UK & France

April - May 2017
A 27-day adventure by Coltrane
  • 27footprints
  • 5countries
  • 27days
  • 142photos
  • 0videos
  • 2.4kkilometers
  • Day 1

    Glasgow - Day 1

    April 21, 2017 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Just set down in Glasgow, upgraded our hire car to a Merc with all the Bells and Whistles for an extra 15 pounds a day! Best option though has got to be Sat Nav that got us into our first B&B without too many arguments😊. My phone is not UK ready so couldn't contact the owner, but with some help from friendly locals at Cafe del Sara Italian Cafe got in OK! Beautiful day short walk into Byer street for Pizza Dinner and early bed!Read more

  • Day 2

    Glasgow Day 2

    April 22, 2017 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Early wake up Breakfast @ Cafe William - very nice! Georgia had Nutella & Banana Pancakes! Another fine day and we decide to do a walking tour of Glasgow! Start @ the dead centre of town - the Necropolis. This is one of Europe's finest Cemeteries on a hill beside the old merchant side of Town! It is an amazingly beautiful but derelict tribute to the people associated with Glasgow's heritage. A short walk took us to the Glasgow Cathedral a stunning piece of Architecture with many unravelling layers of History and Worship. Unfortunately, the Blackadder Aisle was closed for renovation! Georgia lit two candles,one for mum and one for dad! And we continued our voyage of discovery to the local markets, a poor man Brickworks, then back to the old Merchant Town for a few laps and then out looking forWest Brewery near the River Clyde! This was a long journey after much walking and we somehow managed to walk about a km past it! Anyway finally got back there for a well earned Pint of Dark and a Pint of Black! Taxi home for afternoon nap!Read more

  • Day 3

    Glascow > Portree - Day 3

    April 23, 2017 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Left Glasgow for The Isle of Skye travelling the A82 through Loch Lamond and Loch Linnhe to Fort William where we stopped for a stroll around. Back on the Road where after lunch at Malaig we caught the ferry to Isle of Skye and another hour drive to Portree. The scenery was sparse but stunning, from great watery expanses to rugged mountains all dotted along the way with picture postcard whitewashed cottages, or cluster villages.
    A game of crib, a pint of Guinness and a chicken and leek pie in the local where we are staying finished us off!
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  • Day 4

    Isle of Skye Day 4

    April 24, 2017 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 2 °C

    Woke up to a BIG change in the Weather! 6 degrees and snowing!!! Bloody freezing, but we brave the elements for a walk around town ! Even the locals are commenting on the cold so you can imagine how we felt! Only one thing for it, jump in the Merc and head for Talisker Distillery, an hour tour and a warming Dram. Followed this with lunch at the Oyster Farm, beautiful fresh seafood and a snowball fight with Georgia! We decide on a drive around the rugged top end, snow is thick now, the whole place has gone white and the mountains look amazing! An eventful drive with many a wrong way, close call on single lane roads, and dodging of lambing ewes! We visit some 800 year old castle, but were put off going in by the jaded Ol biddy in the gift shop! Trekked further on, took some pics of the Black Huts, visited the Skye Brewery for a pint of Black and froze our arses off taking Pics on the coast! Back to Portree that is now looking like some winter wonderland out of a fairytale, all coloured cottages and snow laden surrounds. The pub offers warming solace in the form of a coal fire, a hot pie, whiskey and a local acoustic duo! A fitting end to a perfect Scottish day!Read more

  • Day 5

    Pitlochry - Day 5

    April 25, 2017 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C

    Sad to leave Isle of Skye, it was short but fun! A big drive ahead and after attempting Smoked Kippers for breakfast we hit the road for Eilean Donan castle. This furnished castle was originally built in 300 AD ! It went through many changes before ending up in the hands of Clan Macrae, whose final refurbishment finished in the 1930's. It was great to see a castle looking how it might have centuries earlier, and it felt surprisingly cosy despite the exposed location. We then took a two hour windy road back down from the Highlands through more snow, feral goats and passed many sheep and the odd Highland Coow! A quick pit stop at Dalwhinnie Distillery and finally into Pitlochry a lovely traditional Scottish Village! Our accomodation for the night is in a somewhat grand old Scottish house! We had half an hour to get to Edradour our last Whisky Stop. A quick stroll down the main street and our day is done. Well almost just had to get our butts whipped by Georgia at Crib, then we all crawled off to bed!Read more

  • Day 6

    Carlisle - Day 6

    April 26, 2017 in England ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Well it had to happen! Things were going too well to last. After a lovely morning, with a 2 hour stroll around the Pitlochry township and surrounds, we packed the car to leave for Carlisle. Popping my phone and glasses on the car to remove my jacket and scarf for the drive, I decided to tidy up the the back seat. Of course in doing so I completely forgot I'd left two of the most crucial items of my trip on the roof. Long story short drove off and three hours later pull into a service stop for a rest. FML is allI could say! So now for the next 25 days I am partially blind and at the mercy of Janes Phone! Solution some dodgy Boots Glasses and relegation to the IPad!
    Oh well just hope my phone isn't hacked ! Carlisle looks nice but is just a pitstop really. So this post is of not much interest and I'm sure will be cause of much mirth in the future, but for now I'm just plain Pissed Off!
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  • Day 7

    Conwy - Day 7

    April 27, 2017 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Still seething about lost phone and glasses. Left Carlisle after we couldn't get the shower to work in B&B! So seething and stinky head down to Hadrian's wall for a look at what the Romans are up to! Well - it's a wall and its old! The countryside was nice, but you can imagine Georgia was absolutely enthralled! Leaving Hadrian in our dust we take a detour into the Lakes District anda lovely town called Kendall, all cobblestone alleyways winding up down and around the town! The countryside is a hilly patchwork of super green pastures crisscrossed with waist high rock walls. For some reason it reminds me of Wallace & Grommet! Back on the main highway we make a dash for North Wales via Chester. I make a phone call to the local Scottish constabulary, but no-one has handed in my phone! We arrive late afternoon in Conwy, which is a walled town dwarfed by its impressive castle! This is not far from Colwyn Bay where we lived 18 Years ago! We had a look at the old house which doesn't look much different!Our accommodation for the next three nights is a cosy Terrace House just outside the castle walls. Dinner at the local and a few games of pool with Georgia! Back home for a game of Cluedo under duress! - I hate that game - too much thinking and I am way too tired to think!Early bed!Read more

  • Day 8

    Conwy - Nth Wales Day 8

    April 28, 2017 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Up early and take a fantastic walk around the top of the Town walls! Some outstanding views. We head in to town for lunch for Crepes and I have a toasted baguette with bacon,Brie and cranberries a surprisingly delicious combination. Here we part ways. I go to golf with a couple of my old cricketing mates, and Jane and Georgia head out shopping and exploring for the day. Golf looks decidedly dodgy on arrival with a nagging drizzle threatening to ruin the day. After two holes though the rain has lifted and we can begin to enjoy this beautiful links course. Unfortunately my golf is a little erratic, and the gauze rough is unforgiving. a few lost balls interspersed with the odd par and one birdy, but I am well and truly beaten by my welsh mates! Curry from our local Indian, where we also have a good chat with a friendly young couple from South Wales! Jane and Georgia have taken lots of pictures of significant places from our past. It would seem they have a had a good girls day out together!Read more

  • Day 9

    Mochdre - Day 9

    April 29, 2017 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    After a bit of a sleep in we took Georgia up to the Welsh Mountain Zoo, where I used to work. It pretty much hasn't changed in 20 years, even my old mate Jake the Gibbon is still there! We strolled about for an hour and half then took the road out to Snowdonia, stopping off at the Welsh Food Centre for lunch. We got back in time for a quick snooze before heading down to the club to watch the end of the game there, and catch up with a few of my old team mates! It's a great reunion, with a couple of the guys making a special trip in to catch up. Needless to say I probably had one Guinness too many and Jane was getting treated to double shots so we were kindly driven home. Georgia had a fun night playing pool with Gogsie's 15 YO son! Bit of a holiday spark there I think, with an exchange of Instagram addresses!!Read more

  • Day 10

    Conwy > Dublin Day 10

    April 30, 2017 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Sad to leave our friends in North Wales! It was a great catch up with lots of laughs! The morning we were in a bit of disarray as we tried get packed for Ireland with hangovers! We had a big brekky then realise we hadn't cleaned out the fridge, so back to do that and off to ferry. We get almost out of Conwy and Jane realises she's left her sunnies so back for a second time and it is now looking tight for getting to the Ferry! Fortunately the rest of the trip ran smoothly and we made the ferry with 15 min to spare! An uneventful three hour trip and after nearly taking the wrong bag at the carousel we were greeted by Paddy. Back to his and Ciara's house for Curry and to meet their three lovely kids Hugo, Sophie and Tomás. After a few bottles of wine we are out to town. The place is heaving due to the May Day holiday the next day. We visit three pubs, PMac, No Name, and appropriately The Long Haul! Quite sozzled by the time we staggered back in !Read more