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Eileen Joll
Eileen Joll

Eileen Joll

traveled in 9 countries Read more
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  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Book of Kells decorative alphabetOne decorative piece enlarged. They really are very small with such detail!Trinity library's long hallTrinity college campusBog body!!1Ha Penny Bridge14 Henrietta St - once a rich townhouse, then a tenement buildingHomeless Jesus statue1Guinness tourChrist ChurchThe famous Temple Bar already decorated for ChristmasSt Patrick's CathedralColdplay by Candlelight

    Dublin - part 1

    September 30 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    We traveled to Dublin and spent four days and 5 nights there.

    Our Tuesday trip from Galway to Dublin was easy - a couple hours on the train. It was a 30 minute walk to Blooms Hotel in the Temple Bar area, the most touristy part of town (and the highest concentration of pubs). We spent the afternoon and evening getting familiar with the area.

    Day one (Wed) - we went to...

     ... the Book of Kells at Trinity College. Here there is a 1,200 year old manufacturer manuscript of the gospels. They are ornately decorated with colorful pictorial script.
    The long room there contains a copy of every book ever written in Ireland. We walked around the campus as well.

     ... The National Archeology Museum. Here they had an exhibit of the bog bodies. These were from the Iron Age (500 BC to 100 AD). People were killed and thrown into the bogs. Some of them were royalty. The conditions of the bogs - wet, acidic, and having low oxygen, kept the bodies from deteriorating.

     ... The Ha Penny Bridge, the most ornate of the bridges in Dublin. A river runs through Dublin and it had so many bridges - another connection to Pittsburgh. One of the bridges is wider than it is long.

     ... 14 Henrietta St. This is a building that went through major changes in it's history starting as an elaborate summer home for the wealthy and then becoming a tenement for the poor where families of 10 - 12 people lived in one room.

    ... The shopping streets of Henry St, and Grafton St.

    Day 2, we...

     ... Did the Guinness Tour Experience learning all about Guinness beer, how it is made, how it has changed, and it's history of advertising.

     ... Toured Christ Church, originally a viking Church. The church went through many reformations, decay and rebuilding, including a major renovation paid for by an Irish whiskey giant, Henry Roe. The church tower has 19 bells and they are rung by bell ringers weekly and for special occasions.

     ... Toured St. Andouen's church, the only remaining medieval church in Ireland. It, too went through changes but the original walls still exist.

     ... Walked around the Temple Bar area where we were staying. It is the center of the tourist area. We went into the famous Temple Bar but didn't stay.

     ... Attended a Coldplay by Candlelight concert at St Patrick's Cathedral, the largest in Ireland. It was a different way to see the beautiful church. This church again has a long history of registration and renovation. In the 1800's,a major restoration took place paid for by Benjamin Guinness (yes, the beer family).

    We ended each night with Irish music at our hotel bar.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Futball!
    Dunquire Castle - 16th centuryAlliwee CavesCliffs of MoherSteeler fans everywhere11Main St GalwayFamous fish n chips1The Galway Gal1Eyre SquareSeals in the harborGo Steelers!Young musicians everywhere1Salthill lighthouse - last view of Ireland for famine emmigrints1Diving platform at salthill resort

    Galway

    September 26 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 55 °F

    We took four buses to get from the end of our hike to Galway. Fortunately, they were all on time and we did it in just a little over 6 hours. After checking into our BnB we headed to Eeamon Deasy Stadium to watch the Galway vs Cork futball (soccer) game. It was a little bit of a rival match since the coach for Galway used to play and coach for Cork. Galway won 2-1. The home stands were pretty full and had a lot of energy.

    The next day we took a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher and a few other sites. We passed a castle, did a tour of the Aillwee caves, and had lunch in the town of Doolin. The cliffs are big and are amazing, but much of the scenery we saw in our hike was just as impressive. In the evening we found some pubs with Irish music.

    The next two days in Galway we started with liesurely mornings, not something we do much when hiking. One day we walked around the town taking in the major sights then went to 13 on the Green bar to watch the Steeler game. There were about a dozen Steeler fans and a half dozen Viking fans enjoying the game on the big screen. This is an official NFL bar and a Cleveland Browns bar! Afterwards we walked the town some more. There is a lot of street musicians here and a majority of them are middle school/high school age kids who are really good. The second day we went to the neighborhood town of Salt Hill, a resort beach town. We enjoyed our coffee and took a long walk on the shore. Back to town for dinner and one more walk along the main street. Tomorrow off to Dublin.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    The daily fix of sheep - but gray ones!2A little beach hiking!Fishing townsSheep and sea!An old WWII lookout post1Celebratory drinks!2

    Dingle Way - day 5, Dunquin to Feonough

    September 25 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 59 °F

    Today was our last day of hiking. There are three more sections on the Dingle Way but we only planned on doing 5 days. It is with mixed feelings though. This trail has been beautiful and we would recommend doing the entire thing. However, this was day 17 of hiking (about 230 miles total over three hikes) and we have had enough for now.

    For our last day, nature went out of it's way. The weather was sunny but breezy - perfect hiking weather. We hiked on country roads, the beach, and above the shoreline, all with incredible views of the peninsula. Strangely, though, there were 12 Americans in the pub for dinner last night, all walking the same way, but we saw no one on the trail today. The trail was hardly hilly and very easy walking so no one really passed each other. We thought we may have been the last ones to get on the trail because we were talking with a couple from Ireland (Cork) and a lady from Belgium at breakfast. But we were the first to arrive at the BnB that most were staying at.

    When we started the day we thought we only had about 11 - 12 miles to walk today because the BnB address said one town, but we had to go farther than we thought and ended up walking 15.5 miles. We didn't mind the difference though because the costal views were amazing.

    We said goodbye to the couple from Boston as they were staying elsewhere and then had a nice dinner with the North Carolinas (Margaret and Bill) and the British Columbians (Alena and Cheryl). Tomorrow they will hike on and we will venture to Galway.

    We were blessed with fantastic weather. In our 6 days on the Dingle peninsula, we only had a few minutes of rain on the first day and had much more sunny skies than cloudy ones.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Art in the sand!Petting zooFairy FortAmericans at the cafe

    Dingle Way - day 4, Dingle to Dunquin

    Sep 24–25 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 57 °F

    Today was another beautiful day for a 15.5 hike - mostly sunny. We hiked some on roads, some on beach, some overlooking the coast and lots along old stone walls. There were also a lot of beehive looking architectural structures from old. There was a "Fairy Fort" and petting zoo. Supposedly the fairies protected people who came there unless it was between 1:00am to 5:00am - then you died. The trail was varied enough to keep things interesting.

    We hiked with a lot of Americans today. Most of them had spent an extra night in Dingle like we did. We met up with the two couples from Seattle, the couple from North Carolina, a couple from Denver, and met a new couple from Boston. They just started in Dingle.

    We were pleasantly surprised to find two places to stop and have coffee. Small treasures!    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Fungi
    I found my Irish heritageIrish Coast GuardMain Street of Dingle

    A Day in Dingle

    September 23 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    We took a rest day and stayed in the touristy town of Dingle. We started off with a leisurely breakfast and conversation with our host, Brenden. He was a fisherman most of his life in Dingle but has operated the b&b for 14 years . Later we walked around the harbor area and took to a boat tour around the bay. The guide gave us a great history lesson on Dingle and a study on the rock formations.

    Dingle had a special guest for almost 40 years - Fungi (Fun Guy)! Fungi was a dolphin who lived in the area and became friendly with the locals. He also liked being fed so he hung around for many years. He is pretty much the mascot of the town.

    After lunch we walked to the Irish Coast Guard station and then to the lighthouse. We then walked around the main street looking at the shops and eating ice cream. In the evening we walked around to a couple pubs but ended up getting our fix of Irish music at the Bridge Bar. It wasn't as crowded or loud as the Dingle bar we were in the previous night The lead musician was very good at engaging the crowd.

    We only walked about 8 miles on our rest day.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    1Found some family heritage21

    Dingle Way - day 3, Annascaul to Dingle

    September 22 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    We left Annascaul with several other hikers including the British Columbian girls and the Netherlands couple. We met two other couples from Seattle and a marathon runner from New York. Leaving at the same time as others provides for more socialization along the way including an extended lunch break. We walked 14.5 miles before arriving at Dingle. Because we are spending an extra night in Dingle, we probably won't see any of these people again.

    Today's walk was gorgeous. The sun was shining, the countryside was spectacular, and the walk was pretty easy. Over half of it was in country roads and the rest through pastures, but very little in rocks and mud. The countryside with is green patchwork of pastures and views of the ocean were incredible. We couldn't get enough of them and the pictures we have do not do them justice! It was sunny enough that Jeff applied sunscreen multiple times.

    Arriving in Dingle we were surrounded by bars. Dingle is an old fishing town made popular by the filming of Ryan's Daughter and is now a touristic stop on the Dingle Peninsula Loop. We chose to have a beer at Flaherty's Bar. After dinner we went to Neligan's where they had Irish step dancing going on (recommended by our BnB host), and then to Dingle Pub where they had live music.

    Dingle is considered "real Irish" because they proudly speak Gaelic. All of the signage is in Gaelic and some in gaelic only. While most everyone speaks English as well, those who are strong gaelic speakers are harder to understand.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Drying shoes at the BnB
    Our morning view!Camp Junction BnBThere was one fun crossing today.Endless roadZebra cows? Or Oreos?The strand at InchAnnascaul

    Dingle Way - day 2 - Camp to Annascaul

    September 21 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    Today was an easy 12 mile day. We hiked through more pastures and a lot more country roads. There were more hills but the ups and downs were mostly gradual. The scenery was beautiful going from countryside to ocean view back to countryside. We continued to see tons of sheep!

    We had breakfast (and got packed lunches) at our BnB with all of the other hikers but once we all set off, we really didn't see them. We were passed by a group local Irishmen and women who were doing the hike for the first time.

    Walking into Annascaul was like walking into a picture. The hills around It are so green and patch like. There is not a lot in town and many of the places were closed because it was Sunday. One place to eat was the South Pole Inn. The decor is dedicated to Tom Crean, an explorer from the area, who did three trips to the south pole in the early 1900s.

    Our BnB is a room in a house. Abe met us at the door and we shared hiking stories as he is a hiker as well.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    11A stand off on the trail!1

    Dingle Way - day 1 - Tralee to Camp

    Sep 20–21 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    We left our Airbnb and headed to the other end of town to find the starting point for the Dingle Way. The initial few days also are called the Kerry Camino as people trekked this way to head to mainland Europe to get to Santiago de Campostella in Spain. Tralee seems like a nice town, particularly around the old center. Today there was a race taking place near the market. We saw bikers and rowers on the canal that runs into town. The rowers appeared to be high school students practicing.

    The first few miles of our 12.75 were fairly level and paved: town sidewalks, the path along the canal, and some country roads. Eventually we made our way to a path on a hillside and were back on rocky, muddy, sometimes water filled surface. We were back with the sheep and cows, and all of their droppings. No gates on this trail but lots of stiles to climb over.

    Fortunately, while it was cool when we started (49 deg), it was dry with the chance of rain not picking up until mid afternoon. It was a beautiful day for hiking. Evidently, the past week had been very wet. We managed to get to our B&B before the rain, which didn't come until late afternoon. For almost the entire day we had views of the water, first the bay and then the open Atlantic. It was a very exposed walk so grateful for the weather.

    The Dingle Way is a loop and the last day overlaps part of the first day so we countered a number of hikers finishing up. We only saw a dutch couple, Dick and Josine going our way.

    We stopped at the local bar/restaurant right across from our B&B before checking in to have a pint and watch the ocean. The Guinness tastes better here after my 2 day sampling. We were the first to arrive at the b&b and were greeted by the proprietor, John Doyle. The only room he could give us when I booked was a 2 room suite, fully equipped, with views of the ocean. I could live here. John said he was expected 22 people for the night - all hikers, I believe. This Camp Junction B&B is absolutely beautiful and the breakfast we had was made to order and fantastic.

    Around 6:00, we went down for dinner across the road. The food (and beer) was good. We did meet a couple other hikers, including a couple from North Carolina whose luggage had gotten lost with the airline. They spent the morning shopping for essential clothing. After dinner, we went a short piece down the road to a small pub, the Railway Tavern. John said we should check it out, not many like it left. We ended up with there being 8 hikers as the only patrons. The Dutch couple, the North Carolina couple, and 2 women from British Columbia. The bartender was 18 year old Orlagh, a college student who didn't drink. She was serious about playing Gaelic football so she avoided alcohol. She had been working at the bar for about 5 years. A very nice girl, talkative.

    A few other bits:
    - I omitted bogs from the descriptions of the trail. At one point, one of my poles sunk about 15 inches into the ground.
    - blackberries: we have seen them in all our treks this trip, mostly as part of a hedge row. Today they were especially good.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Big Ben
    Westminster AbbeyIconic phone both preserved for posterityBeautiful gardens at St James ParkUs flags for trumpBuckingham PalaceTrafalgar SquareGreat fire of 1665 MonumentCity StreetBombed out church now used as green spaceLloyd 's of LondonLeandenhall Market - setting for diagon alley in first 2 HP moviesSt Paul's CathedralFun in the squarePiccadilly CircleAfter work drinkers fill the streetBook of Mormon

    London

    Sep 16–19 in England ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    We spent three nights and two full days in London. On day one we went to the Westminster part of town and saw Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, the traditional double Decker busses, and the famous phone booths that are not used as phone booths anymore. We spent most of our time in the Underground War Museum where Winston Churchill and his war cabinet worked in a secret underground area thought to be protected from the London bombings during WWII. In the evening we heard the London Symphony perform Aaron Copeland's Symphony #3 which includes the famous Fanfare for the Common Man - a very brassy piece.

    There were more police on the street than normal in the Westminster area due to Trump being in town. And lots of American flags.

    On day 2 we took a history walking tour of the City of London, the oldest part of London. Ann Jones was our guide. She was very informative and fun to listen to. We learned a lot about the great fire of 1666. We continued walking around some other neighborhood and green spaces not on the typical tourist path. That evening we went to Piccadilly Circus in the West End and then saw the musical The Book of Mormon.

    Tidbits:
    - we were evacuated twice by fire alarms - once from our room in the dorm we stayed in the first night, and again from the underground museum. Thankfully both false alarms.
    - our BnB had a washer so we were able to machine wash all of our clothes. This made Eileen happy!
    -we have traveled by subway, taxi, Uber, train, bus (both long distance and local), ferry, and plane on this trip
    - both evenings the streets outside of the pubs were crazily but peacefully filled with after work drinkers
    - we were surprised by the number of bicycle riders on the busy streets - tons of them.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Breakfast viewA dirt bike racetrack being created1Cows in the forest!1Beautiful wild flowers!CheltenhamHello young one!Oh there's more!Subway warning

    Cotswold Way - day 5

    September 16 in England ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Today is our last day on the Cotswold Way. Before we started today we had a nice chat with Janet, or BnB hostest with the mostest. Our little place was stocked with tons of breakfast items and snacks and anything else you might need. We spent the morning watching the sheep graze while we ate our breakfast.

    We walked 11.5 miles today in clear, mostly sunny weather. The trail was pretty easy walking as well through more forests and along some roads. We walked a ridge across from the city of Cheltenham so our views were a little different. But we still got to encounter our cows and when we took a wrong turn across a pasture, a herd started running towards us. Sorry, no pics, just wanted out. There are about 30 miles left on the way that we won't do. We are not disappointed. The trails have been a lot of the same thing so we don't feel like we are missing much by not finishing the whole thing.

    Today was the first time we encountered people walking the same direction we were (against the grain). A couple from the Toronto area walking with an English friend of theirs. The Toronto couple have done a number of long distance treks, mostly in England.

    Once we finished we got an Uber to the train station in Cheltenham, a train to London Paddington (it was crazy busy), a subway (standing room only), and then a 15 minute walk to the London School of Economics where we have a dorm room for the night. It is an old dorm with two beds, one desk, and a sink. We share the bathroom with others in the floor.

    Tomorrow we tour London!    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Good morning English countrysideSo many sheepRight on the trailInto the woodsTown of Painswick1I don't think they use this door!Old fort wallsGolf course clubhouse1Cooper hill (cheese roll) from the topCooper Hill (cheese roll) from the bottomChickens at our guesthouseGreeted by the dogsSheep from our porch2Our sweet bungalow

    Cotswold Way - day 4

    September 15 in England ⋅ 🌬 61 °F

    We started today at a trail head with a great vista. Then we walked through a lot of forests coming out onto a golf course, vistas with great views of the countryside, and old battlefields. It was mostly sunny today but also very windy (20+ mph) especially at the tops of the hills. We were also fortunate to find a nice coffee shop in the town of Painswick where we took a little break.

    There is a hill on the trail called Coopers Hill known for an annual cheese roll competition. Once a year people race a cheese wheel down a rather steep hill. The pictures we took don't do the steepness justice and we had to look up exactly what this would look like, so here is a link so you, too, have an understanding of this fun and quirky event.
    https://youtu.be/cvuktushEhY?si=eTHOGEBjBNArmujn

    We passed a lot more hikers today headed towards Bath. We talked to one couple and discovered they stayed at the inn we planned on eating at. They had accidently taken their room key so we volunteered to return it. The place we are staying tonight is another little house - one room with bed and kitchen and a bathroom. It is in the back of a house where they have chickens, sheep and five dogs that greeted us. A super cute place. The chickens and sheep are fun to watch!

    About 3 minutes from where we are staying is the Royal George. We stopped when we got to the village for a beer then returned later for dinner.

    Today was another 13 mile hike and we have decided that this is a sweet spot. 13 miles gives a good workout but doesn't exhaust. It gives us time to stop for a coffee (if available) and makes for a more relaxed pace.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Some places there weren't gates, you have to climb over
    Leaving the black horse inn to start the dayOut for a early morning ride on her horseWalking by a golf courseSome gates were barely big enough to fit through with pack onWe detoured around these2

    Cotswold Way - day 3

    September 14 in England ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Today was a shorter day at 12.5 miles. Much of it was through heavily wooded areas but we walked along ridges that gave beautiful views allowing us to see for miles. While shorter, it was a roller coaster, up and down. The forecast was for rain in the afternoon. Fortunately we only had a couple of showers until we were almost to our Airbnb, and the skies opened up.

    We saw lots of locals out for a Sunday walk, many with dogs, but very few long-distance hikers.

    After settling in to our room in Stroud, we decided just to walk to a nearby supermarket to get something to eat. Shortly after leaving the room, it started to pour again. Arriving at the supermarket, we discovered it was closed ( it closed early on Sunday). We decided to get an Uber to go get something to eat and then returned back to the room via Uber.

    I did a little research on some birds we had seen the first couple days on the Cotswold. One was a grey partridge, which were very common the first 2 days. The other bird we saw a number of was a pied wagtail,    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    1Good morning sheep!Right past the cows!Old army rampartsWhat a cutie!Lots of weeping willowsMy Shetland cow up close - finally!Another cutie with those bulls all around him!1Rain + sun = rainbow!

    Coldswods Way - day 2

    September 13 in England ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Today was another day of undulating hills through more pastures, country roads, and some forests. 18.5 miles in all. Though the trail is pretty will marked, a few markings are ill placed out covered by overgrowth. We missed the trail s few times. The first time we were way off but by using all trails we were able to find it was back. After that we referred to all trails more often.
    The pastures are privately owned but there are public, advertised foot paths across then and anyone can respectfully cross them. We walked very closely past sheep, cows, horses and very quickly past bulls!

    The country lanes were beautiful as you would imagine. Though twice it looked like the rains were about to open up on us, we were soaked with only about 10 minutes of light rain each time, then sunshine.

    Both days of walking here have had tons of ripe blackberries along the trail and lots of gates to go through.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    The Cotswold starting pointA cute houseThe signs we are followingLiterally walking through fields!22A rainbow near the end

    The Cotswold Way - day 1

    September 12 in England ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Today we started walking the Cotswold Way in England. We started in the town of Bath and walked 17.5 miles to Tormarton. The path was pretty easy walking. There were some hills, as few steeper than others, but the only thing that slowed us down was some mud and stepping around cow patties. We walked along some roads out of Bath and then mostly through fields, next to cows and sheep, crops, wild flowers, and old civil war battlefields from a war in 1642. We also encountered as few raindrops but we had mostly sunny skies. There was no where to stop on this section of the trail for food or drink but we found a nice bench to eat the lunch we had packed. There's not a lot around our hotel so we are thankful they have a restaurant here.

    We didn't encounter any walkers going our direction but we did see a number going the other direction. Most people end in Bath, while we started there. We did talk to a couple from Colorado who where originally from PA and had met at Penn State.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    The old city wallThose are cross bow holes that look little crossesThe Minster11Never have I ever seen a dragon in a church!Show at the York Royal Theater1Another church1On the river12

    25 hours in York

    Sep 10–11 in England ⋅ 🌬 64 °F

    We arrived in York just before noon and had a very nice visit. We had already booked a 2 hour walking tour at 1:15 and entrance to the York Minster (cathedral) at 3:45. We had a short walk to our room at the Georgian House and Mews. Fortunately, our room was ready and we were able to check in.

    Along the way to our lodging, we passed the York Theatre Royal and saw that the musical Military Wives was opening that night. We went online and booked tickets to the 7:30 performance.

    On our way to our tour, we grabbed a sandwich and gathered for our truly free walking tour. York is a city steeped in history and this tour was all about it - trying to cover 2000 years in 2 hours. Eileen was less than impressed.

    The York Minster is one of the largest gothic cathedrals in Europe. While the original church was established in the 7th century, the current building wasn't started until the 13th century and was finished in the 15th century. Originally a Roman Catholic structure, it is now part of the church of England.

    Interestingly, there is a recently opened school to train stone masons. They use hammer and chisel to carve stone and new figures. About half of the new masons are women.

    We went back to our room for a quick shower, then out to dinner. We ended up at the Taas, an Indian/Nepalese restaurant. The food was good and a nice change from what we have been eating.

    We enjoyed the performance and the venue (relatively small). There was a pre-show performance in the lobby by actual military wives choirs.

    On Thursday, we explored more of old town, particularly the area known as the Shambles. The word Shambles comes from a word that is derived from the butcher shops or the tables used for the meat. Now it is area full of shops and eateries. There is a Shamble St and it seems like it could have been Diagon Alley from Harry Potter, including a number of magic shops.

    Before heading back, we sat along the river enjoying a latte and the sun. There were crew teams practicing as well as older adults who were seemingly taking lessons. The river cruise boats were fairly busy with most passengers being older.

    After going back for our bags, we hustled back to the train station and boarded the train with a minute or two to spare. We are off to Bath, where we will begin our Cotswold Way walk tomorrow morning.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    The bridge crossing from old town to new townNite contemporary streetA blend of old and new buildings1Paddington Bear!!!Small contemporary churchPitt - his father gave his name to Pittsburgh!Found on Rose streetFirst floral clock in the world.Plaque doctor

    Edinburgh day 2

    September 9 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Today was another beautiful, sunny day. We started by exploring the new town area. By the 1800's, the old town had become overcrowded and full of diseases. Officials decided to expand the city and the new town was created, though it is still very old! The streets are wider and there is more green space with lovely gardens. It is also way less touristy! We took our time exploring the area, side streets, and garden areas where many locals enjoyed their lunch break.

    We headed back to the old town to do a guided tour of the Mary King Close. It was unusual for a close to be named after a woman. At some point a new government building was built. The tops of old tenements were removed and a new building was built across the buildings and closes. The tour was of the closes and people who lived there under the new building, making it like an underground area. The tour talked about the people living there, their jobs, and the lifestyles they lived.

    With some time to waste before dinner, we just enjoyed the street entertainment which is plentiful on the Royal Mile.

    We dined at the Deacon Brodie pub. Deacon Brodie was a prominent businessman by day and a gambler and thief by night. His life was the basis of The Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde written by Stevenson. A nice day to end our stay in Scotland!    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Steeler Game
    Entrance to our BnB in Riddle Court CloseOld church now an event centerPart of the Royal MileTouching his toe brings good luck!Once a prison and tax collection place. People spit on it 😐St Giles ChurchThese were all made in Scotland.A close (alley way)A closeScotland parliamentThe Holyrood PalaceEdinburgh CastleLooking down the Royal Mile from the castleThe Whiskey Experience1Whiskey is not all bad!

    Edinburgh day 1

    Sep 7–10 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    We spent two full days and an evening in Edinburgh, a very busy city, second largest in Scotland. We spent day one in the old town where we walked the Royal Mile, visited the Edinburgh Castle, and did the Whiskey Experience.

    But first, we were able to find a sports bar on Sunday evening when we arrived that covered NFL games. The Steelers were on the big screen. We shared a table with a couple (Aaron and Cloie) from Denver who were Steelers fans. He was originally from the Cranberry area.

    The old town dates back to the 1500's when England and Scotland were fighting over control of the land. The Royal Mile is a 1.1 mile of buildings that were tenements - mostly very crowded one or two room flats in the center of town. At the top of the hill is the castle and at the bottom is Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. The street is lined with touristy shops, restaurants, and pubs. But if you look up, the architecture is amazing. In the 1500's there was no running water or sewage so people would dump their wastes in the street leading to a lot of diseases. Along the street there are also a lot of closes, little, skinny alleys leading to a maze of little streets between the buildings. Our air BnB was in Riddle Court Close. We stayed in a building that was only 300 years old, on the 5th floor - no elevators, of course.

    The castle, built into the hill, is fortified on three sides. The fourth side is a sheer cliff of rock. The Scots thought that no one could attack from that cliff but one night the English scaled the cliff and took charge again. The views of Edinburgh from the top were awesome. We also had fun watching the cranes and disassembling the grandstands that are used for the tattoo (music festival) that takes place in August. 6 weeks to assemble, 5 weeks to disassemble.

    The Whiskey Experience talked about how whiskey is made and how and why different areas of Scotland produce different tasting whiskeys. There are five main areas of whiskey producing in Scotland. We were able to sample whiskeys from all five areas and all whiskeys do not taste the same. Eileen even found some she likes! It was a very high tech presentation and their collection of whiskeys was massive.

    We had dinner at the Ensign Ewing. Live Scottish music was just getting started but we didn't stay for much of it. The music scene starts get at 9:00 some places, even later in others.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Fairy pools
    Fairy PoolsOur greeting committee on road near our pod3The pod- cute and cozy!Climbing the StorrFor the not so climbers, take a cruise shipA shy highland Shetland cow - best picture I could getDunvegan CastleDunvegan Castle grounds

    Isle of Skye

    Sep 5–7 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 57 °F

    We rented a car in Fort William and drove to the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland. Yes, they drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is on the right so there was a little bit of a learning curve getting started, but Jeff did a great job of adjusting. I was the copilot helping with reminders to stay left, roundabouts, and the ever changing speed limits. Additional challenges on the island were curvy roads and many one lane, potholed roads with two way traffic and pull overs for passing. Our air BnB was on this kind of road so we eventually got used to looking ahead for cars.

    On our way in on Friday we stopped at the Fairy Pools. It is a mile long babbling brook with little waterfalls - a natural occurrence. Someone was smart enough to add some Scottish folklore about the fairies and advertise it. Many, many people walked the trail. It was very pretty and if we hadn't already crossed hundreds of streams and waterfalls, or if it was a sunny day, we may have been even more impressed. Of course, it started to rain while walking it and we got to our car soaking wet.

    We went on to our air BnB which was a pod about 9 feet by 15 feet - two rooms and a bath. Very cute and cozy. We met our host, Peter, who has been running his two pods since 2019. They are almost fully booked from March through October. After drying out we went to The Old Inn for dinner then back to our pod for an early evening.

    On Saturday we hiked The Storr, a steep, ragged mountain line created from ice glaciers. The scenery, of course, was beautiful. Near the top, there was an area where the wind had to be at least 40 mph.

    From there we went to the Dunvegan Castle and gardens for a tour. It has belonged to the chief of the MacLeod family for 800 years.

    Lastly, we stopped at the Talisker Distillery gift shop followed by one more dinner at The Old Inn (there weren't many choices where we were staying but the food was very good!) and then back to our pod.

    Sunday we returned the car to Fort William on a drive that was much better than on our way to Skye. We took a taxi to the train station and then caught the train to Glasgow and then another to Edinburgh.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    The ending point at the town center
    Another rainbow!Rainbow forest! (Zoom in for better view!)3One more waterfallSheep or rocks? Zoom in to see!2Gnomes!!!

    Day 7 - Ft. William - end of WHW

    September 4 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    We arrived at the end of the West Highlands Way late this afternoon after 16+ miles today. It felt good to be done!

    We started the day with a long uphill climb for 4 miles (remember we ended yesterday with a long downhill) . While going uphill, we were attacked by the midges so much so that we wore our nets while hiking. Once we reached the top, a cool breeze started and kept them away. The uphill climb was followed by rolling trails for about 8 miles before we headed back downhill. Generally, the trail was pretty easy today. We had a little bit of sun and some rain throughout the day.

    We did come across 2 couples from Harrisburg, PA late in the day. Our only spotting of people we had seen throughout the week were Francesco and Oscar and Sophie as we were heading into town. They had already completed the trek and were heading back to where they are camping tonight.

    Our bed and breakfast is the Myrtle Bank guest house. It is housed in what appear to be a couple of old mansions right across from the water. Our room has a fantastic view of the water and mountains. http://www.myrtlebankguesthouse.co.uk/

    We had dinner at the Tavern. The food was good, and once again we had dessert (it has become a habit, although we split one). Jeff also continued his sampling of whiskey.

    Tomorrow, we rent a car and head to the isle of Skye for a couple nights.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Iconic Scottish highland houseDevil's Staircase startMidge netsThe Highland Getaway1

    West Highlands Way - day 6

    September 4 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    It was a beautiful day physically and scenically! The sun was shining, the trail easier than expected, and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous!

    At breakfast we met Natalie and Steven from Australia. They started hiking the day before and will only hike 3 days. Our hosts, Mary and Colin joined us for breakfast as well and supplied us with many stories. It would be fun to just spend the day with them.

    At the start of the trail there were more hikers than we have seen all week . This is the popular Glencoe tourist area and many people come to do day hikes up the devil's staircase. Many are younger people carrying camping supplies and maybe only hiking for a day or two. Either way, there are a lot of people on the trail .

    We hiked only 9 miles in the Scottish Highlands. While I'm sure they look beautiful from the road, being in the mountains surrounded by more mountains was amazing.
    The trail started easy enough for three miles and then we started up the devil's staircase. It's a step climb with a lot of switchbacks to the highest point in the trail. The trail was used for many things in the past including during WWII. It was more treacherous then and many died on the trail, hence it's name. Though it was steep, the path was pretty clear. We took our time and had no problems. We were rewarded with stunning views. Along the way we met the midges - tiny biting gnat like creatures who swarmed you when you stopped moving. We had spray and wore our nets when we stopped.

    Of course what goes up must come down and down is not always easier than going up. The way down was mostly gradual until the last two miles which became rather steep. The entire trail was open and one could see hikers in front of you and behind you like ants on a hill.

    Throughout the day we saw our younger friends Sophia and Oscar , as well as Francesco. We also met Cherylina from New Mexico. She had bad knees and was definitely taking her time, but this had been on her bucket list to do. On our way to dinner we saw our friends from New York as well.

    We ate at the Highland Getaway as recommended by our BnB host and we were not disappointed. We finished our meal with the spotted dick and custard - Delicious!    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Baa baa Black sheep!
    Scotland Highlands - Sheep and waterfallsNice path for walking - finally1A rainbow greeted usThe view out of our BnB window.St Munda's Manse

    West Highland Way - day 5

    September 3 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    Today was supposed to be a 19 mile day. Given how tired we were after 15 the day before, we made the decision to give it bodies a break and not walk the whole thing. We had a leisurely morning and spent time talking to Claudia and Wendy, the ladies from Colorado and PA.

    The path on the morning was an old military road so much easier on the feet. We made good time on it as we trekked at the base of the mountains, part more waterfalls and bubbling streams, and next to a scenic railroad.

    After 7 miles we reached the Bridge of Orchy where most of the people we met were spending the night. They are doing the hike in 8 days. We had lunch there and met Shannon from Knoxville TN. She is traveling alone. It always surprises us the number of solo female hikers we are. While we were still there, our Australian friends - Simon and James arrived. They are brother in laws. Simon is a pilot and James is in security. They look the parts! Lol. We spent a couple hours there.

    We took the bus to the closest stop near the trail - Kings house. It was a 17 minute ride. We got off right at the trail and hiked another mile to a Kingshouse Hotel. Our accommodations were a 20 minute taxi ride from , to the village of Ballachulish in the popular Glencoe area.

    We are staying in the St Munda's Manse, a former rectory of the next door church of Scotland. Our hostess is Mary, a lifelong resident is the village. She and her husband spent about 3 years remodeling the place after buying. The church has already been sold and being turned into a residence.

    We walked into the village to buy lunch for tomorrow and have dinner so we did pick up another mile of walking.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    On the ferry, the only time we wore raincoats
    The ferry rideOur lunch packed by the hotel. It looks like a school field trip lunch!1Lagging behind, as usual1Watery trailsAnd muddy bogs to get aroundThere have been black berries all along the trails- yum!!Locals picking hazelnutsWhen you want to hike by can't afford new shoes - duct tape to the rescue!A Scottish cottageHe almost didn't that make it throughBeautiful mountains!!He posed for me!Stone wall and sheep - very scottishOld cemeteryEnjoying a drink with our Aussie friends.

    Day 4 - to Tyndrum

    September 1 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    Today's hike ended up being a bit over 15 miles and our start time was dictated by the ferry schedule. The earliest ferry was at 9:00 so we were there in time to get a seat. The ferry only holds about 14 people. However, at "rush hour", he will make a second trip. Easy enough since it's only 5 minutes across the lake.

    A word to describe today's trek: water. Dozens of waterfalls, both up close and visible in mountains across the way. Rushing streams, small and large. We crossed a number of smaller streams trying to find stones above water. About 1/2 to 3/4 of the trail had water, a mixture of puddles and running water. And, lastly, rain - light at times, fairly heavy at others. The sun did peel through for a few minutes throughout the day but the appearances were brief.

    The first half was a fairly gradual uphill, followed by a descent that was a bit steep to begin with but leveled out. The last couple miles was the easiest to travel, which was good since we were tired.

    These last few days have been physically challenging for us given the terrain and walking on very rocky surfaces. We are watching where we put our feet most of the time (although we manage to look up and take in the beautiful scenery). There have been places it is difficult to squeeze through, a tunnel today that Jeff could barely get through with his pack on, fallen trees that Eileen needed help lifting her legs over as she rolled herself over top.

    We met two ladies from New York, Joy and Amber, who had hiked this 10 years ago. We were amazed when they said they were 50, would have guessed 10 years younger.

    After dinner, we popped in the bar and our Aussie acquaintances, James and Simon, were there. We sat and talked to them for a while and James bought us a drink. During our conversation, we realized this was likely the last we would see if them given our respective walking itineraries.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Jeff with Sophie and OscarAn honest box - filled with goodies and drinks and you leave the money. Most aren't this nice!Heather in bloomAnother waterfallThis is the third or forth pair of boots we have seen left behind ???Another waterfall!So green!!!Our lunch viewCareful stepping!Can you tell I like waterfalls?This hotel had a separate entrance for hikers.Crossing over waterfall streams (5 times!)And the fun continues!Jeff got stuck here!Raising the ball to signal for the ferry.The hotel across the riverOur ride. It started raining while we were waiting.

    West Highland Way - Day 3

    August 31 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

    Today we hiked 13.5 miles. Before hiking we stopped at a little store to buy lunch and snacks as we weren't sure if there were any services along the way. We talked with a local who was telling us about the weather here in the winter. She and her family are headed to Disney in October. She would have talked all day had we let her.

    The beginning of the hike was easy, rolling hills through the national forest. Sometimes we were high with great views of Loch Lomond and passing by many waterfalls. (About 40 throughout the day!) With all of the water running down the hill, the area was a lush green. Sometimes we were down low on the Bonnie banks of the lake.

    We met Sophie (originally from Germany) and Oscar from London. We have played leap frog (we would stop, they would pass us, they would stop, we would pass them) with them for a couple of days, but today we started together and had a chance to talk. We also met a mother- daughter duo from Germany, a pair of older ladies from Colorado and PA (State college area), and a couple from Cleveland. Lastly we met up with two guys from Sydney, Australia - James and Simon.

    We stopped for a bite to eat at a stoney beach along lake and later found a hotel that did serve drinks so we had a coffee. This is where we meet the Australians. The trail after this stop was difficult. The book described it as more of an obstacle course than a hike. That was a good description. We did a lot of boulder climbing and carefully picking our way through rocks and tree roots and around mud puddles. At first it was fun but after a while it got very tiring. It was a very good leg workout, one might even call it exhausting. Along the way, we talked to a guy from Poland on bicycle. He was carrying it more than riding it, not sure how he did it.

    We had to catch a ferry to get to our hotel across the river. We joked with the Australians that the last one to the ferry had to buy the first beers. The ferry left hourly at 10 past the hour. The Australians had to run down the path to catch the ferry. We were 5 minutes too late and had to wait 50 minutes in the rain for the next one to arrive. We bought their beer at dinner.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Good morning cows!These are throughout the pastures. They are often a challenge to open!Heather in bloomOther hikers on the trail.Great views as we go up the hill.Cow dung and sheep poop along the wayA old stone wall and sheep - can't get more Scottish!A rocky wet, climbLoch Lomond from on top of Conic HillThe greeting committee!The climb down. Zoom in to see how far it goes!More of the climb downA haggis house. A haggis is a fictional character that children try to find. Much like our fairies.A very wet rat in the home stretch!The white dots are sheep, brown dots, cows

    The West Highland Way Hike - day 2

    August 30 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 59 °F

    Today we hiked 15.5 miles from Dryman to Rowardennan. The day started easy enough with a gradual uphill climb for about 5 miles through pastures with cows, then forests, and then more pastures with more sheep. The meadows were filled with heather (the plant). It is just about done blooming and had a maroon look to it. A week ago it would have been a brighter purple. The weather was overcast and in the 60's.

     The next two miles involved a steep climb to Conic Hill with the second mile being very steep, rocky and wet as a stream ran down through the trail. Our bodies began to protest near there top. At the top we were greeted by cows who regularly graze there and great views of Loch Lomond (large lake) and the hills around it. There were many people in the area as it is s popular day hike and it is Saturday.

    We were excited to start the downhill climb until we did. To help protect the area from erosion, the path is lined with large rocks of various sizes and shapes, fashioned in a step like formation. You must watch your feet on the way down and carefully decide where to step. It is also very steep. This goes on for a solid mile The toll on the knees and hips is hard. Even the young people heaved a sigh of relief when they got to the bottom!

    We continued for a short distance through the Lake Lomond and The Trossachs National Park arriving at the Oak Tree Inn where we took an extended lunch break to give our legs a chance to rest. From there we headed out still having another 7 miles to travel. As we started to leave it began to rain and we hiked through a light rainfall the rest of the trip. It was somewhat refreshing since it was very humid. The remaining 7 miles were not near as interesting with most of it being by the lake or through the forest and all of it through the rain. There were enough hills and mud to keep it interesting.

    We arrived at our hotel with enough time to shower and put on dry clothes before dinner. We have seen a lot of the same hikers at the hotels and places to eat - people from Germany, Australia, and Scotland.

    Our hotel / restaurant was established as an inn in 1696, although parts of the building are older than that.

    We met a couple on the trail today who had met 2 years ago doing the Camino de Santiago. He was from the Netherlands, she from England.    Read more

  • UK & Ireland - hiking & more
    Getting started!
    A cottage called the Shire!There are sheep everywhere!!Other hikersThe distilleryThe Beach Tree for lunchA common wildflower found all along the trailThis is the symbol we look for to stay on the trail.The Crachan - good food.Our hotel

    The Highland Way Hike - day 1

    August 29 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 57 °F

    Today we started hiking on The West Highlands Way in Scotland. Day one involved walking from Milngavnie to Drymaen. We took a bus to the starting point where we had breakfast and saw many other hikers starting the journey, everyone getting their picture taken at the famous obelisk.

    The weather was mostly cloudy with occasional sprinkles. Great hiking weather.

    We hiked 13.5 miles mostly through meadows next to sheep and cows with some rolling hills. The surrounding hills were very green and beautiful. About halfway, a distillery called out to Jeff and we did a short side trip to the Glengoyne Distillery. We didn't take the time to do a tour but we were able to sample some whisky and purchase travel bottles for later.

    There aren't a lot of places to stop along the way so when you find one, you take advantage of it. So, we stopped at the Beech Tree for lunch. They have a petting zoo with Shetland ponies. From there it was just one foot in front of the other until Dryman. Along the way we met two girls from Colorado. One just moved to England to go to school and she and her sister are doing the hike before school starts. We also met Francesco from Italy (Sicily).

    We are spending the night at the Buchanan Arms. Once in Drymen we ate at the Crachan, noted as the oldest licensed pub in Scotland.    Read more

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