On my weekend walk I visited a lot of places in Southport I had never been to. I walked down little alleys and took odd detours. It was amazing all of the things I discovered – I never knew the place was as interesting. I avoided the beach of course, but 500m away from the beach the town was really quiet (except for the road leading to the pier).
A lot of people suggest Lord Street in Southport was the model that the Champs-Élysées was modelled after. All because Napoleon III lived in Southport (I always liked Kettner’s in London – another Napoleon III link).
As I walked I saw several places that had managed to spill out into the street. Some of them reminded me of the restaurants in Vienna – with raised platforms in the street level with the pavement.
I really used to enjoy sitting out on the pavement cafes in Vienna – watching the world go past. If this is the new normal I look forward to it. Maybe we need to be more continental as the climate changes.