Apr – May 2022

Great Britain

I’ve joined 2 Rick Steves tours and will be traveling throughout England, Wales and Scotland. Join me on my new adventures! Read more

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Trip start
April 29, 2022
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Day 1
Friday, April 29, 2022
☀️ 52 °F
Altitude: 1,234 ft
United States Clark Corners 41.043423, -81.71557641°2’36” N 81°42’56” W
On my way…
April 29, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F
Rebecca and I are ready to go! The map is of Great Britain. However, we are not visiting Norther Ireland, just England, Wales, and Scotland. Taking off for a very long day. It’s a 7 1/2 hour flight from Philly to London, we’ll arrive tomorrow morning at 8:00 am.Read more
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Day 2
Saturday, April 30, 2022
☁️ 54 °F
Altitude: 66 ft
England Bath 51.384052, -2.3711451°23’3” N 2°22’16” W
Bath England
April 30, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
Rebecca and I arrived in London this morning and took a bus to Bath where we’ll be until Wednesday. Tomorrow evening we’ll meet up with the Rick Steves’ tour. We are dragging today since we’ve gone over 30 hours without sleep! We took a short walk to the city center which is a large area of restaurants, shops, and historic landmarks, including the Roman Baths and the Bath Abbey. Note Jacob’s ladder on each side of the Bath Abbey. Angels are climbing up and down the ladder from heaven. We’ll explore more of the area tomorrow. Most of the architecture is Georgian and most of the city is built from a creamy limestone called Bath Stone. No fish and chips for me yet! We ate at Bosco Pizzeria for Naples inspired wood oven pizza and a gelato treat at Swoon.Read more
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Day 3
Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 9:52 PM
☁️ 50 °F
Altitude: 66 ft
England Bath 51.384079, -2.37115551°23’3” N 2°22’16” W
Bath
May 1, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
Typical English weather…misty and drizzles all day. Regardless, we walked to the Royal Crescent which is a semicircular row of 30 townhouses built in 1774 as a country home for aristocrats…impressive. We took a tour of the No. 1 Royal Crescent residence which is now a museum to get a glimpse into everyday life of that period. It was an immersive experience with film and sound about the fictitious Nott family…really enjoyed it. We also walked by The Circus, three segments of townhouses forming an open circle built during the same time. Circus is Latin for circle.

We headed down to the city center again to wander, walked to the Pulteney Bridge over the Avon River and stopped the the Bath Bun Tearoom and tried the popular Bath bun (recipe dating to 1769). It’s a sweet bread with nib sugar, dried currants and a chunk of hard sugar tucked inside, served with clotted cream and preserves…yummy!

We met Jamie, our tour guide, and the other 23 in our group, took a walking tour and dined the The Salamander where we sampled 3 different ales, had a nice dinner (tried lamb) and had a famous British dessert called Sticky Toffee Pudding.Read more
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Day 4
Monday, May 2, 2022
☁️ 55 °F
Altitude: 66 ft
England Bath 51.384056, -2.37116851°23’3” N 2°22’16” W
Bath
May 2, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Jamie, our guide, took us on a walking tour of the old part of Bath this morning. I am amazed that pretty much the entire city is built with the honey-colored Bath stone back in the Georgian period from early 1700’s to mid 1800’s. And there really are lots of buildings made in shape of circles and semicircles. But over time all the beautiful Bath stone turns darker brown and black.

We visited the Roman Baths which dates back to Roman times….43 A.D. They took baths in the hot bubbly mineral springs and believed in its healing powers. Thus, the name of the city! You can’t swim in it anymore, but you can drink the water with about 43 minerals in it, so I did have a glass and am waiting to heal and feel rejuvenated!

I walked through the Abbey Church which was built about 500 years ago. With all the stained glass it has a nickname of “Lantern of the West”.

We ate a light lunch at the world famous tea and eating house which is supposedly the oldest house in Bath. It’s the rival of the Bath Bun from yesterday. It was very different, but also delicious. It’s hard to describe…part bun, part bread, part cake and you order it toasted with sweet or savory toppings. We shared and had honey cinnamon with clotted cream and also melted brie with cranberry sauce…wow! Tea is the drink of Great Britain. Funny, but I asked if they had ice tea. She volunteered and said she had never made it but would try!

Rebecca and another person went to the thermal spa, so I just wandered around town. I walked way too much…my phone recorded 7 miles, which I believe. I wanted to roll down the sidewalk the last 1/2 mile! I refuse to go far for dinner, so we’re heading to the Hop Pole, a popular pub, where I’m getting a much deserved cheeseburger tonight!Read more
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Day 5
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
⛅ 59 °F
Altitude: 66 ft
England Bath 51.384071, -2.37115351°23’3” N 2°22’16” W
Glastonbury and Wells
May 3, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
Road trip today. We had a quick stop at Cheddar Gorge. We then visited the mystical town of Glastonbury to see the ruins of the Glastonbury Abbey, one of the earliest Christian sites in England. The Reformation period evidently left lots of vestiges across the land. This abbey is also the legendary resting place of King Arthur and Genevieve. I guess monks in the 12th century claimed to have discovered the grave…LOL! Jamie, our guide, furnished a picnic on the abbey grounds where we sampled English hard cider, Scotch eggs, sausage pies, a selection of cheddar and French cheeses and an English dessert called Victoria sponge cake which was truly fabulous. The Scotch egg and sausage pie were on my list to try. Basically it’s a boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, covered in bread crumbs and deep fried. It’s like a national dish of Great Britain. Glad I didn’t order either of them in a restaurant!

Next we drove to the smallest city in England with a population of 12,000. It has always been considered a city because it has a cathedral. The Wells Cathedral, built 850 years ago, is quite impressive and Prince Charles’ favorite. I really liked it, too. The nave is very different and actually has a modern look with its scissored arches and open circles that look like owl eyes.

Rebecca and I went to the Royal Theater this evening to see Crazy for You, a musical with Gershwin music…very enjoyable. We’re leaving Bath tomorrow morning and heading to the Cotswolds.Read more
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Day 6
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
☁️ 52 °F
Altitude: 755 ft
England Stow on the Wold 51.929008, -1.72105251°55’44” N 1°43’16” W
Avebury, Bleinheim, Stow-on-the-Wold
May 4, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
On the way to the Cotswolds we made several side trips. The first was a look at the tiny village of Lacock. Next, we visited the village of Avebury and took a walking tour of three mysterious prehistoric stone circles.

On our drive we spotted two white horses in the hillsides that were made from cutting deep into a hillside, creating large trenches up to 3 feet deep of chalk, a soft and white form of limestone. These date back as far as the early 1700s and one dates from 1380 BC to 550 BC. There are others in England including ones of human figures. I thought it was cool. They show up from great distances.

Spring is alive here, and I’ve seen lots of very deep purple lilacs, wisteria all over houses and buildings, bluebells everywhere, peonies and ornamental trees in profuse blooms. We have seen many bright yellow fields of rapeseed. It’s what we call canola. They have strange names for things…rocket is arugula, crisps are what we call chips, chips are French fries, a pavement is a sidewalk, a flannel is a washcloth, a public school is a private school and a state school is a public school! I could go on and on and let me tell you, it gets confusing!

Then we drove to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Queen Anne made John Churchill the first Duke of Marlborough, gave him the land, and helped him finance the palace back in the early 1700s because he won some big battle for England. It’s been in the Churchill/Spenser (as in Princess Diana Spencer) family for over 300 years. It’s still the home of the dukes of Marlborough. We toured the gardens in the rain!

We are staying at the Sheep on Sheep Street in the charming town of Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds. It dates to pre-Roman times and the location was a place for medieval sheep markets where sheep and wool trade was a thriving business.Read more
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Day 7
Thursday, May 5, 2022
☁️ 57 °F
Altitude: 755 ft
England Stow on the Wold 51.92897, -1.72106351°55’44” N 1°43’16” W
Stow-on-the-Wold Cotswolds
May 5, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
It’s perfect weather today and will be clear skies and in the mid 60’s. We’ve been quite lucky so far in England with only a few intermittent rains.

We learned that the environment changes so does the stone used for building. You can easily tell the change from the colors of the stones. Even the Cotswold walls and roofs are made of the local limestone and the roofs tiles hang by pegs! The area we’ve been traveling through is beautiful and green with lots of hills and valleys dotted with sheep. Another observation is just how friendly and “ever-so-polite” everyone has been in England.

Today we started with a very scenic Cotswold drive and visited an English village where we toured the Stanway Manor and Mill. It has only changed owners once. It was owned by an abbey for 800 years and for the last 500 years and still today it is owned by the Tracy family and their descendants. The Earl of Wemyss lives there now. Not much has changed, and the interior could be described as very shabby and messy. Some furniture, tapestries, and portraits have been there for centuries, but the couches were literally falling apart! Strange story…his wife believes in drilling a hole in the head to give it more space. Still happening now! Oh, an ancestor was accused of heresy. But he had been dead for 2 years, so they dug him up and burned him. So many stories could be shared! We had a spectacular fountain show when they turned on a gravity- set fountain that is the tallest in Britain. We also toured the watermill and saw wheat turned to flour.

We actually had a lesson in cricket at Stanway House. I can’t say that I understood the game, but it was a jolly good time!

Legend says that Tolkien visited St Edward’s Church in this village, and the mystical doorway there looks like a portal that could transport you to another realm.

Rebecca, Wendy and I had lunch at Huffkin’s Tearoom and then we joined our guide for a country walk to the Upper and Lower Slaughter. To quote him, we walked past thatched cottages, sheep, a mill creek and through fields and kissing gates.

We gathered for dinner at The Kings Arms (dating from1600s) where we also listened to local folk musicians…very enjoyable evening.Read more
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Day 8
Friday, May 6, 2022
☁️ 57 °F
Altitude: 62 ft
Wales Aberconwy Abbey (Conwy, Wales) 1199-1283 53.281185, -3.82932553°16’52” N 3°49’46” W
North to Wales and Conwy
May 6, 2022 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
Today was a travel day to Conwy in Wales. We stopped a few places along the way. We had nice weather until late afternoon when we entered Wales. Oh, we were slowed down by gypsies traveling on the road with horse driven trailers!

Near the Wales border in Shropshire we visited Stokesay Castle. It’s a fortified manor house that was built in the late 17th century for a rich wool merchant, Lawrence of Ludlow, and it has changed very little since the 13th century. It’s unusual because it has an almost complete set of medieval buildings. The audio presentation and tour was very well done, and I even climbed the fairy tale tower! Before leaving we enjoyed a cream tea for a mid morning treat. Cream tea is a pot of tea with a scone, clotted cream and jam.

Our scenic drive took us from the southern border of Wales all the way to the northern border with our destination being Conwy. The landscape was breathtaking. We couldn’t stop to take pictures because of the winding roads, but I don’t see how photos could capture the beauty of the bright green hills, forests, mountains, valleys, rock walls and many sheep. I wonder if there are more sheep than people in Wales! It’s a perfect time because of the number of lambs with their mamas…adorable. They say that the rain is liquid sunshine here. Conwy is a walled harbor town attached to a castle overlooking the Irish Sea.

We’ve had great hotels, but this one has a lot of amenities which makes it a little more special in our rooms…chocolate bars, cookies, variety of hot drinks, warm towel racks, deluxe toiletries, robes, and a cute dragon on the bed! If you put him outside your door, he will protect your room! The dragon is on the Welsh flag.

We ended the night with a group dinner in the hotel restaurant…classy place. I tried something new…lamb shank. I was hesitant, but it was actually quite good!Read more
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Day 9
Saturday, May 7, 2022
☀️ 55 °F
Altitude: 62 ft
Wales Aberconwy Abbey (Conwy, Wales) 1199-1283 53.281189, -3.82935853°16’52” N 3°49’46” W
Area around Conwy
May 7, 2022 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
It’s a gorgeous day here in Conwy. We headed up in the Carneddau Mountains to a working farm and met Gareth Wyn Jones and his wife, Rhian. We watched his dog, Max, demonstrate sheep herding. His family has been there for over 300 years. He has had tv appearances and was a YouTube star with Jack Whitehall’s show. He has the gift of gab and entertained us. He showed us the new litter of puppies…so cute!

Then, we took off to Caernafon to tour the Caernarfon Castle which was part of the system of English garrison castles that Edward I built to enforce English rule over North Wales 700 years ago. The Welsh on the whole do not like the English, and our Welsh guide was pretty obvious on her wish to be free from England.

In the afternoon we took a drive to the spectacular Snowdonia National Park and drove through some of beautiful scenery. Riding on the bus made it impossible to take pictures, so I just enjoyed it. We stopped for an strenuous uphill hike to see 2 lakes. I made it for about 20 minutes or so and returned with others to wait it out!

We were a little tired after this fun-filled day, so Rebecca, Wendy, and I had a no fuss dinner at Parisella’s who are famous for their ice cream. We had a savory ham and cheese crepe and of course some ice cream! My new favorite is a white chocolate caramel crunch!

Had a little scare today. Our tour guide got pinged last night on the phone and was asked to take a Covid test. Somehow someone he was in contact with tested positive. He tested negative and so did our driver. It’s always a little bit of a worry. If we would test positive we would be off the tour immediately. We’re trying to be as careful as possible.Read more
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Day 10
Sunday, May 8, 2022
☁️ 57 °F
Altitude: 276 ft
England Keswick 54.599098, -3.13949654°35’57” N 3°8’22” W
Lake District and Keswick
May 8, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
We left Wales today and stopped outside of Conwy to visit the Bodnant Garden which was founded in 1874 and developed by 5 generations of one family. They still live there today, but it is a National Trust property now. We lucked out with fantastic weather and gardens filled with spring blooms in the many terraces, woodlands, and meadows. It is truly one of my all time favorite botanical gardens. It was hard to capture the expanse of the gardens and colors.

After our visit we returned to England and headed to the Lake District in the north part of England…4 hour bus ride.We’re staying in the small town of Keswick with a population of 5,000. The Lake District is filled with valleys, hills, and mountains. The environment changes again and the houses are built out of slate in this region. It has a greenish cast to it. We stopped at a truck stop where there was KFC, Starbucks, Burger King, Krispy Kreme, and Subway…LOL!
I think I’m going to love this area. This is the area of poets and writers. Among them were Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth. The view from my window is magnificent! The hotels in Europe don’t usually have elevators. I’ve been lucky with only having to drag myself and my luggage up to the 2nd floor…today it was the 3rd floor!

We ended the day at a traditional English chippy and had fish and chips…a first for me. The most important thing for all of us at this point is to get up and walk to the laundry to drop off our clothes by 8:00 tomorrow morning!

It is truly taking hours to download photos and I’m still waiting for about 20 more to download. Internet service has been really poor. I may add some more as more download, so check this footprint again tomorrow. All photos are from Bodnant Gardens.Read more
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Day 11
Monday, May 9, 2022
☁️ 57 °F
Altitude: 676 ft
England Keswick 54.602818, -3.09813654°36’10” N 3°5’53” W
Keswick
May 9, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
Derwentwater is 10 minutes outside our door. We took a boat cruise on this lake this morning. It’s picture perfect with the its four islands and the mountains as a backdrop. I get a peak of this outside my hotel window.

I enjoyed having a little downtime this afternoon. Three of us wandered to the town square and did a little shopping. I found 3 new tops. Spaghetti at Casa Bella’s was what I was in need of after all the English foods I’ve tried! We finished it off with my new favorite flavor of gelato called Honeycomb. The banks are closed 4 days a week here and the ATM wouldn’t work for me. Thank heavens for the Visa card! I’m almost out of British money.

A few adventuresome people are doing the strenuous climb to see the Castlerigg Stone Circle. About 12 of us opted to take a cab! The circle is one of the oldest in Britain…about 5000 years old. The 38 stones are mysteriously laid out on a line between the two tallest peaks on the horizon and face north. The heavens opened up and the wind tried to take our umbrellas, but we got to see the site.

Jamie, our guide, treated us to a cheese tasting happy hour. Since we had a big lunch, we skipped going out in the heavy rains. I really like this town and would happily spend more time in the Lake District villages and towns. We hit the road tomorrow morning and travel to York, the area where the show “All Creatures Great and Small” is filmed.Read more
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Day 12
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
⛅ 59 °F
Altitude: 72 ft
England Archidiocese of York 53.96418, -1.08873453°57’51” N 1°5’19” W
On the way to York
May 10, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
Today we took a tour of the Roman auxiliary fort, Vindolanda, which is in northern part of England near the Scotland border. This fort was under Roman occupation from about 85AD to 370AD. It is an active archaeological site. Exceptional ground conditions have preserved thousands of items such as clothing, shoes, writing tablets, and tents. Quite an impressive site and museum.

Close by is Hadrian’s ancient Roman wall. He was a Roman emperor who ordered it built around 122 AD. It’s 73 miles long. He wanted to separate the barbarians (people from Scotland) from the Romans. Well, in what I believe were hurricane strength winds, I climbed that darn mountain (seemed like one) to the top just to see a view of the wall!

We arrived in York where we’ll be for 2 days. York is a walled cathedral city with Roman origins back in 71 AD. The city is also influenced by the Vikings presence who were here 1000 years ago. We took a short tour of the area with a Yorker and even climbed and walked some of the ancient 2 mile long wall. I’m looking forward to roaming The Shambles—the oldest shopping street in Europe. Once home to butcher’s shops, it’s now filled with many shops. The Shambles is also said to be the inspiration for Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley.

The group ate at an Indian restaurant and though I did sample the many different foods, I did not like any of it at all…too much heat and spice for me.Read more
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Day 13
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
☁️ 55 °F
Altitude: 72 ft
England Archidiocese of York 53.964153, -1.08871753°57’51” N 1°5’19” W
York
May 11, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Today was a more relaxing day which was greatly needed. We did a short tour of York Minster, the largest Gothic church north of the Alps. This cathedral took several centuries to build and was finished in 1472. The number of stained glass windows is amazing and some are from the 12 century. I think it’s the Church of England…Anglican, but it has Catholic heritage.

Wendy, Rebecca and I had a late morning tea at The Earl Grey Tearoom and shared a Victoria sponge cake.

The afternoon and evening were free time. We wandered the many cobblestone streets in the walled medieval town and had a wonderful lunch at the world famous Betty’s Tearoom. York has been famous for its chocolates and sweets since the late 1800s, and I had to buy a little box at the famous Monk’s Bar.

We enjoyed an evensong service at the cathedral this evening. Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset and is focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. The choir was a group of young children, and they were excellent…sounded like the Vienna Boys Choir.

Wendy, Rebecca, and I finished off our visit in York with a dinner at The Hole in the Wall, a York pub.

Pictures are of the York Abbey Ruins destroyed on Henry VIII orders with the Reformation, Minster York, and street scenes from inside the medieval walled city of York. Oh, and last… a small chat with the Queen! Notice the types of sandwiches they have everywhere in England…not my choice!Read more
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Day 14
Thursday, May 12, 2022
⛅ 61 °F
Altitude: 128 ft
England Berkeley Square 51.508446, -0.14440251°30’30” N 0°8’40” W
London
May 12, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
Our group caught the train to London where we’re staying at the Mayfair Hotel which is a 5 star with elevators! No more trudging up with luggage to the 2nd and 3rd floor! All I can say is that a 5 star bathroom is over the top!

We took a tour of Westminster Abbey. The current one was built between 1245 and 1272. There was 1 1/2 hours of fascinating stories…too many to remember. There are a lot of unsavory stories of the royalty through the ages.

Entombed within the walls and even beneath the floor are thousands of bodies! I think that there are about 3,200 people buried in there. Many famous people in history, like Charles Dickens, Sir Isaac Newton, and Charles Darwin. Stephen Hawking is the most recent, I believe…even though he’s an atheist. It is also the final resting place of 17 kings and queens. The grave of the Unknown Warrior, is in the center of the nave, and no one walks on that grave which contains the remains of several unknown soldiers brought back from Flanders in World War I. The first king crowned there was in 1066…King Harold II. We learned that Prince Charles has selected the name King George VI for himself if and when he becomes king.

Enough history! Wendy, Rebecca, and I attended “Come from Away” at the London theater tonight. It was a heartwarming, feel good musical and a perfect way to spend the first night in London.Read more
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Day 15
Friday, May 13, 2022
⛅ 61 °F
Altitude: 128 ft
England Berkeley Square 51.508446, -0.14440251°30’30” N 0°8’40” W
London
May 13, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
Busy day today started with a 5 star breakfast buffet…truly the best I’ve had. We started our sightseeing with the medieval Tower of London where we joined a hysterically funny Beefeater (guide). The Tower, built for William the Conquerer in 1066, has been a castle in wartime, a palace where the royalty lived, a prison, and an execution site. It is also where the Crown Jewels are on display. The one diamond in the crown was over 500 carats! Kings, queens, and many others were beheaded here. Two princes in line for throne were murdered (by an uncle wanting the throne) and the bones were discovered 200 years later. Here’s something weird…Duke of Monmouth was beheaded, but they sewed it back on when they realized that he didn’t have a royal portrait. Imagine being that painter!

After that, we took a short cruise on the Thames where we got a front seat at Big Ben, The House of Parliament, and London Bridge.

Rebecca and I then walked to the Churchill War Rooms, the secret underground WWII headquarters of Churchill’s war effort. It has two parts: the 27 very small war rooms and a museum dedicated to Winston Churchill.

Another picture perfect day, so we walked through St James Park. One thing about London is the fact that green space and parks are extremely important, and there are many of them throughout the city.

We walked past Buckingham Palace which is being prepped for the Jubilee. Because of this it’s a maze of fences and construction for bleachers etc. I’m passing up going tomorrow to see the Changing of the Guard for this reason. I guess the Queen has said that she’ll never return here, but will stay at Windsor Palace the rest of her life.

Rebecca was tired and returned to the hotel. Me? No! I took the Tube (subway) and visited Harrod’s, a luxury department store like none I’ve ever seen. I can’t even describe it. I walked through and left quickly! It looked like individual showrooms throughout the store.

Today we had our farewell dinner with the group at the hotel’s restaurant. We’ll stay another day in London.Read more
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Day 16
Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 7:08 PM
⛅ 68 °F
Altitude: 56 ft
England Notting Hill 51.514561, -0.2043751°30’52” N 0°12’16” W
London
May 14, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
Jamie, our guide, saw my email address and said that the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has the nickname, Boejo! Oh, dear…not sure that I want to share the name with him!
Rebecca and I were on our own for today. We took off to Notting Hill to a very large street market. These markets are a part of the culture in Europe and can be found everyday in many towns. We got there early, but it became crowded rather quickly. The area is so charming with all the colored townhouses. We stopped in at the Travel Book Store from the movie “Notting Hill” with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.
Our next stop was Kensington Palace and where we saw the Diana statue. William and Kate live there. We walked a little in Kensington Gardens.
We had an excellent lunch and gelato at an Italian restaurant cafe… we were in great need to rest our feet!
Our last stop was Trafalgar where we dropped into the National Gallery for a quick peek of some of our favorite painters’ works…Monet, VanGogh, Renoir, Cezanne, Seurat, Constable, and Gainsborough’s paintings including Blue Boy.
We walked and toured nonstop for 8 hours today, so we returned to hotel at 5:30 and are in for the night. We both need to rest up for our flight to Edinburgh tomorrow where we will begin our Scotland trip.Read more
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Day 17
Sunday, May 15, 2022
⛅ 61 °F
Altitude: 82 ft
Scotland New Town 55.956551, -3.21099955°57’24” N 3°12’40” W
Edinburgh Scotland
May 15, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
Well, today was uneventful as we had a travel day to Edinburgh where we’ll be staying a few days while waiting to join up with another Rick Steves tour at Glasgow. It won’t surprise anyone, but at the airport I had an small issue at security. Of course, I had to be searched…no big deal. But then I couldn’t get my electronics and purse because they were placed in another section. When I pointed to my unreachable items, the security person said that they were placed in the “I didn’t listen section!” There were a few liquids in my purse…sanitizer and lipstick!

This B&B is an1825 garden flat that overlooks a small private patio garden. Across the street is also the private Dean Gardens, and we have a key to it. It’s a 2 bedroom suite and best of all there’s a washer and dryer!

Our B&B is in the Stockbridge neighborhood and is a 15 minute walk to Edinburgh. We had dinner at the local pub, The Bailie, and took a quick peek at the neighborhood before settling in for the night.Read more
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Day 18
Monday, May 16, 2022 at 7:52 PM
☁️ 52 °F
Altitude: 82 ft
Scotland New Town 55.956535, -3.21108955°57’24” N 3°12’40” W
Edinburgh
May 16, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
We woke up to rain and it never really stopped until after dinner. I am still chilled to the bone. We had to readjust our plans. To stay dry and still see the city, we climbed on two different Hop On Hop Off buses today that went different places. It was a great overview and history of the city. The last 2 weeks have been filled with an unbelievable amount of fascinating history, and I’m on overload…it’s getting jumbled up in my head! Oh, I do remember one…There was a terrible problem with rats in the tenements so they had terrier dogs instead of cats to take care of the problem. They couldn’t use cats because if you had a cat you could be accused of witchery and burned at the stake! Strange what the brain remembers!

We saw the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, a Skye Terrier, who was known in 19th century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died. It’s sad that he couldn’t be buried with his owner because animals are not allowed to be buried there.

There’s an Old Town and a New Town. The New Town is from 1700s! The fortified Edinburgh Castle (home of kings and queens for centuries) towers very high above the city on volcanic rock and is quite a sight. Then, there’s Holyroodhouse Palace which was the home of Stuart kings and queens and is also an official residence of Queen Elizabeth II.

We did get off the bus and took a tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia which was the Queen’s floating palace from 1953 until it was retired in 1997. The yacht is incredibly huge and is a “time-warp look into the late 20th century lifestyles of the royal family.”

Rebecca and I found a nice Italian restaurant here in Stockbridge where I enjoyed a little wine, spaghetti, and gelato…my idea of a perfect meal.

Impossible to take photos from a bus and in the rain today…Read more
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Day 19
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 8:04 PM
🌧 63 °F
Altitude: 95 ft
Scotland New Town 55.95657, -3.21095455°57’24” N 3°12’39” W
Edinburgh
May 17, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 63 °F
Today was all about the series “Outlander”. Rebecca and I joined an 8 hour tour that took us outside Edinburgh to the villages of Falkland, Culross, and Linlithgow. We also visited Blackness Castle, and Doune Castle. Most photos today are from these places. Marriage lintels were found above some doors and gave the initials and dates of marriages, when house was built, or when owners moved in. We saw several of these doors in Falkland.

We walked for a short time on the Royal Mile and stopped for dinner at an Italian restaurant on our way back to the B&B to pack and get ready for our next tour, “The Best of Scotland” that starts tomorrow in Glasgow.

We saw a sculpture Kelpies from the bus…They’re a 100 ft sculpture paying homage to the working horses of Scotland. We also saw the 3 bridges on the Forth River. They are close together and from 3 different centuries.

Oh, I learned that it’s not only cat owners that were accused of witchery. If you had red hair or green eyes you were also accused. Oh, dear…that’s me in my younger days! What they did was through you over the top of the castle. If you floated you were a witch and they brought you back up and burned you at the stake. If you sunk, you were innocent! Many floated because of the clothes acting as parachutes. They actually found 400 bodies at the bottom of the lake when it was drained!

Don’t forget to turn sound button on for bag pipes!Read more
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Day 20
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
⛅ 57 °F
Altitude: 112 ft
Scotland Glasgow 55.864063, -4.25949355°51’51” N 4°15’34” W
Glasgow
May 18, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
We caught the train to Glasgow today and walked around the area of our hotel, the Adobe. We had a very nice lunch at the Mackintosh at the Willow, a tearoom. This tearoom was designed by Charles Ronnie Mackintosh, a famous architect and artist in the early 20th century and it has recently been restored to how it would have looked back in 1903.

The city is crazy today because of a big soccer game between Glasgow Rangers and a team from Germany. Nigel decided to take us on the subway to our restaurant because it was supposed to be only one stop, but we took the wrong direction and ended up going all the way to the end and then going back in the right direction. Crowded is an understatement. We were like squashed sardines in a can. I had 3 very happy inebriated Glasgow Ranger fans against me, and the only way I could stand up was to wrap my arms around Rebecca’s waist! I just prayed that they wouldn’t get sick on me.

Our group dinner was at Mharsanta which was an adventure for me…too far out there for my taste. I tried the lamb, but it was quite rare. I did enjoy the tomato basil soup and the sticky toffee cake dessert! Glad my lunch was fantastic!

Police boxes were all over Scotland at one time. A policeman would be stationed there to keep watch over the neighborhood area.Read more
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Day 21
Thursday, May 19, 2022
⛅ 59 °F
Altitude: 108 ft
Scotland Glasgow 55.864201, -4.25960155°51’51” N 4°15’35” W
Glasgow
May 19, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
The Rangers soccer team lost to Germany last night, so the city is in mourning and should be somewhat quieter tonight! Soccer is huge here in Glasgow and there’s an intense rivalry between the Catholic favored green team (Celtics) and the Protestant /Unionist blue team (Rangers). It’s not only a sports rivalry, but also a political and religious rivalry. In some pubs, jerseys are not allowed!

A local tour guide took us on a 3 1/2 walking tour of Glasgow! Glasgow is located on the River Clyde. Its architecture is 19th century Victorian and the Art Nouveau influence from Charles Mackintosh. I really like his style. The Glasgow Cathedral, now the Church of England, sits high on a hill. This city was voted a World Culture City. The people are a joy and the among the friendliest I’ve encountered. There are street musicians scattered around the shopping areas. And of course, lots of pubs here, too, with their brews and whisky. The city has an edgy, artsy feel and lots of graffiti murals on buildings. While Edinburgh is all about royalty and government, Glasgow is all about culture and a laid-back way of life. They are also very much involved in social issues. It’s a safe city. Police in Scotland don’t carry guns. There is strict gun control. Right now the issue is knife control, I guess. But crime is low.

We did a little shopping and more walking since the weather was once again perfect and then took an hour break before heading out for dinner at the 2nd Mackintosh on Willow which has a completely different menu…more like a real tearoom.

These feet traveled about 8 miles today and are very tired!

Scenes from Glasgow walk.Read more
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Day 22
Friday, May 20, 2022
🌧 54 °F
Altitude: 33 ft
Scotland Oban Bay 56.420025, -5.47930856°25’12” N 5°28’46” W
Oban
May 20, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 54 °F
This is our second day on the Scotland tour and this morning we were told that two are off the tour because the husband tested positive. Crossing my fingers that I make it to the end of the tour. Becky and I sat at back of bus away from everyone and are wearing our masks more.
We had a busy day on the bus as we headed up to the Highlands. We stopped at Stirling Castle. Rick Steves book compares it to Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and the Alamo, all rolled into one. The castle sits high on a volcanic ridge by the River Forth which divides the Lowlands from the Highlands which made it the prime location. “He who holds Stirling, holds Scotland” and it was the home of many kings and queens including Mary Queen of Scots and Stuart monarchs. I thoroughly enjoyed touring the king and queen quarters where there were guides in costumes. Oh, it’s also featured in “Braveheart” but we learned that the film got pretty much everything wrong historically.

We drove along the “bonnie, bonnie banks” of the Loch (lake) Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Loch Lomond is Great Britain’s biggest lake by surface area. There are 60 private islands in the loch. Cool fact to its fame is the folk song: “Ye’ll take the high road, and I’ll take the low road, and I’ll be in Scotland afore ye..For me and my tru love will never meet again, on the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond”. I won’t explain it here, but it’s a very sad story behind the song.

After lunch in the cute village of Fyne, we continued our way to the scenic coastal town of Oban which is the “Gateway to the Isles.” Rebecca and I took a nice walk along the coast by our hotel and stopped at Bar Rio for a quick dinner of pizza! I love this hotel because of a beautiful glassed-in veranda where we both relaxed and had a beautiful view of the bay called Firth of Lorn in front of us.Read more
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Day 23
Saturday, May 21, 2022
🌧 52 °F
Altitude: 33 ft
Scotland Oban Bay 56.420025, -5.4792756°25’12” N 5°28’45” W
Island of Mull and Iona
May 21, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 52 °F
Today we took the huge Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Oban to the town of Craignure on Mull. Then, we rode a bus 2 hours across Mull to catch another ferry to Iona. The drive across Mull was very serene with incredible landscapes of unending fields of bluebells, mountains, countless hills, glenns (deep valley in the Highlands), lochs, cairns (piles of rock), jagged coastlines, Castle of Duart, hairy Highland cows, sheep, gannet (bird), black guillemot (bird), sea lion, red stag deer…just stunning.

The island of Iona is only 3 miles by 1 1/2 miles and is very remote and quiet with a tiny community. Iona is the most sacred site of Scotland. It is here in the 6th century that Saint Columba introduced Christianity, and there is a 13 century abbey built on the site where he built his 1st Celtic church. The Book of Kells, said to be the “work of angels” was created here around 800. I saw The Book of Kells in Dublin.

I’m quite disappointed that I’m missing the puffins on Staffa Island which is just a tiny uninhabited volcanic rock island of hexagonal basalt columns. But, in order to possibly see them, I would have a very rough ride on a small boat. Our guide advised against it because of the ride, predicted rains, and possibility of them not being there. I would have missed today’s adventure, too.

It was a full day adventure so Rebecca and I stopped at a place like Steak and Shake…bless her heart! I am going to have fish and chips with her tomorrow!

Most pictures were taken from the bus or ferry, and the weather wasn’t great…foggy and light rain.Read more
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Day 24
Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 10:38 AM
☁️ 54 °F
Altitude: 33 ft
Scotland Oban Bay 56.420029, -5.47924656°25’12” N 5°28’45” W
Oban and Kilmartin
May 22, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
Nigel, our guide, took us to Kilmartin Glen, a small village where over 5000 years of human history can be traced. The area has chambered cairns or cists which are man-made piles of stones raised and used as a burial mound or marker. The linear cemetery has five burial cairns that line up with the winter solstice and extends for more than 2 1/2 miles. They were the burial place of the elite. We didn’t see all of them. We saw standing stones and stone circles. Some of the stones are decorated with cup and ring marks. Stone circles connected people with the heavens and maybe marked special moments of the sun and moon. I found this site fascinating.

We have surrendered to the Scottish rains. There have been no downpours, just drizzles and light rain and the weather can change in a moment’s notice. By 3:30 the sun came out, but I am exhausted so I’m at the hotel to relax and perhaps sit in the veranda.

Rebecca and I did eat a late lunch at an old pub, The Oban Inn, where we had our first steak and ale pie. It was delicious, and I didn’t have to eat fish!Read more
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Day 25
Monday, May 23, 2022
🌧 50 °F
Altitude: 46 ft
Scotland Inverness 57.472511, -4.22757257°28’21” N 4°13’39” W
Glencoe, Loch Ness, Inverness
May 23, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 50 °F
Two more had to leave our tour group today because of Covid. We’re down to 16.

I can’t believe how packed today was with activities! We headed north today up into the rugged Highlands. We stopped the the “weeping glen” town of Glencoe. It is the site of the infamous massacre between the Campbells and the MacDonalds. The cliffs seem to be weeping (cascading waterfalls) when it rains. The intense feeling still runs deep today hundreds of years later between the two clans. There are some pubs that won’t serve the Campbells. Glencoe was a location site for Monty Python, Harry Potter, Outlander, and Skyfall.

On our travels today we stopped at a ski lift and took a ride to the top..about 4000 ft. Nigel, our guide, warmed us up with a dram of whisky when we reached the frigid top. I drank it and didn’t like it!

We also visited the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the Loch Ness which was the largest medieval castle in Scotland. The ruins of Urquhart Castle are said to be over 1,000 years old and dates back to the 13th century. The castle played a pivotal role as a defensive position for both the Scots and the English.

We continued north and took a cruise on Loch (lake) Ness where there were no sightings of the Loch Ness (Nessie) Monster! Interesting fact: All the lakes and rivers in England and Wales would not fill up Loch Ness!

The day continued with a drive to the capital of the Highlands, Inverness. We took a short orientation walk along the River Ness before enjoying a group dinner at The Mustard Seed. To finish off the night Becky and I went with April and her mom Susan to the oldest pub in Inverness, The Gellions. It’s a local pub with nightly live Scottish music. It was lively, loud, and a fun way to end the night.

Oh, a little extra. The Queen loves swans, and they are under the Royal Protection of the Queen. They can’t be killed.

Also, how many English have been on the throne throughout history? None! There was a joke going around after Brexit that perhaps the Queen should be given a German passport!Read more
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