnam movement that was really getting going in ’69.

There are photo exhibits, music and literary events planned through March 29 at the Amsterdam Hilton.

If you’re in town, go check it out.

A Day in the life of Abbey Road time lapse

by Jamie Rhein on

If you keep watching this video of people crossing Abbey Road The Beatles’ style, you’ll notice patterns. Some people organize themselves just like The Beatles did in their iconic photograh of the Abbey Road album cover.

The time lapse photography is set to the song “Garble Arch” by the music group Blame Ringo. Look for the near misses. Some people were almost clocked by vehicles that sped through the crosswalk. One guy does a bit of flashing at oncoming traffic.

There is something about this video that’s mesmerizing.The time lapse photography is set to the song “Garble Arch” by the indie band Blame Ringo. In case you have a hankering to cross Abbey Road yourself, it’s located in the the city of Westminster section of London outside the entrance of EMI’s Abbey Road Studios

Budget Travel: Liverpool, UK

by Annie Scott on


Summary: Liverpool. It’s not London, and that’s why it’s not nearly as expensive. But with the old-timey glamor of Albert Dock, a history rich with music, maritime lore, and football (soccer) glory, and a proximity to Chester and Port Sunlight Village, Liverpool is no second rate vacation destination. It’s a first rate European city and an exciting place to visit!

Getting in: The John Lennon International Airport is where it’s at. If you can’t get straight there from where you live, find a trip to Amsterdam, then EasyJet it over to Liverpool. It may take you out of your way, but the savings will likely be worth it, and taking a train from London with all your luggage is a major pain after a long flight. Plus, a layover in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport can be a pretty good time! Check out the facilities/amenities here.

Where to stay: Gadling recommends that you stay at the Britannia Adelphi Hotel. This places you just uphill from all the best shopping and dining, near the train station (which you’ll need if you want to take day trips), and walkable to Albert Dock and the city’s cathedrals. The prices are reasonable and the rooms are lovely. There’s also a Marriott nearby if you are looking to cash in points.

What to see: Liverpool’s blue collar roots are well disguised in the trendy City Centre area. We recommend a walk down Bold Street to get you started with shopping, especially the trendy Karen Millen shop. While you’re there, you can eat a very cheap, delicious, healthy vegetarian meal at the exquisitely painted Egg Cafe (and gallery).

Ready for a pint? Head up to the Philharmonic Pub for a classy, relaxed atmosphere, and, if you can, catch whatever’s playing that night at The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall across the street! Note: The locals don’t say the “H” in Phil*H*armonic, and they will make fun of you if you do — that, or have no idea what you are talking about.

Now you’re on Hope Street. You might notice that at either end of the street, there is a giant cathedral. Visit both! The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (Roman Catholic) looks a bit like a spaceship, or like it might impale any falling angels, but is quite lovely inside. The Liverpool Cathedral (Anglican) is even grander, and definitely worth a tour (you can see all of Liverpool from the top), or at least a stroll through the lovely, probably-haunted graveyard. Hope Street also runs into Mount Street at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts where you can catch — or pick up fliers for — all kinds of local music, theater, dance, and more. LIPA was started in 1996 by Sir Paul McCartney and has been spitting out West End stars and more ever since!

If you’re a soccer fan, don’t miss a tour of the Liverpool Football Club museum and stadium. Ask at your hotel for transportation arrangements.

And naturally, if you’re a Beatles fan, don’t miss the Magical Mystery Tour! The tour is run by primary school classmates of The Beatles, and is funny, informative, and a great way to see a lot of Liverpool. It ends at the infamous Cavern Club, which is still alive and well.

Another great way to see Liverpool is the Yellow Duck Marine Tour. The guides on the duck boats are hysterical, and they take you around Albert Dock, where you can also visit a lot of Liverpool’s chicest clubs, the Tate Liverpool, the Merseyside Maritime Museum, or just get your caricature drawn for a couple of pounds.

Lastly, if you want to get that posh British feeling, take a day trip to Chester. You can get there by train in about 45 minutes and spend the whole day eating crumpets, perusing parfumeries, and walking the wall that covers the entire perimeter of the city. Better still, stop in Port Sunlight Village on your way down. The village itself looks like something you might see in miniature form in a store-front display around Christmas, and it is home to The Lady Lever Art Gallery — a gallery you can totally do in a couple of hours which happens to be my personal favorite throughout the entire world. Don’t miss the basement full of Masonic artifacts.

A trip to Liverpool is worth your time, and, especially in comparison to London, really easy on your wallet!

The sounds of travel: What to listen to when road trippin’ in the USA

by Annie Scott on

Here at Gadling we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite sounds from the road and giving you a sample of each — maybe you’ll find the same inspiration that we did, but at the very least, hopefully you’ll think that they’re good songs. Got a favorite of your own? Leave it in the comments below and we’ll post it at the end of the series.

“Do you like American music?
I like American music.
Don’t you like American music?
Baby-yyyyyy…”
–The Violent Femmes, American Music

For those who are gearing up to travel the vast roadways of America by car, we have here a list of appropriate music to make you feel relaxed, at peace with the road, and good’n American. Though you may be traveling for the holidays, we’ll exclude holiday music. You’ll hear it at every gas station.

The obvious first choice for pulling out of the driveway is America by Simon and Garfunkel:


Even the street on which you live looks a little more ripe with possibility when that song plays.


Once you head out into the amber waves of grain and the fruited plains, it’s a great time for expansive music like that from accidentally Canadian Joni Mitchell. I recommend Urge for Going, Heijira, and You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio. And those are just a couple of her travel-themed hits.

Going through the purple mountains’ majesty? Forests? (Yeah, “America the Beautiful” totally skipped the forests.) Try the soundtrack to Field of Dreams, composed by James Horner. It will fill you with wonder. Here, watch somebody on YouTube play The Drive Home. Want lyrics?

Next, get out some Bob Dylan and play Tangled Up in Blue. Make sure you dig through your classic rock collection. Especially as you pass through strange towns and cities, The Eagles, Guns and Roses, Jimi Hendrix, and Journey all take on a strange, retro-poignance.

Lastly, though it’s downright un-American, The Beatles are great for road trips. Everyone sings along, and if you’re really up in arms about the Britishness, you can get the soundtrack to Across the Universe with all the new covers.

Drive safe!

Click here for previous Sounds of Travel.

Beatlemania returns to Liverpool

by Iva Skoch on

Since Liverpool is the The European Capital of Culture for 2008, the “Liverpudlians” have scheduled some interesting events–namely concerts–for this year. The local authorities have invited Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to help present Liverpool as the place to be. Liverpool hopes to attract people to come here and celebrate its link with the Beatles.

You can’t escape references to the Beatles in Liverpool, from the moment you arrive at the “John Lennon Airport”, go to the “Cavern Club” on Matthew Street, “Penny Lane”, to the time you brush your teeth at the “Hard Day’s Night” Hotel.

The biggest event of the year will probably be the Liverpool Sound concert Paul McCartney is hosting on June 1 at the Anfield soccer stadium.

Europe has been naming a “European Capital of Culture” every year since 1985. Usually it is actually two cities or regions that get a chance to show off their culture. Last year, it was Sibiu (Romania) and Luxembourg. The European Capital of Culture for 2008 are Stavanger/Sandness (Norway) and Liverpool (UK).