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Griswalds Tour to the UKGriswalds Tour to the UK
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Griswalds Tour to the UK

July - August 2023
The Griswalds are off again. Clark and Ellen are off to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Read more
  • 38footprints
  • 8countries
  • 34days
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  • 6videos
  • 37.7kkilometers
  • 34.3kkilometers
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  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    Day 16

    Limerick - Cliffs of Moher - Sligo

    August 11, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Big day today. Up and off at 8 am to start our journey to the Cliffs of Moher along the Wild Atlantic Way.

    What beautiful countryside and the Cliffs of Moher - what can I say - bloody unbelievable. The view is lovely. I did not like the look of the walk to the top so I spotted two golf buggies and asked Clarke to go see if they were going up to the top. Clarke says ‘no they won’t be going up there’ so I went and asked myself. The guy goes ‘yeah jump on’. I took a seat and who should plonk their bum beside me - none other than Clarke. Away we go to the top. It was freezing bloody cold at the top and the gale force wind would blow a dog of a chain. After we were done the buggy driver came and got us to go back down.

    The Cliffs of Moher are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about 14 kilometres (9 miles). At their southern end, they rise 120 metres (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, 8 kilometres (5 miles) to the north, they reach their maximum height of 214 metres (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, a round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs, built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien.

    We then went to the visitor centre for a cappuccino and a cinnamon scroll to warm up and we grabbed some souvenirs.

    Back in the bus to head to Galway. Lovely town - apparently it’s the second most expensive city in Ireland after Dublin. We were met with hordes of people again all looking for lunch as we were. This was only a quick stop before we boarded the bus to head to Sligo.

    We are in Sligo tonight and we will join the crew from the bus for dinner.    Read more

  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    1
    Day 17

    Sligo - Derry - Giants Causeway- Belfast

    August 12, 2023 in Northern Ireland ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    We left Sligo at 9am today to travel to Derry. It poured rain most of the way.

    Derry is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland.

    A quick walk around and some morning tea and back on the road to The Giants Causeway. The rain had gone by the time we arrived there and the sun was out.

    The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption.

    It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.

    The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although some have four, five, seven, or eight sides.[7] The tallest are about 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres (92 ft) thick in places.

    This was amazing to see.

    After a couple of hours we left Giants Causeway and headed for our hotel in Belfast where will again have dinner with our travelling group.

    Photos below.    Read more

  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    Day 18

    Belfast - Carlingford - Dublin

    August 13, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Our morning consisted of a visit to the Titanic Exhibition in Belfast. Omg what an exhibition. It was excellent.

    I took heaps and heaps of photos - too many to upload to here.

    We then travelled to Carlingford for lunch and then onto Dublin for the next two days.

    Tonight we are going to an Irish Cabaret Show which we are looking forward too.

    Photos from today below.    Read more

  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    Day 19

    Dublin

    August 14, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    A sleep-in this morning then joined the group for an orientation tour around Dublin.

    This afternoon was a free afternoon so we wandered about looking around close to the hotel and relaxing.

    We head back to the UK tomorrow on the ferry which is a 4 hour trip.

    Photos from today.    Read more

  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    Day 20

    Dublin to Liverpool

    August 15, 2023 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Up before daylight this morning to catch the Ferry from the Port of Dublin to the Port of Holyhead in Wales.

    Once off the ferry we travelled to a little town called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Don’t ask me to say it cause it’s too big a tongue twister lol

    This afternoon we did a history tour of the Beatles.

    Photos of today below.    Read more

  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    Day 21

    Liverpool - Grasmere - Glasgow

    August 16, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    First up this morning we went to the Beatles Museum in Liverpool. Clarke enjoyed this experience and spent lots of money. Lol

    Liverpool is a lovely city and we enjoyed looking around.

    We left Liverpool and headed for Grasmere for lunch then onto Gretna Green for a quick afternoon tea. Then we travelled another two hours to reach Glasgow. Big day today - left Liverpool at 10am and arrived Glasgow at 6pm - that’s including breaks.

    Had a quick walk up the street in Glasgow. It’s a very busy city but nice.

    Some photos from today.    Read more

  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    Day 22

    Glasgow - Isle of Skye - Inverness

    August 17, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Day 17 and we are off to Inverness today leaving Glasgow at 7.50am.

    We went through some lovely countryside past Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe and Fort William. We stopped at Fort William for morning tea which consisted of a scone with jam and clotted cream. Yummo.

    After leaving Fort William we drove past the Glenfinnan Viaduct (this appears in Harry Potter).

    We then headed to the Ferry to get us to the Isle of Skye to visit the Museum of the Isles. We were lucky to be able to see the Jacobite Train (another Harry Potter thing) as we approached the Ferry. We also had lunch here. Back on the bus and we drive across the Inner Hebridean Island back to the mainland stopping at a place near Dornie.

    We also stopped beside the Loch Ness to look for Nessie.

    Then we finally arrived at our hotel just after 6pm. Another big day.

    Photos of today below.    Read more

  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    Day 23

    Inverness

    August 18, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today we visited the Bronze Age chamber tomb site of Clava Cairns. This was very interesting. Then we went on to the Culloden Battlefield and then to Brodie Castle.

    We had free time this afternoon so we had a bit of a look around Inverness then visited the laundromat.

    Photos of today below.    Read more

  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    Day 24

    Inverness to Edinburgh

    August 19, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Up early to head for Edinburgh today and the Military Tattoo tonight. It was pouring rain when we left Inverness.

    It was a noisy night with all the crazy Inverness people enjoying their drink far too much and screaming and arguing on the street below us.

    We stopped at a town called Pitlochry for morning tea and St Andrew’s for lunch. St Andrew’s is where all the famous golfers play. Nice town but we have no interest in golf lol.

    Then on to Edinburgh. The tour director told us there is an extra two million people come to Edinburgh for the summer, the festivals and the Military Tattoo.
    Observing the amount of people walking the streets I would say he is fairly spot on.

    The military tattoo was AMAZING. Well worth the hike up the hill to see it. I was lucky enough to have a front row seat which made it extra special.

    Some photos of today.    Read more

  • Griswalds AdventureGriswalds Tour to the UK
    Day 25

    Edinburgh

    August 20, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    A later start this morning to go on our tour of Old Town and New Town Edinburgh. A local tour guide took us and talked about history, architecture and other stuff but she talked so fast I had trouble working out what she was saying. This included a tour of Edinburgh Castle.

    I opted out of going up to the Castle and decided to sit at a coffee shop drinking a hot chocolate right near where we had to meet the bus for pick up and waited for them to return as my legs were not favourable to me today. I had already walked up to it last night for the Tattoo.

    Before getting off the bus to go to the Castle we were given the option of returning to the bus or walking back to the hotel.

    Now Clarke spent the drive around on the bus snoozing so obviously missed those instructions but I did say to him ‘I will wait here and when you come back down from the Castle you will see me but stick with some of the others from the bus.

    Well what do you know Clarke has decided to go on his own little adventure and wander off. Nowhere to be found amongst the thousands. A lovely lady from the bus went looking for him but couldn’t find him. I said to the bus driver and guide to go and I would wait where I’d already sat for an hour and a half and see if he came back.

    No sign of him so I walked around a bit until I could log into a wifi to see if I could contact him. Still no luck. So I rang Audrey and Betty for them to watch for him to be online and ring him on Messenger to find out where he had got too.

    About 30 minutes had passed by and I get a call from Clarke but he couldn’t hear me. So I sent him a message - where is he - he’s got a taxi back to the hotel. Apparently he became separated from the group and couldn’t find his way back to the bus. The instructions back to the bus were to go down the hill from the castle and instead of going straight ahead follow the road around to the right at the church. I thought they were very clear but Clarke had wandered straight ahead. I wonder when he was gonna turn right. He then tells me later two others from the group got in the taxi with him so obviously none of them followed instructions.

    Clarke did tell me he saw the Scottish Crown Jewels and commented ‘it was a big hat’!!!

    Anyway after that excitement I caught a taxi back to the motel.

    The afternoon was spent resting as we are fairly tired as we come to nearing the end of our trip.

    I’ve had a few suggestions sent to me of how I could make sure Clarke doesn’t get lost again. They are below. Anyone got any experience with these.

    I’ve also included photos from today.    Read more

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