The British Escapade

First international trip for Tina and myself! I wanted to see a lot of the British Isles as I have ancestry from all of the regions there. I thought that a first trip abroad planning it all by myself was daunting but we found this wonderful tour. Read more

Follow Insights Calendar Photos Share

Trip start
October 12, 2024
The British Escapade
Leaving SLC
October 12, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
Steven dropped us off. We checked our bags with ease. TSA precheck made security so easy! Our Delta gold card let us jump up by 2 boarding groups. My infected tooth is also finally responding to antibiotics. So I'm 50% less stressed than usual. I decided to set the measurements in this trip to Imperial rather than metric because I don't think I will want to look up the conversions every time I look at the final book we have printed.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Somewhere in the sky!
October 12, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 48 °F
Somewhere in the sky!
0 likes
The British Escapade
Almost to Heathrow
October 13, 2024, Irish Sea ⋅ 🌬 50 °F
Only about a half hour until we land at London Heathrow Airport.
0 likes
The British Escapade
Arrival at the hotel.
October 13, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
Weary travellers arrive at The Hilton Olympia. We meet Mike, our tour director, who takes time to show us on a map where we are and how to navigate to some of our destinations. This was likely a long day for him because he did this with each group of travellers all day. He asked questions about where they would visit in their free time and personalized his instructions to each group. He's been doing this for quite some time all over the world including tours in America. It's clear he is gifted at and loves what he does. This really set my mind at ease for the rest of the trip.

(Though I'm using Imperial measurement, I have set my spelling check to UK English so you'll notice some very British spellings of words, deal with it.)Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
The Fish House
October 13, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
Traditional English Chippy after a nice walk through Holland park in the Kensington Chelsea borough. We both ordered the haddock. Tina ordered a sticky toffee pudding to share (with ice cream). It was just as wonderful as everyone says (the pudding, the fish and chips too but the pudding...). I thought I was going to hate Sticky Toffee Pudding. I was wrong.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
Julia Hartbeck

Ingredients

Toffee Sauce

2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar

Cake

6 ounces dates (about 7 dates), pitted, preferably Medjool (these are necessary and will be pureed so Tim has to leave them in)
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing ramekins
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla custard (see below) for serving

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Make the Toffee Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups of the cream with the butter, corn syrup, and sugar; bring to a boil.
Cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until a deep amber caramel forms, about 40 minutes.
Carefully whisk in the remaining 1 1/4 cups of cream.
Strain the sauce through a sieve into a bowl.
In a small saucepan, simmer the dates in the water over moderately low heat until the water is nearly absorbed and the dates are soft, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the dates and any liquid to a food processor and puree until very smooth.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter six 4-ounce ramekins. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then beat in the date puree.
At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients.
Spoon the batter into the ramekins and smooth the tops.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centres comes out clean. Remove cakes and let cool slightly. Leave the oven on.
Using a small serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes level with the rims of the ramekins.
Unmold the cakes and invert them onto a wire rack. Slice each cake in half horizontally.
Wipe out the ramekins and spoon 1 tablespoon of the toffee sauce into each. Return the bottom layers of the cakes to the ramekins, cut side up.
Spoon another tablespoon of the toffee sauce into the ramekins and top with the remaining cake layers.
Spoon another tablespoon of the toffee sauce over the cakes and spread evenly. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the toffee is bubbling around the edges.
Let the puddings cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin-bladed knife around the insides of the ramekins; invert each pudding onto a dessert plate. Rewarm the remaining toffee sauce and spoon some around the puddings. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Rich Vanilla Custard Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar, or light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 pinch ground nutmeg, or cinnamon
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk, or half-and-half
1 dash salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Gather the ingredients.
In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, flour, nutmeg or cinnamon, egg, melted butter, milk, and salt. Whisk until well blended and then place the pan over medium heat.
Cook, whisking constantly until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of the spoon. To test, dip a spoon in the thickened mixture and turn it over. Run a finger down the back of a spoon. If the mixture does not run into the path your finger made, the sauce is done.
Place a mesh sieve over a bowl and strain the sauce through it. Stir the vanilla extract into the sauce and refrigerate, covered, until serving time.
Serve and enjoy.Read more
TravelerIt was somehow called The Fish House AND Deep Blue Fish & Chips at the same time.
10/13/24Reply
0 likes
The British Escapade
Waiting to go to Oxford
October 14, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌧 48 °F
Gloucester Station is our meeting place for our tour of Oxford then back to the Harry Potter tour at Warner Brothers. This will be the only time either of us used our umbrellas (I never used mine) that I so carefully researched for the trip. We lucked out with the rain and only got light sprinkles for short times throughout our journey. It did rain but always when we were indoors, on a train or a coach, or otherwise undercover.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Oxford
October 14, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌧 48 °F
A walking tour of Oxford with a bit of history, Henry the Eighth, Bloody Mary, Martyrs, Harry Potter references, cotswalds, etc.

Our guide was named Ginny and our coach driver, Tony. Ginny is an actress as well as a tour guide. She was delightful. She told us that each of the different colleges that make up Oxford University are very competitive and in days gone by they would often fight and war with each other, literally. So many of the colleges are built like small castles, defensive. The rivalry still exists but much more tame and non violent.
The Matyrs Memorial was erected in the Victorian age even though they were actually put to death many years before on the order of Bloody Mary for refusing to denounce Anglicanism and return to Catholicism. There was a push in the Victorian era to return to Catholicism again which prompted the memorial to remind people why they shouldn't.
Oxford is very competitive as we all know and you have to apply to the University as well as the specific college you want to attend. They've been known to ask strange questions to weed people out of contention.

One professor at an interview of a candidate sat at his desk reading a paper when the candidate arrived. He said, "Surprise me."

So the candidate lit the paper that the professor was reading on fire while it was still in his hands. The candidate was eventually accepted.

The history of Oxford in England dates back to its original settlement in the Saxon period. Originally of strategic significance due to its controlling location on the upper reaches of the River Thames at its confluence with the River Cherwell, the town grew in national importance during the early Norman period, and in the late 12th century became home to the fledgling University of Oxford.[8] The city was besieged during The Anarchy in 1142.

During the Middle Ages, Oxford had an important Jewish community, of which David of Oxford and his wife Licoricia of Winchester were prominent members.

The university rose to dominate the town. A heavily ecclesiastical town, Oxford was greatly affected by the changes of the English Reformation, emerging as the seat of a bishopric and a full-fledged city. During the English Civil War, Oxford housed the court of Charles I and stood at the heart of national affairs.

The city began to grow industrially during the 19th century, and had an industrial boom in the early 20th century, with major printing and car-manufacturing industries. These declined, along with other British heavy industry, in the 1970s and 1980s, leaving behind a city which had developed far beyond the university town of the pastRead more
0 likes
The British Escapade
The Harry Potter Tour
October 14, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
Part of our Oxford package included a tour of the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio experience. This was self guided and loads of fun for both of us. This studio was here long before Warner Brothers acquired it. Having most of the filming here allowed the child actors to grow up a bit more normally. They could live nearby, attend school locally, and be kids when not filming. Since the books were already a huge hit, Warner Brothers saved the props and sets after filming because they knew people would come to see them. In the middle of the first of the two huge soundstages converted to be used for the tour was a photo opp for the 9 3/4 trolley and a for purchase train car with green screens and live effects that you can purchase, we did purchase. In between the two soundstageswas a food court, plus part of the Howard's bridge set, the Dursley's home and part of Privet Drive. The small model (larger than me but not life size) of the Weasley's home. We had lunch there and ordered butterbeer with lunch. The second stage had more creature models, wigs, and make-up effects. The large miniature of Hogwarts used for outside shots of the school (it was a room with a footprint, likely larger than the footprint of my home). The Gringotts rooms were especially fun, the first being the main one, and the second was wreckage with a life-size animatronic dragon. We loved this stop on our tour. We did stop at the gift shop but mostly for sweets as our family has lots of clothing from Harry Potter already. Oh and our tour guide for Oxford and Harry Potter was named Ginny. We loved her.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
The Infamous Tower of London
October 15, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London.

We arrived early, about 8:30 am, and after a trip to the paid toilet and getting our tickets there was already a queue formed going up Tower Hill a bit to get in. The tower opened at 9 am. We saw the crown jewels early since a queue hadn't yet formed and the fusilier's museum. The Crown Jewels were obviously more interesting. We also saw the mint where Sir Isaac Newton was once in charge and lived above. At 10 am, the first tour by a Tower Guard (Beef Eater) started. He was hilarious. It started on the parade grounds between the outer and inner walls with Tiwer Hill looming over us. He talked of executions and the outer defenses. He explained that where we were standing was once the moat and was filthy with sewage. Eventually, a better sewage system came to Lindon and the need for a moat went away as well so it was drained and made a parade ground for the Tower Guard. When he directed us to follow him to the next stop he said, We should 'BE-HEADING' this way. It got a good laugh. We stayed for a few stops but my back was beginning to get to me from all the walking and luggage carrying from the days prior. We left the tour after the Bloody tower stop and went outside to sit and got a good view of the Tower Bridge which we would cross later.

The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times, and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public record office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of England. From the early 14th century until the reign of Charles II in the 17th century, the monarch would traditionally prepare for several nights at the Tower, and lead a procession from there to Westminster Abbey for their coronation. In the absence of the monarch, the Constable of the Tower was in charge of the castle. This was a powerful and trusted position in the medieval period. In the late 15th century, the Princes in the Tower were housed at the castle when they mysteriously disappeared, presumed murdered. Under the Tudors, the Tower became used less as a royal residence, and despite attempts to refortify and repair the castle, its defences lagged behind developments to deal with artillery.

The zenith of the castle's use as a prison was the 16th and 17th centuries, when many figures who had fallen into disgrace, such as Elizabeth I before she became queen, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Elizabeth Throckmorton, were held within its walls. This use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower". Despite its enduring reputation as a place of torture and death, popularised by 16th-century religious propagandists and 19th-century writers, only seven people were executed within the Tower before the world wars of the 20th century. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, with 112 occurring there over a 400-year period. In the latter half of the 19th century, institutions such as the Royal Mint moved out of the castle to other locations, leaving many buildings empty. Anthony Salvin and John Taylor took the opportunity to restore the Tower to what was felt to be its medieval appearance, clearing out many of the vacant post-medieval structures.

In the First and Second World Wars, the Tower was again used as a prison and witnessed the executions of 12 men for espionage. After the Second World War, damage caused during the Blitz was repaired, and the castle reopened to the public. Today, the Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. Under the ceremonial charge of the Constable of the Tower, operated by the Resident Governor of the Tower of London and Keeper of the Jewel House, and guarded by the Yeomen Warders, the property is cared for by the charity Historic Royal Palaces and is protected as a World Heritage Site.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
The Tower Bridge Walk
October 15, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Didn't see Mysterio or Spider-Man. Okay, we didn't expect to, of course. We debated whether to pay to do the walkway because of my back, but ultimately decided that I had rested enough to do the stair climb. I did rest at the top before crossing the walkway, though. It was full of information about building the bridge and it's need to provide for larger numbers of people and goods to enter the city by both cart and boat. The other bridges were plentiful but not as wide, nor could they raise for ships to pass.

During the crossing, I freaked out about the glass floor and creeped along the "opaque" edge, holding a large pipe at shoulder height as if I would fall. I just don't do heights well. Tina, she walked across the glass but said she'd never do it again because it freaked her out too.

Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule, suspension, and, until 1960, cantilever bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and is one of five London bridges owned and maintained by the City Bridge Foundation, a charitable trust founded in 1282.

The bridge was constructed to connect the 39 per cent of London's population that lived east of London Bridge, equivalent to the populations of "Manchester on the one side, and Liverpool on the other",[3] while allowing shipping to access the Pool of London between the Tower of London and London Bridge. The bridge was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra, Princess of Wales, on 30 June 1894.

The bridge is 940 feet (290 m) in length including the abutments[4] and consists of two 213-foot (65 m) bridge towers connected at the upper level by two horizontal walkways, and a central pair of bascules that can open to allow shipping. Originally hydraulically powered, the operating mechanism was converted to an electro-hydraulic system in 1972. The bridge is part of the London Inner Ring Road and thus the boundary of the London congestion charge zone, and remains an important traffic route with 40,000 crossings every day. The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians, whereas the bridge's twin towers, high-level walkways, and Victorian engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.

Tower Bridge has become a recognisable London landmark. It is sometimes confused with London Bridge, about 0.5 miles (800 m) upstream, which has led to a persistent urban legend about an American purchasing the wrong bridge.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Borough Market
October 15, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
Even though I had read and prepared for our visit to Borough Market, we were still overwhelmed by the choices. We settled on La Tua Pasta, but only after searching the entirety of the market. I had a spicy tortellini. It was so good. Tina chose a stuffed cheese ravioli with a creamy mushroom sauce. We got some flavored bites of Turkish delight (not the traditional flavors though, I had that in Turkey in 2013 and even brought some home, but we hated it. Who flavors sweets with rose?) We saved that for later at the hotel.
For a real treat, though, I took Tina to get the famous chocolate strawberries. I'd read about them online and knew Tina would love it. We sat outside on a concrete blockade while Tina ate the strawberries, and I people watched. Definitely will repeat the experience on future trips to London.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Shakespeare's Globe and the bridge walk
October 15, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
IYKYK: This isn't the original Globe nor is it quite in the original location of Shakespeare's Globe. However, When using Google Maps to plan a walk from Borough Market to The Globe it usually takes you passed the original site which has a large monument. (It depends on where you exit Borough Market I'm sure) Luckily, our walk did just that.

Once at the globe, we were only able to see it from the outside but of course, the free experience allows you to visit the gift shop. (So for us that meant it was free because I bought two irreverent books, a book of Shakespearean Insults and One Of Shakespearean Profanities). I'm looking forward to perusing the books with my kids as soon as possible.

The Globe Theatre you see today in London is the third Globe.

The first opened in 1599 and was built by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the company that William Shakespeare wrote for and part-owned.

We think the first play Shakespeare wrote for the Original Globe was Julius Caesar in the spring of 1599. Later that year he also wrote As You Like It and made a start on Hamlet. Over the next fourteen years, Shakespeare wrote some of his greatest plays, including Twelfth Night, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra. Other playwrights wrote for the Globe during this time too, including Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton and John Fletcher.

In 1613, during a performance of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII (co-written with Fletcher), a misfired prop canon caused the thatch roof to catch fire. The entire theatre burnt down within two hours, according to eyewitness reports (miraculously, no one was killed). The company rebuilt the Globe in a year – with a tiled roof. The second Globe operated until it was closed down by parliamentary decree in 1642.

In 1609 Shakespeare’s company started performing in the indoor Blackfriars playhouse as well as the Globe. It was here that Shakespeare conceived his final great plays, including The Tempest.

The current Globe Theatre opened in 1997, after many years of campaigning by the founder of the Shakespeare’s Globe Trust, Sam Wanamaker.

After The Globe, we walked across a modern footbridge, Millennial Bridge, to reach our train stop. The bridge starts at the Tate Modern, a planned stop that we needed to skip because my back needed rest, and leads directly to St. Paul's Cathedral so we took several shots in front!Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Les Miserables and Piccadilly Circus
October 15, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
There were too many choices of what to see in the West End. Many, Many that we haven't seen. Tina hadn't seen any of them live by a professional company, so my love of Les Miserables led us to choose that one. I had seen the touring company in Salt Lake in 1991 at Capitol Theatre but not a professional production since then. Tina had seen the movie only. The modern production has added many innovations. The sets and the modern automated set changes were breathtaking and enhanced the already amazing story and music. The greatest stage effect moment was the death of Javert. He steps off the bridge and the bridge flies away leaving him suspended in mid-air while the background immediately becomes the swirling mists that he is falling into. My words cannot describe what it looked like sufficiently.

The production had a hiccup. I hope it was minor and the actor involved is okay. In the latter part of Act 1 the curtain came down and they announced a delay due to a technical difficulty. After about 15 minutes the play resumed but the actor who played Javert had changed. Both men were excellent and it really didn't mar the performance at all. I assume most of the delay included the make-up and costume changes for the understudy plus a silent run of the stunts, especially for the death scene which would have required testing the rigging to suspend Javert so perfectly mid-air and slowly rotate him ever so slightly so he looked out of control during his own fall.

We had hoped to grab an ice cream at Piccadilly before catching the Number 9 Bus back to our hotel but all the eating establishments were closed.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Trafalgar Square
October 16, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, established in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. The square's name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars over France and Spain that took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar.

Nelson's Column is in the centre of the square, flanked by fountains designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1937 and 1939 (replacements for two of Peterhead granite, now in Canada) and guarded by four monumental bronze lions sculpted by Sir Edwin Landseer. At the top of the column is a statue of Horatio Nelson, who commanded the British Navy at the Battle of Trafalgar.

On 21 October 1805, the Franco-Spanish fleet came out of port, and Nelson's fleet engaged them at the Battle of Trafalgar. The battle became one of Britain's greatest naval victories, but Nelson, aboard HMS Victory, was fatally wounded by a musket ball fired from the French ship Redoutable. His body was brought back to England, where he was accorded a state funeral.

Nelson's death at Trafalgar secured his position as one of Britain's most heroic figures. His signal just prior to the commencement of the battle, "England expects that every man will do his duty", is regularly quoted and paraphrased.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Buckingham Palace &Changing of the Guard
October 16, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
According to our tour director, You want to get to Buckingham for either the beginning of the changing of the guard or for the end because those times are when there's actually something to see. The rest is very hard to see for most people unless you're right at the gates and even though it is very slow and can be tedious. We arrived in time to see the end as the old guard paraded away from the gates.
When the Monarch is in the palace, most people know, the Monarch's flag flies atop the palace. Until the death of Princess Diana, no flag flew above the palace when the Monarch was out. Queen Elisabeth II realized that the people needed to mourn Diana and commanded that the Union Jack be flown in the palace when she was not in residence so that it could be flown at half mast for special recognition of Diana's passing. Since then the Union Jack flies at Buckingham when the Monarch is out.
Queen Elisabeth and most of the monarch's dislike Buckingham. It's old and drafty and built for a different time. It's difficult to keep in good repair as well, but Queen Elisabeth understood it's need and spent much time here, she often called Buckingham, "The Office" because it was where she acquitted herself of her royal duties the most.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Leaving Las-London
October 17, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
Early breakfast, a coach to King Cross, a short time for a shop, then on board the train. We were seated at a table directly across from the biggest talker in our group which was very anxiety-inducing. I took a Xanax. His wife mentioned that I have difficulty talking to people and so far he's been politely quiet. They both seem kind. Then again we haven't left the station, we'll see after the 4 1/2-hour trip to Edinburgh.

Update: Apparently, Mike G. (The talker) is not only an extrovert but has considerable empathy, after his wife's comments about my need for space he refrained from forcing me to engage in conversation. As the trip continued he conversed with several others near us but was very polite to me (he was literally facing me since we had a table seat across from each other) this really must have been difficult for someone so talkative. As the journey went on I found moments to slowly join the discussion little by little and by the last 45 minutes to an hour of the trip, I felt comfortable enough to have a continuous conversation with Tina, Mike and Mike's wife Sharon. It was something I was not used to with an extroverted person before now.

Our side of the train showed mostly countryside and little of modern England and Scotland so we were lucky. It was quite beautiful but the weather was a bit misty and grey, which wasn't unexpected. The leaves hadn't started to change much so we mostly saw green, I suspect the leaves will get much more colourful in the coming weeks. Too bad we couldn't see more of the Autumn colors but I loved it just the same.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Arrival in Edinburgh
October 17, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
Lots of stairs and lifts just to get out of the train station since the city is built on an old volcano. Tina had crocheted quite a bit on the journey. I have no idea while writing this (we're home now) just how many washcloths she made on the trip but there were several. Tina had her whispersync (audio device for tour groups) available so she put it in her ear because our Tour Director, Mike E., wished to use it to guide everyone through the often confusing lifts and stairs of the train station. Since Tina had hers and many did not, we took up the rear of the group and helped guide the lost ones and slower ones to our meeting place outside the station to meet the coach. Mike quickly abandoned trying to use the "whispers" (as he called them) but I remembered all of his instructions and we led our lost lambs to the final stop on the station journey. Not a soul was lost.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Dinner at The Browns
October 17, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
Dinner with the tour group. Joseph, from Oneida NY, is a social worker and read about my anxiety on the group chat. He checked in rather politely as to how I was doing. It was a pleasant conversation. Many of my fears for this trip are subsiding allowing me to enjoy it more. I had a chicken pot pie and Tina had the Sea Bass with capers. We both had these mini creme puff things flavored with salt and caramel and coated in chocolate. It was delightful.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Edinburgh castle!
October 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
Edinburgh Castle is what one thinks of when one thinks of a medieval castle. Atop a large hill or mountain, in this case, an extinct volcano. It's defensible and secure. It overlooks the surrounding countryside. It's impressive to see from below. I imagine attackers had feelings of regret upon the approach of the structure.
The gate has a statue of Robert The Bruce on one side and William Wallace on the other. That seems ironic and fitting to me as I understood that they were on opposing sides.
At One O'clock Mons Meg is fired to assist withsetting the maritime clocks each day. Why not noon? One O'clock, the gun must only be fired once, noon would require 12 shots. Saves artillery and money.
This Castle contains the Scottish Crown Jewels but no photography is allowed in that part of the castle.
Our guide this day was Allen and he had both a calm voice with a Scottish accent which was a bit like honey poured over gravel.
Edinburgh sits within "Old Town" but in our last pictures you can see a view of "New Town." "Old Town is medieval and grew organically with the castle and the landscape. "New Town" came about in the 18th century and was planned out. Most of the architecture is in the Georgian style and the stone came from a quarry only a few miles away. The Georgian homes had many openings for windows planned into the architecture but glass was expensive so many residents painted wood to look like windows in corners where one of the corner windows seemed redundant to them.
The planned streets of "New Town" were wide and allowed a horse and cart to make a full u-turn.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Abbotsford House Part 1
October 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 55 °F
Home of Sir Walter Scott. Built in the Scottish Baronial style.

Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet FRSE FSAScot (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels Ivanhoe (1819), Rob Roy (1817), Waverley (1814), Old Mortality (1816), The Heart of Mid-Lothian (1818), and The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), along with the narrative poems Marmion (1808) and The Lady of the Lake (1810). He had a major impact on European and American literature.

As an advocate and legal administrator by profession, he combined writing and editing with his daily work as Clerk of Session and Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire. He was prominent in Edinburgh's Tory establishment, active in the Highland Society, long-time a president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1820–1832), and a vice president of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (1827–1829). His knowledge of history and literary facility equipped him to establish the historical novel genre as an exemplar of European Romanticism. He became a baronet of Abbotsford in the County of Roxburgh, Scotland, on 22 April 1820; the title became extinct upon his son's death in 1847.

A childhood bout of polio in 1773 left Scott lame,[7] a condition that would greatly affect his life and writing.[8]

To improve his lameness he was sent in 1773 to live in the rural Scottish Borders, at his paternal grandparents' farm at Sandyknowe, by the ruin of Smailholm Tower, the earlier family home. Here, he was taught to read by his aunt Jenny Scott and learned from her the speech patterns and many of the tales and legends that later marked much of his work. In January 1775, he returned to Edinburgh, and that summer with his aunt Jenny took spa treatment at Bath in Somerset, southern England, where they lived at 6 South Parade. In the winter of 1776, he went back to Sandyknowe, with another attempt at a water cure at Prestonpans the following summer.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Abbotsford House Part 2
October 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 55 °F
When Scott bought the acreage that would later become Abbotsford, it only contained a small farmhouse. This housed his family and their servants for some time as he made his plans. Before adding on to the small home he acquired even more land first around the home.
Eventually, an addition was made in the Scottish Baronial style. Eventually, the original home was torn down and a much more fitting home was added to the first addition, also in the Scottish Baronial style. Scott was a collector and displayed his finds proudly. Many were rescues of ancient armor or artifacts and these often influenced his writing. His first non-lawyer writings were poetry because novels were considered more low-brow at the time. He eventually wrote novels andhis writings helped elevate the novel to a higher status.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Abbotsford House Part 3
October 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 57 °F
Scott loved the military and it is said that he would have been an officer if he hadn't been lame from contracting Polio as a child. But he also was a horticulturalist and when he first moved Abbotsford it was barren of trees. Scott didn't want to wait for saplings to grow so he had full trees brought in which must have been a great undertaking in his day. He loved plants and found ways to get many things to grow in the cold weather of northern Scotland. Many things, were sent to him by fans or friends from abroad. His estate included a kitchen garden protected by glass enclosures. He heated the gardens using air vents built into the stone walls surrounding the home. The furnaces that heated the home heated the garden. His question wasn't "Will it grow here?" it was "How can
I get it to grow here?"Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
Melrose Abbey (ruins)
October 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
St Mary's Abbey, Melrose is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of that order in the country until the Reformation. It was headed by the abbot or commendator of Melrose. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.

The first thing I noticed was the remains of the flying buttresses. I remember reading about this architectural feature in school. They were some of the innovations that ended the Medieval period and harkened in the Renaissance. The innovation allowed for much larger windows and more natural light in buildings, especially cathedrals.

Alexander II and other Scottish kings and nobles are buried at the abbey. A lead container believed to hold the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce was found in 1921 below the Chapter House site; it was found again in a 1998 excavation and documented in records of his death. The rest of his body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey. "The Heart" was interred in the cemetery surrounding the abbey after it was found.Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
The Conan Doyle Pub
October 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 57 °F
Named for the famed writer of the Sherlock Holmes series who was born across the street from the pub. The pub was wonderful but we had to wait quite a bit and show a bit of persistence to get a table since it was very busy that night. I noticed that it is considered part of the "Edinburgh Bar Crawl" or whatever the Scottish equivalent of a "bar crawl" is. (Pub Crawl?)

Apparently, the birth place of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is not only across the street but it was only a couple of doors down from our hotel. We were tired that night so I guess we didn't want to stray far from the hotel for dinner, plus who wouldn't want to eat in a pub named "The Conan Doyle?"Read more
0 likes
The British Escapade
About to cross out of Scotland
October 19, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
Stop in Gretna Green just before leaving Scotland. We did some damage to our credit card, but it will be worth it when we see the grandkids' delight and watch TC and Olivia groan. You see it was here that we decided to purchase Junior Bagpipes (they really are playable) for our two oldest grandkids. It was really just a pit stop and a tourist trap but you can count us among the "trapped."Read more
0 likes