Today is it! After 41 days of travel we are heading home! Well...not exactly home....that doesn't happen till after Labor Day, but at least back to Massachusetts to start the next part of our summer---camping.
We headed out to the airport before 7 am so we would miss the commuter traffic. Our GPS came in handy again! I can't say enough about how important having one of these is when you are traveling by car in the United Kingdom! I don't know what we would have done without it.
We checked in our bags at the British Airlines desk and received a very pleasant surprise! They upgraded us from World Traveler....to World Traveler Plus....basically took us out of steerage!!!! YEAH!!! They basically gave us a gift of $500.00!
We tried to upgrade our seats over the last couple of days through the Internet and thru calling but we were unable to. We had upgraded our tickets on the flight going to London for about $500.00 and realized once we did it how necessary it really is for people our size. They have significantly more leg and seat room then the regular seats so we were very disappointed when the upgrade couldn't happen. So this was a very pleasant surprise.
The flight home was totally uneventful: about 6 1/2 hours, good food, free wine, and safe!
Ed & I sure are lucky to have both the time and the resources to make this kind of a trip. We are very grateful!
This is the end of my Great Britain Blog! We will be continuing on to camping for the rest of the summer. I will occasionally post to my Miles With Monty Blog if you have any interest. It can be found at http://summertravel2013.blogspot.com/. It's a continuation of the Blog I started last summer. Please don't feel obligated to continue to read, but for those who want to, be sure to sign up for e-mail notifications since I won't be writing every day.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Bath -- Our last fling in England! -- Monday July 8, 2013
We are down to the wire. Tomorrow we head home, so if we are going to do any more sightseeing in England it is now or never!
The only other city on my 'bucket list' is Bath so we head there today. It's a three hour ride to get to Bath. Bath was established as a Spa city back in 60 AD and may have existed even before that. It's almost hard to comprehend that age!
All of the buildings seem to be made of the same yellow color stone. The architecture really is beautiful.
We found a pub (like we do in each city we have been do!) and have a pint. Once we are fortified we decide how to attack the city. We were not good tourists today and did not bring the guide books with us, so I decided to take an open air bus tour of the city. Eddie prefers to see it by foot, so we head our separate ways for an hour.
While beautiful, it surprised me that this city has quite a bit of litter in it. I noticed it because almost every other city on this trip was immaculate!
Eddie and I met up for dinner at an outdoor café in the courtyard of the Bath Abbey. The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England. Founded in the 7th century, Bath Abbey was reorganized in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries; major restoration work was carried out by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s. It is one of the largest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in the West Country. Another spectacular church!
This was a great way to spend our last day in the British Isles. A beautiful setting on a beautiful late afternoon! Now it's time to head back to be sure we are all packed for home.
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| City street in Bath |
All of the buildings seem to be made of the same yellow color stone. The architecture really is beautiful.
We found a pub (like we do in each city we have been do!) and have a pint. Once we are fortified we decide how to attack the city. We were not good tourists today and did not bring the guide books with us, so I decided to take an open air bus tour of the city. Eddie prefers to see it by foot, so we head our separate ways for an hour.
While beautiful, it surprised me that this city has quite a bit of litter in it. I noticed it because almost every other city on this trip was immaculate!
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| Bath Abbey |
This was a great way to spend our last day in the British Isles. A beautiful setting on a beautiful late afternoon! Now it's time to head back to be sure we are all packed for home.
Relaxing weekend --- Saturday & Sunday July 6 & 7, 2013
While not exciting, it feels good to be able to just relax and put our feet up!
We spent the weekend doing little chores: laundry and 'mowing' Jane's lawn.
We also got to see (and hear) Wimbledon from the English side of the Pond. The Wimbledon Championships or simply Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and widely considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877.
I don't often watch tennis matches but do take the time to watch some of the Wimbledon matches. In England, however, EVERYONE watches Wimbledon! And this one was fun!
Did you know that Andy Murray won!!!? TV announcers and news had that startling news on for the next 24 hours! It had been 77 years since an Englishman had won this match so it was a very exciting time!
We had dinner again at Ye Olde Greene Manne. It's a comfortable pub not far from Northwood in the town of Rickmansworth. It was such a beautiful night we decided to take a drive around some of the surrounding towns of Rickmansworth on the A404, to Amersham on the A416, Hemel Hempstead on the A4147 and finally home again to Northwood. While all of these towns are suburbs of London and are therefore pretty crowded, they all date back to the 8th to 12 century! Amazing.
We spent the weekend doing little chores: laundry and 'mowing' Jane's lawn.
We also got to see (and hear) Wimbledon from the English side of the Pond. The Wimbledon Championships or simply Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and widely considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877.
I don't often watch tennis matches but do take the time to watch some of the Wimbledon matches. In England, however, EVERYONE watches Wimbledon! And this one was fun!
Did you know that Andy Murray won!!!? TV announcers and news had that startling news on for the next 24 hours! It had been 77 years since an Englishman had won this match so it was a very exciting time!
We had dinner again at Ye Olde Greene Manne. It's a comfortable pub not far from Northwood in the town of Rickmansworth. It was such a beautiful night we decided to take a drive around some of the surrounding towns of Rickmansworth on the A404, to Amersham on the A416, Hemel Hempstead on the A4147 and finally home again to Northwood. While all of these towns are suburbs of London and are therefore pretty crowded, they all date back to the 8th to 12 century! Amazing.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Back to Northwood, England -- Friday July 5, 2013
You can probably tell from my recent blog postings that I'm getting tired:) Traveling for 42 days is actually hard work. But there are still a few areas on the list to visit.
We are heading back to our home base of our friend Jane's house in Northwood. Although Jane has returned to her home in Orleans, she gave us a key to stay at her house.
I forgot to tell you some interesting tidbits about Northwood. Right at the end of Jane's road is Northwood Headquarters. Northwood Headquarters is a military headquarters facility of the British Armed Forces in Eastbury, Hertfordshire, England, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood. It is home to three command and control functions of the British armed forces and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); Permanent Joint Headquarters, Commander in Chief Fleet and the NATO Regional Command, Command Component Maritime. Very interesting!
Driving from Oxford to Northwood, we take a slight detour so that we can go thru the Cotswold area The Cotswolds are a range of hills in southwestern and west-central England, an area 25 miles across and 90 miles long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We went thru the town of Witney and settled on the town of Burford for lunch and walking.
Burford is a small town on the River Windrush in the Cotswold hills in west Oxfordshire, England, about 18 miles west of Oxford, 22 miles southeast of Cheltenham and only about 2 miles from the
Gloucestershire boundary.
One of the first things we saw as we were walking around this town was a Church. The church was completed in stages, but the first section of the church was completed in 1025! Always impressive that something that old can still be standing!
The drive continues to be along unbelievable beautiful rolling hills and pasture land dotted with sheep.
We are heading back to our home base of our friend Jane's house in Northwood. Although Jane has returned to her home in Orleans, she gave us a key to stay at her house.
I forgot to tell you some interesting tidbits about Northwood. Right at the end of Jane's road is Northwood Headquarters. Northwood Headquarters is a military headquarters facility of the British Armed Forces in Eastbury, Hertfordshire, England, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood. It is home to three command and control functions of the British armed forces and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); Permanent Joint Headquarters, Commander in Chief Fleet and the NATO Regional Command, Command Component Maritime. Very interesting!
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| Center of town of Burford |
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| Backyard along an alley way |
Gloucestershire boundary.
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| Church built in 1025 |
One of the first things we saw as we were walking around this town was a Church. The church was completed in stages, but the first section of the church was completed in 1025! Always impressive that something that old can still be standing!
The drive continues to be along unbelievable beautiful rolling hills and pasture land dotted with sheep.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Tour of Oxford University, England with our new friend Pip --Thursday July 4, 2013
Turns out the Abodes is a very nice B & B. Our hostess is from Wales and the standard B & B in Wales is simply one room in a home. The multi room B & B's are usually called Guest Houses. Who knew!
Our room is very bright, very clean and nice, but there is no living room or lounge to sit in, so that's probably the only draw back to this type of accomodation to us.
We got up early on the 4th of July and had a lovely breakfast before heading out to meet our new friend Pip. Pip is a Digital Editor for the Bodleian Library at Oxford University and she has offered to give us a personal tour of this building.
Our daughter Pam actually spent a semester at Oxford University and has always said it was a really beautiful library and area so we are eager to see it. The University of Oxford (informally referred to as Oxford University or simply Oxford) is a collegiate research university located in Oxford, England. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096,[1] making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and the second-oldest surviving university in the world.
The Bodleian Library (/ˈbɒdliən/ or /bɒdˈliːən/), is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library with over 11 million items.
The history of the building and the university itself is very impressive. And someone so closely related to it who has an incredible amount of knowledge of the history that it holds is a real gift. Pip was able to bring us into a couple of the rooms that are typically not on the visitor tours, which was fun!
We went to lunch and then let Pip get back to work while I took a open top bus tour to see the rest of the historic buildings in town and Ed went thru another museum in the area.
We came back for dinner and walked around this beautiful town for a little while. It must be heady stuff to be a student among the history in this area! We can't imagine how Pam was able to come back home:)!
Our room is very bright, very clean and nice, but there is no living room or lounge to sit in, so that's probably the only draw back to this type of accomodation to us.
We got up early on the 4th of July and had a lovely breakfast before heading out to meet our new friend Pip. Pip is a Digital Editor for the Bodleian Library at Oxford University and she has offered to give us a personal tour of this building.
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| One portion of the Bodleian Lib |
The history of the building and the university itself is very impressive. And someone so closely related to it who has an incredible amount of knowledge of the history that it holds is a real gift. Pip was able to bring us into a couple of the rooms that are typically not on the visitor tours, which was fun!
We went to lunch and then let Pip get back to work while I took a open top bus tour to see the rest of the historic buildings in town and Ed went thru another museum in the area.
We came back for dinner and walked around this beautiful town for a little while. It must be heady stuff to be a student among the history in this area! We can't imagine how Pam was able to come back home:)!
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Driving day to Oxford, England -- Wednesday July 3, 2013
Today is primarily a driving day to get to our B & B in Kennington, just outside of Oxford which we have for two nights. We take the opportunity, though to travel thru the other Lakes Region towns we hear so much about. Ambleside and Windermere on the A591 are even more quaint then Grasmere. They are, however, definitely more crowded so I'm glad we chose where we did. The countryside all around is wonderful. I would really like to return here.
We arrived in Kennington in early afternoon. We are staying at Abodes. This is the first Bed & Breakfast where there is only one room for rent. It is basically a room in someones house. I know Chuck and Jean mentioned they thought that's what many of them were here in England, but we had not come across this until now. Not sure how I like that.
Our hostess was very warm in greeting us at the door. Our room was not ready yet so she suggested a good place for lunch: The King's Arms Pub. The instructions were funny: you drive down a small road thru an industrial area, park by the horse pasture, walk over the bridge and along the canal and walk over the lock. Very quaint!
The Pub was actually on the other side of the Thames River. This is the river that our friend Jane was encouraging us to rent a canal boat on to take a one or two week tour. You actually drive them yourself. Your own little camper on the water! We watched the canal boats going thru this particular lock. It does seem like it would be fun. At least if the weather was good. You can tie up the the side of the canal almost anywhere and get out to walk along the pathways or go to one of the restaurants or pubs along the way.
The lunch at The King's Arms was great! Then we walked along the paths for awhile watching the locks being opened and closed and went back to our room to settle in. Good start to this location!
Oxford is really a walking or bus type city. It's expensive to park your car and its crowded. While we planned on using the bus tomorrow to get into Oxford to meet up with Pip, we decided to go into the city in the evening when we thought the traffic would be lighter to get our bearings.
It looks like a really interesting city! It's filled with young people and still really busy at 9 pm on a Wednesday night. We walked around for awhile and found a pub for dessert and English Coffee.
For all our talk about not being fond of cities, we both feel comfortable in this one!
We arrived in Kennington in early afternoon. We are staying at Abodes. This is the first Bed & Breakfast where there is only one room for rent. It is basically a room in someones house. I know Chuck and Jean mentioned they thought that's what many of them were here in England, but we had not come across this until now. Not sure how I like that.
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| The King's Arms |
The Pub was actually on the other side of the Thames River. This is the river that our friend Jane was encouraging us to rent a canal boat on to take a one or two week tour. You actually drive them yourself. Your own little camper on the water! We watched the canal boats going thru this particular lock. It does seem like it would be fun. At least if the weather was good. You can tie up the the side of the canal almost anywhere and get out to walk along the pathways or go to one of the restaurants or pubs along the way.
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| Sample Canal Boat |
The lunch at The King's Arms was great! Then we walked along the paths for awhile watching the locks being opened and closed and went back to our room to settle in. Good start to this location!
Oxford is really a walking or bus type city. It's expensive to park your car and its crowded. While we planned on using the bus tomorrow to get into Oxford to meet up with Pip, we decided to go into the city in the evening when we thought the traffic would be lighter to get our bearings.
It looks like a really interesting city! It's filled with young people and still really busy at 9 pm on a Wednesday night. We walked around for awhile and found a pub for dessert and English Coffee.
For all our talk about not being fond of cities, we both feel comfortable in this one!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Grasmere, England -- Monday July 1, 2013
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| Ed's view while hiking |
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| Dale Lodge Hotel |
We first learned of this area thru a show on Chronicle this past winter. They made it sound really beautiful--and it is! While we were at Eagle View, two of the men we met at breakfast gave us the tips on which of the little towns in this District where not always overrun with tourists. They recommended Grasmere, so here we are. So far, it looks like a good choice!
When Ed arrived back from his hike in mid afternoon, we decided to stop at a quirky place for lunch. It was called Faireyland Tea House. Not much for lunch but it was right on the edge of a lake with ducks so it was very cute. Good enough to hold us over till dinnertime.
Then we took a ride thru the Lake District towns of this area including Ambleside, Carlisle, Coniston, Glenridding and Keswick. Each town was more quaint and beautiful then the other! Most of the buildings were constructed of beautiful stones! Spectacular! And the roads, while terrifying, are also one of a kind. Beautiful, beautiful area!
This is definitely one of those locations I would love to come back to.
Today we leave Scotland -- Sunday June 30, 2013
The Scotland Highlands were a real treat. If the weather had been a little warmer and sunnier, they would have been spectacular, but it's hard to not feel the grandeur of the area regardless of the weather!
We are off to the Lake District in North West England. This area was highlighted on Chronicle one night and peaked our interest. We know, however, that it can be a very touristy area and I had made no reservations yet. At breakfast, the two hikers talked about the area with us, and suggested Grasmere as one of the villages in that area that are beautiful but with less traffic then the others.
I got down to checking out hotels or bed and breakfasts in Grasmere on Booking.com and settled on the Dale Lodge Hotel. Turns out to be a good decision. As you are approaching the beautifully refurbished Georgian building, you get to see a sample of their mature gardens with secluded seating areas all around. There's a large lounge area for guests with lots of comfy leather couches.
Given my criteria of WiFi, free parking, full English breakfast and cheap, this worked out well. The room was quite tiny (the pictures on the web site show some of the more lavish rooms) but very clean and comfortable.
We were ready for lunch by the time we arrived so we went to their Pub, Tweedies. Turns out their food is almost gourmet-like.
This is a beautiful area of England! The ride here was through miles and miles of beautiful rolling countryside and sheep grazing all around. The town itself is really quaint. And what's interesting is how many people are walking around with their dogs. All dogs on lead are welcomed in these pubs and they all seem to get along well.
Looking forward to a couple days in this area.
We are off to the Lake District in North West England. This area was highlighted on Chronicle one night and peaked our interest. We know, however, that it can be a very touristy area and I had made no reservations yet. At breakfast, the two hikers talked about the area with us, and suggested Grasmere as one of the villages in that area that are beautiful but with less traffic then the others.
I got down to checking out hotels or bed and breakfasts in Grasmere on Booking.com and settled on the Dale Lodge Hotel. Turns out to be a good decision. As you are approaching the beautifully refurbished Georgian building, you get to see a sample of their mature gardens with secluded seating areas all around. There's a large lounge area for guests with lots of comfy leather couches.
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| Our room |
Given my criteria of WiFi, free parking, full English breakfast and cheap, this worked out well. The room was quite tiny (the pictures on the web site show some of the more lavish rooms) but very clean and comfortable.
We were ready for lunch by the time we arrived so we went to their Pub, Tweedies. Turns out their food is almost gourmet-like.
This is a beautiful area of England! The ride here was through miles and miles of beautiful rolling countryside and sheep grazing all around. The town itself is really quaint. And what's interesting is how many people are walking around with their dogs. All dogs on lead are welcomed in these pubs and they all seem to get along well.
Looking forward to a couple days in this area.
Last full day at Eagle View -- Saturday June 29, 2013
This morning at breakfast there were four couples. Along with us, there was a couple was from Spain, two men from England who have been hiking lots of miles around here, and a new retired couple from Florida. They're very chatty so breakfast conversation flowed nicely. In the conversation, they threw out words like 'ancestors' so I knew I had a kindred spirit! She's very excited with her new found hobby so we'll be in touch when we both return home.
The weather looks like it has a few breaks in the clouds today. The temperature starts out in the 50's which is good for Ed so off he goes for a hike. I am in the guest lounge writing the blog and doing genealogy.
I'm the only guest left in the house today. A few hours in, it appears the owners are having some personal family issues. Their teenage daughter apparently has some challenges and
is yelling and crying about John (her step dad) not being her father. Moira (her mom) is very calm but everyone else is yelling and cursing. F***k doesn't sound quite so bad to me with a heavy Scottish brogue.
I stayed very quiet just hoping they wouldn't realize that I was in the house. I'm afraid they would be a little embarrassed.
It calmed down after awhile so all is well. Ed arrived back in one piece. He met another hiking buddy and had some good stories to tell.
After showering, we headed out to the Pub at the Glen Hotel. The bartender is really nice and told us all about how he and his wife came to own the pub. He's the perfect personality to create a comfortable local place to meet, eat and drink!
A good day!
The weather looks like it has a few breaks in the clouds today. The temperature starts out in the 50's which is good for Ed so off he goes for a hike. I am in the guest lounge writing the blog and doing genealogy.
I'm the only guest left in the house today. A few hours in, it appears the owners are having some personal family issues. Their teenage daughter apparently has some challenges and
is yelling and crying about John (her step dad) not being her father. Moira (her mom) is very calm but everyone else is yelling and cursing. F***k doesn't sound quite so bad to me with a heavy Scottish brogue.
I stayed very quiet just hoping they wouldn't realize that I was in the house. I'm afraid they would be a little embarrassed.
It calmed down after awhile so all is well. Ed arrived back in one piece. He met another hiking buddy and had some good stories to tell.
After showering, we headed out to the Pub at the Glen Hotel. The bartender is really nice and told us all about how he and his wife came to own the pub. He's the perfect personality to create a comfortable local place to meet, eat and drink!
A good day!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Touring the Isle of Skye, Scotland -- Friday June 28, 2013
Ed's walk yesterday was a good one. It should have been 6 miles but was longer because the trail was not well marked, so he's pretty tired.
The weather forecast continues to not look good for the next few days. We decide if we're going to see anything around, we had better do it anyway--the Scots are all complaining that they haven't seen their spring yet.
We decide to head to the Isle of Skye. The Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly large island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillins, the rocky slopes of which provide some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the country. It's about a 3 hour ride to get there each way and then a few hours of tooling around the islands so it will be a long day of driving.
Here's one of the cows we saw on the roadway:
We stopped in one of the little tourist towns, Portree, for lunch. Portree is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. It's name comes from the Gaelic Port-an-Righ, which translates as "King's Port" and dates to a visit by King James V, plus a fleet of warships, in 1540, to persuade the island clans to support him. It had earlier been known as Kiltraglen.
We found lunch at a bustling Café. They had GREAT onion rings.
The weather forecast continues to not look good for the next few days. We decide if we're going to see anything around, we had better do it anyway--the Scots are all complaining that they haven't seen their spring yet.
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| Coastline of Isle of Skye |
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| Hairy cow |
Here's one of the cows we saw on the roadway:
We stopped in one of the little tourist towns, Portree, for lunch. Portree is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. It's name comes from the Gaelic Port-an-Righ, which translates as "King's Port" and dates to a visit by King James V, plus a fleet of warships, in 1540, to persuade the island clans to support him. It had earlier been known as Kiltraglen.
We found lunch at a bustling Café. They had GREAT onion rings.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
The Scottish Highlands -- Thursday June 27, 2013
The weather continues to look forbidding this morning in Newtonmore in the Scottish Highlands. Ed decides if he is going to get out there to hike, he better do it soon.
He heads out to do a 6 mile hike while I settle into my couch to do genealogy all day on the computer. I'm really glad for the break of going, going, going.
This vacationing stuff is hard work!
He heads out to do a 6 mile hike while I settle into my couch to do genealogy all day on the computer. I'm really glad for the break of going, going, going.
This vacationing stuff is hard work!
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Walking the graves of Ancestors -- Wednesday June 26, 2013
Since we are spending less time in the Edinburgh area then I had originally planned, our goal today is to head to the Scottish Highlands a little early. Our reservation in Newtonmore wasn't until tomorrow, but they have room, so we can get in early.
First, however, we have to take a detour to the west coast. My research into the Osborne's had indicated that they lived in Kilmarnock and at least one 3rd great grandmother was buried in Irvine.
During the winter I had been communicating with other genealogists on line and telling them about the upcoming trip. One of them who grew up in the area of Scotland actually made both Kilmarnock and Irvine sound grimy and not a nice place. We didn't find that at all! Kilmarnock was actually a bustling town. It almost reminded us of a Framingham area. I had an address in Kilmarnock where the Osborne's actually lived in 1861--20 Princes Street. However, that street is not there any more. It's a public parking lot now! But the rest of the town was pretty nice.
We moved on to find the Irvine Old Parish in the town of Irvine about 10 miles away. Not sure how or why she would have been buried here, but that's a mystery to be solved another day.
There was no one around mid week to help with identifying if Isabella McEwen Osborne's grave is actually here. I think I will do that research by e-mail. But the cemetery was filled with really, really old head stones. Many from 300 years ago, and lots from the 1800's so it's possible.
It was sad, though, that so many beautiful headstones were tipped over and in disrepair.
Once we left the cemetery, we headed to our next area of Scotland....the Scottish Highlands. I had booked a bed & breakfast in Newtonmore. It took us an additional four hours to reach there, but the ride was beautiful.
The name of the B & B was Eagle View Guest House. Not sure I saw any views of eagles (very foggy and overcast) but the place itself was beautiful! Nice room with lots of personal touches throughout. It also had a very comfy guest lounge to sit in, which we like.
We have this room for four 4 nights--and there are lots of hiking opportunities for Ed.
We had dinner at a local chef owned restaurant called The Letterbox. Another diamond in the ruff kind of place. It was a fairly pricey restaurant so we went in for the 'Early Bird' time (we are old folk after all!). We were the only ones there the whole night! Couldn't believe it! Dinner was delicious! The waitress said they have been really busy lately so they were glad for the lull! It's a completely non-discript storefront, so let that be a reminder to you not to 'judge a book by its cover'!
After dinner we road around the area and came across the ruins of Castle Roy. Castle Roy is one of the simplest, and possibly the oldest, thirteenth-century fortresses in Scotland. It is said to have been a stronghold of the Comyns, but nothing authentic is known of its history.
It is situated on the edge of Nethy Bridge next to the Old Kirk, it stands elevated above the general valley of the Spey. It consists of the usual high enclosing wall, which crowns a rocky site, raised some 10 to 15 feet above the level of the surrounding fields.
The nature of the site has probably rendered a ditch unnecessary, as there is no appearance of there ever having been one. The walls are 7 feet thick, built with strong rubble-work, and are still from 20 to 25 feet high. So it's beautiful scenery, great hiking trails and comfortable surroundings. Looks like a great place to settle in the Scottish Highlands!.
First, however, we have to take a detour to the west coast. My research into the Osborne's had indicated that they lived in Kilmarnock and at least one 3rd great grandmother was buried in Irvine.
During the winter I had been communicating with other genealogists on line and telling them about the upcoming trip. One of them who grew up in the area of Scotland actually made both Kilmarnock and Irvine sound grimy and not a nice place. We didn't find that at all! Kilmarnock was actually a bustling town. It almost reminded us of a Framingham area. I had an address in Kilmarnock where the Osborne's actually lived in 1861--20 Princes Street. However, that street is not there any more. It's a public parking lot now! But the rest of the town was pretty nice.
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| Irvine Old Parish |
There was no one around mid week to help with identifying if Isabella McEwen Osborne's grave is actually here. I think I will do that research by e-mail. But the cemetery was filled with really, really old head stones. Many from 300 years ago, and lots from the 1800's so it's possible.
It was sad, though, that so many beautiful headstones were tipped over and in disrepair.
Once we left the cemetery, we headed to our next area of Scotland....the Scottish Highlands. I had booked a bed & breakfast in Newtonmore. It took us an additional four hours to reach there, but the ride was beautiful.
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| Our room at Eagle View |
We have this room for four 4 nights--and there are lots of hiking opportunities for Ed.
We had dinner at a local chef owned restaurant called The Letterbox. Another diamond in the ruff kind of place. It was a fairly pricey restaurant so we went in for the 'Early Bird' time (we are old folk after all!). We were the only ones there the whole night! Couldn't believe it! Dinner was delicious! The waitress said they have been really busy lately so they were glad for the lull! It's a completely non-discript storefront, so let that be a reminder to you not to 'judge a book by its cover'!
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| Ruins of Castle Roy |
It is situated on the edge of Nethy Bridge next to the Old Kirk, it stands elevated above the general valley of the Spey. It consists of the usual high enclosing wall, which crowns a rocky site, raised some 10 to 15 feet above the level of the surrounding fields.
The nature of the site has probably rendered a ditch unnecessary, as there is no appearance of there ever having been one. The walls are 7 feet thick, built with strong rubble-work, and are still from 20 to 25 feet high. So it's beautiful scenery, great hiking trails and comfortable surroundings. Looks like a great place to settle in the Scottish Highlands!.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Last day in Edinburgh area -- Tuesday June 25, 2013
Today is my genealogy research day in Edinburgh. For years I have been researching the Osborne side of Ed's family--his mothers paternal line. For many of those years I was having no luck. I was told the Osborne's were from England. Well, they were. But before that, they were from Scotland!
About 7 years ago, since I wasn't getting anywhere, I decided I would expand my search. I had found the marriage certificate of James Godolphin Osborne to Emma Elizabeth Cousens in England. On that document the father of James was listed as William. With that information I used the ScotlandsPeople web site. I was looking for death and will information for a William Osborne after the date of that marriage. This site is a per use site. You can do a search but to get the copies of the information related to that search, you have to pay.
I actually hit pay dirt. While I had to 'kiss a few frogs' before I found the right William Osborne, I finally did. I found a copy of William Osborne's Will. In that will he mentions Emma Elizabeth Cousens as being married to his son James Godolphin! So I was SURE this was our William. This William was a teacher in Kilmarnock, Scotland and proprietor. He either owned property or managed property for someone. The will was 6 pages long, all hand written. Wonderful gift!
During this past winter, I hired a researcher in Scotland to confirm that I had the right info and to find some additional information that I might use on our trip. She found additional wives and children and there were still some church records that she unearthed but had not copied for me so I was headed to The General Register House.
The building is a spectacularly beautiful old building! General Register House was the first purpose built public records repository
in the British Isles and is one of the oldest custom built archive buildings
still in continuous use in the world.
They actually had four rooms for researchers. Disappointing, though, all you had was a computer to do research. There were no actually dusty ledgers to look thru. It was like researching from home!
I did spend the day there, but did not really learn anything new. I saw copies of the church ledgers of some of the baptisms of his siblings but learned no new info.
When the building closed at 4:30 pm, I met back up with Ed. He had spent the day using the bus pass again, only this time going into the Edinburgh Castle which we had not done yesterday. It certainly is an impressive building!
About 7 years ago, since I wasn't getting anywhere, I decided I would expand my search. I had found the marriage certificate of James Godolphin Osborne to Emma Elizabeth Cousens in England. On that document the father of James was listed as William. With that information I used the ScotlandsPeople web site. I was looking for death and will information for a William Osborne after the date of that marriage. This site is a per use site. You can do a search but to get the copies of the information related to that search, you have to pay.
I actually hit pay dirt. While I had to 'kiss a few frogs' before I found the right William Osborne, I finally did. I found a copy of William Osborne's Will. In that will he mentions Emma Elizabeth Cousens as being married to his son James Godolphin! So I was SURE this was our William. This William was a teacher in Kilmarnock, Scotland and proprietor. He either owned property or managed property for someone. The will was 6 pages long, all hand written. Wonderful gift!
During this past winter, I hired a researcher in Scotland to confirm that I had the right info and to find some additional information that I might use on our trip. She found additional wives and children and there were still some church records that she unearthed but had not copied for me so I was headed to The General Register House.
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| General Register House |
They actually had four rooms for researchers. Disappointing, though, all you had was a computer to do research. There were no actually dusty ledgers to look thru. It was like researching from home!
I did spend the day there, but did not really learn anything new. I saw copies of the church ledgers of some of the baptisms of his siblings but learned no new info.
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| Edinburgh Castle |
Aberlady, Scotland -- Monday June 24, 2013
After a good nights sleep and delicious breakfast this morning--with WONDERFUL freshly made croissants!--we decided to take the train to Edinburgh.
The train was super easy to get to and really nice. Seemed really new and was extremely quiet. Nice way to travel.
We decide the first order of business was to get on a sight seeing tour of the city. We signed up for the Hop on-Hop off bus tour. With the pass we got, we can get on any of the 5 different tours available....each has a slightly different focus. Ed got a one day pass and I got a 2 day pass--in case he wants to hike tomorrow.
Each bus has a guide pointing out features as we pass by them.
Once we got use to the Scottish accent of our very knowledgeable guide, we learned a lot!
As it turns out, we really like this city. It's almost quaint. The architecture is really beautiful and flowers are blooming all over.
I'm writing this Blog a week after we made this trip. It's amazing how much you can forget about what you see if you don't write it down! I remember that we had lunch that day in an interesting pub who's name I can't remember! There were small, round tables in the middle of the room with a second tier on top of them that looked really strange. Then two men (obviously locals) came in for a pint and brought their beer over to one of these tables. The top tier was to lean you arm on while you're drinkin'! Who knew?
After hoping off the tour bus a few times to look at specific areas of the town, we tried to get back to a place where we saw really decadent desserts in the window. We walked and walked but couldn't find it! Very disappointing! So we took the train back to our hotel in Aberlady and had dessert and coffee at our hotel. Not nearly as fattening, but a nice ending to the day.
The train was super easy to get to and really nice. Seemed really new and was extremely quiet. Nice way to travel.
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| Open air Sightseeing Bus |
We decide the first order of business was to get on a sight seeing tour of the city. We signed up for the Hop on-Hop off bus tour. With the pass we got, we can get on any of the 5 different tours available....each has a slightly different focus. Ed got a one day pass and I got a 2 day pass--in case he wants to hike tomorrow.
Each bus has a guide pointing out features as we pass by them.
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| Scottish Tour Guide |
As it turns out, we really like this city. It's almost quaint. The architecture is really beautiful and flowers are blooming all over.I'm writing this Blog a week after we made this trip. It's amazing how much you can forget about what you see if you don't write it down! I remember that we had lunch that day in an interesting pub who's name I can't remember! There were small, round tables in the middle of the room with a second tier on top of them that looked really strange. Then two men (obviously locals) came in for a pint and brought their beer over to one of these tables. The top tier was to lean you arm on while you're drinkin'! Who knew?
After hoping off the tour bus a few times to look at specific areas of the town, we tried to get back to a place where we saw really decadent desserts in the window. We walked and walked but couldn't find it! Very disappointing! So we took the train back to our hotel in Aberlady and had dessert and coffee at our hotel. Not nearly as fattening, but a nice ending to the day.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Moving on to Scotland -- Sunday June 23, 2013
I alluded in a previous post that we really were turned off by the cities we have visited. They are so crowded and touristy, that they are not really enjoyable. I almost feel like we HAVE to visit them because we may never come this way again, but frankly, Ed & I both really like the countryside instead. Can you say 'country mice'?
We were talking about this with our hosts because our next stop was scheduled to be five nights in Edinburgh, Scotland. (I know.....many of you have told us that's your favorite city!), but I had cancelled that reservation, so we were undecided on what to do. They suggested we stay just outside the city in a little town called Aberlady. They recommended an Inn that they stayed in and liked so we decided that's what we would do!
We decided to take the longer coastal route from Thropton, England to get to Aberlady, Scotland. We rode up the A1 stopping first at Holy Island, also known as Lindisfarne. This island is located on the east coast of Britain, just south of the border to Scotland and is a tidal island. You can only get on and off the island on the causeway during the low tides! The only actual tourist attraction on the island is the Lindisfarne Castle.
From there we continued up the A1 to find a little seaside town to have lunch. Seaside towns are not at all like at home. Many are not so nice or are pretty deserted. And there is almost no housing developed along the coast like at home!
We ended up stopping in a small fishing village called St. Abbs , which is located on the south east coast of Scotland, in the Berwickshire area of the Scottish Borders. St. Abbs has a working dock and a hub for a lot of scuba divers. There were beautiful mountains that went right into the sea. Very quaint and we had a delicious lunch in a local pub.
I had signed us up for three nights at Duck's at Kilspindie House. We were met by a smiling desk clerk who showed us around and made us feel at home. It turned out to be very nice. It's not a bed & breakfast, as such, but rather a family run 'restaurant with rooms'. It's an older hotel but with a very different feel then St. Helen's!
Rooms were small, but very clean and came with a delicious breakfast each morning as well. They had a restaurant and pub if we wanted right on site, too. It was only $150 US for 3 nights! And it was only a 10 minute ride to get the half hour train ride into Edinburgh.
We both decided this was going to be a very good alternative to a location in the city.
We were talking about this with our hosts because our next stop was scheduled to be five nights in Edinburgh, Scotland. (I know.....many of you have told us that's your favorite city!), but I had cancelled that reservation, so we were undecided on what to do. They suggested we stay just outside the city in a little town called Aberlady. They recommended an Inn that they stayed in and liked so we decided that's what we would do!
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| Lindisfarne Castle |
From there we continued up the A1 to find a little seaside town to have lunch. Seaside towns are not at all like at home. Many are not so nice or are pretty deserted. And there is almost no housing developed along the coast like at home!
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| Dock at St. Abbs |
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| Duck's at Kilspindie House |
Rooms were small, but very clean and came with a delicious breakfast each morning as well. They had a restaurant and pub if we wanted right on site, too. It was only $150 US for 3 nights! And it was only a 10 minute ride to get the half hour train ride into Edinburgh.
We both decided this was going to be a very good alternative to a location in the city.
Thropton Day 3 -- Saturday June 22, 2013
This morning the weather looks a little iffy. The other two couples who were here yesterday are now gone and only one new couple have arrived for breakfast. Nice enough, but not overly friendly and since we all eat at the same table, the conversation does not flow as nicely as yesterday. This is our first time at a communal table in a B & B and we really like it. It really helps you to meet people from other areas.
The other couple took off right after breakfast and we dawdled a little over coffer. Pauline and David (our hosts) brought their coffee in and we chatted for another hour.
They had lots of suggestion of what to see and do. They are giving us the National Park Pass again today so we have the option to go to Wellington Castle if we would like. We're more inclined, however, to drive up and thru the hills of Northumberland National Park itself to see the area.
Turns out to be a great option for us! The rain comes and goes. Often the sun will be out, then the clouds roll over a little and we get a sun shower or two. There are hundreds and thousands of sheep on the hill sides and rarely any people. The road is very narrow--as they all are--but with so few cars on the road, it's a non issue.
The only one problem is that the area is shared by England and NATO forces for target practice! The Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom owns much of the land in the national park as the Otterburn Training Area. Some areas of this training area are off-limits, but others can be accessed only at certain times or with permission. The training area accounts for 23% of the Northumberland National Park. So whenever we would see a red flag, we were sure not to go down those roads! No problem for me!
This place is the PERFECT vacation spot! So relaxing and calming that you can't help but feel at peace. I'll take this over any city or tourist sight any day!
After a four hour drive thru the countryside, we decide to head to the coast to see what that was like. We picked out a relative large coast town (based on the size of the letters on the map!) and headed there. That was a disappointment. It appears a lot of their coastline communities have been hit by the recession with lots of closures and for sale signs rather then a busting coastal community that we are familiar with. In the USA, coastline property is very valuable either by houses or businesses. Here, it appears no personal property gets developed. It's either little towns or big commercial ventures (like power plants!).
We start heading back to Thropton and plan to find someplace to eat on the way. Found a very nice restaurant/pub and had seafood meals. This was the best Fish and Chips I've had in England, actually.
As we arrived home a quick heavy shower came and passed. As we gathered our things to come back inside a beautiful rainbow occurred! Ed's been looking for that since we came here!
The other couple took off right after breakfast and we dawdled a little over coffer. Pauline and David (our hosts) brought their coffee in and we chatted for another hour.
They had lots of suggestion of what to see and do. They are giving us the National Park Pass again today so we have the option to go to Wellington Castle if we would like. We're more inclined, however, to drive up and thru the hills of Northumberland National Park itself to see the area.Turns out to be a great option for us! The rain comes and goes. Often the sun will be out, then the clouds roll over a little and we get a sun shower or two. There are hundreds and thousands of sheep on the hill sides and rarely any people. The road is very narrow--as they all are--but with so few cars on the road, it's a non issue.
This place is the PERFECT vacation spot! So relaxing and calming that you can't help but feel at peace. I'll take this over any city or tourist sight any day!
After a four hour drive thru the countryside, we decide to head to the coast to see what that was like. We picked out a relative large coast town (based on the size of the letters on the map!) and headed there. That was a disappointment. It appears a lot of their coastline communities have been hit by the recession with lots of closures and for sale signs rather then a busting coastal community that we are familiar with. In the USA, coastline property is very valuable either by houses or businesses. Here, it appears no personal property gets developed. It's either little towns or big commercial ventures (like power plants!).
We start heading back to Thropton and plan to find someplace to eat on the way. Found a very nice restaurant/pub and had seafood meals. This was the best Fish and Chips I've had in England, actually.
As we arrived home a quick heavy shower came and passed. As we gathered our things to come back inside a beautiful rainbow occurred! Ed's been looking for that since we came here!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Thropton Day 2 -- Friday June 21, 2013
We had a great nights sleep and I'm ready to encourage Ed to find trails to hike in while I read or work on my Blog.
Breakfast was delicious and the three couples all took up where we left off last night. Very comfortable conversation. In talking about what the others had done or were going to do in the Northumberland area, everyone encouraged us to go to Cragside in the next town over, Rothbury. Cragside is a country house in the civil parish of Cartington in Northumberland, England. It was the first house in the world to be lit using hydroelectric power. Built into a rocky hillside above a 4 km² forest garden, it was the country home of Lord Armstrong and has been in the care of the National Trust since 1977. Besides a beautiful mansion to tour, there is a six mile driving loop to take which shows off all of their beautiful flowers, as well as dozens of hikes for Ed to choose from.
There is a cost to go there, but the hosts offered us their National Park Pass. So today we are going to be Mr & Mrs. Jefferson. I can do that!
What a beautiful property! I read for awhile, spent some time in their café, and when Ed & I met back up after his hike, we took the tour of the house. Great relaxing day.
In the evening we walked to the local pub for dinner. Service was a little slow but the food was excellent.
This was supposed to be our last night here since we had a reservation in Edinburgh for five days as our next stop. Given our experience with cities, however---Ed & I have decided that we both don't care to stay in the city--we cancelled the reservation so we are now going to play it by ear instead.
It's so nice, here, though, we asked if they had any room for 1 more night. Our room is already booked, but they have a spare room they save in case they inadvertently double book and they said we are welcome to stay there. It's a deal. We have one more day to spend here.
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| Cragside |
There is a cost to go there, but the hosts offered us their National Park Pass. So today we are going to be Mr & Mrs. Jefferson. I can do that!
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| View on Cragside property |
In the evening we walked to the local pub for dinner. Service was a little slow but the food was excellent.
This was supposed to be our last night here since we had a reservation in Edinburgh for five days as our next stop. Given our experience with cities, however---Ed & I have decided that we both don't care to stay in the city--we cancelled the reservation so we are now going to play it by ear instead.
It's so nice, here, though, we asked if they had any room for 1 more night. Our room is already booked, but they have a spare room they save in case they inadvertently double book and they said we are welcome to stay there. It's a deal. We have one more day to spend here.
Thropton, Northumberland, England -- Thurs June 20, 2013
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| Thropton Demesne Farmhouse |
Our B&B is in the Northumberland area of England. Right at the very top near Scotland. Our drive coming here from St. Helen's was a long one--about four hours. And after our nasty stay in the city, I was unsure what to expect.
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| "The Chinese Room" |
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| View from garden |
Wow. This is awesome. We all exchanged stories over more and more wine until 11 pm or so when we realized our hosts get up at 5am to make the bread and rolls for our breakfast! We don't want to disturb that routine!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
St. Helens --trying to make the best of it -- Wednesday June 19, 2013
I'm not sure why being in St. Helen's is depressing us. If we weren't so cheap, we would have moved on to find a nicer location to lay our heads!
Ed is making a valiant effort to get us out of this run down city for the day, though. He has found a National Park a few hours away and has stopped at the supermarket for cheese and crackers and wine and we are going back to what we like best--quiet and nature!
Unfortunately, to get there you have to go thru MANY little cities with bumper to bumper cars and a million round abouts! I know they make the traffic move better since streets come and go in all directions, but really--in some places they are every half mile!
The ride turned out to be not exactly relaxing. We found a really nice country pub in the town of Disley, called The Ram's Head, for lunch but that's about all. By the time we got to the town the National Park was in, we realized it was not what we expected. We were able to drive thru this beautiful countryside, but never did find an entrance to a park as such with benches or picnic tables, etc. We turned around and headed back to St. Helen's.
Going home, the roundabouts are a killer.....they're every mile or so. Crazy! But I am sure it would be worse if there were traffic lights that often! I don't know how Ed has been able to negotiate these roads with the stick shift etc! I would NEVER be able to do it!
We finally made it home to have our cheese and crackers....but in our tiny, old room.
I'm giving him 5 stars anyway for the old college try!
Ed is making a valiant effort to get us out of this run down city for the day, though. He has found a National Park a few hours away and has stopped at the supermarket for cheese and crackers and wine and we are going back to what we like best--quiet and nature!
Unfortunately, to get there you have to go thru MANY little cities with bumper to bumper cars and a million round abouts! I know they make the traffic move better since streets come and go in all directions, but really--in some places they are every half mile!
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| The Ram's Head Pub |
Going home, the roundabouts are a killer.....they're every mile or so. Crazy! But I am sure it would be worse if there were traffic lights that often! I don't know how Ed has been able to negotiate these roads with the stick shift etc! I would NEVER be able to do it!
We finally made it home to have our cheese and crackers....but in our tiny, old room.
I'm giving him 5 stars anyway for the old college try!
Monday, June 24, 2013
The Quinn's English Home before America -- Tuesday June 18, 2013
Today we are heading to St. Helen's, England. I first located my Quinn ancestors in this town in 1877 after they left Ireland . They married here in 1877 and had 4 children before emigrating to America. I have church birth records and census records in this town so I'm pretty confident I will walk their tracks here too!
We arrived about 2 pm and found the Park View Hotel and Guest House (nice name huh) pretty easily. Upon going to the door, however, we realize they did not open until 5 pm (with lots of signs that basically say 'Don't even THINK about it!"). So we decide to use the GPS to find the addresses I have for my Quinn family in the late 1800's. We drive near to the area--close by--and start walking.
We found the street. The area--like St. Helen's--is working class and tired. Probably like what it must have been in the Quinn's time since they were immigrants. There are no houses on Bold Street with their number on it, but these brick houses were not old enough to be there that long ago anyway.
Then we walked to the Town Centre to find a pub. The Running Horses was a very modern bar/pub with lots of glass. Nice place. And the prices were unbelievable cheap! That gave us enough energy to walk around the Centre.
We found their church! Now named Holy Cross & St. Helen's .......Beautiful old building! Having made the walk ourselves, we know they lived close enough to walk to their church from Bold Street.
Glassworks was a major employer in the 19th century in this area of England. In some of the research I did on our Quinn family, his occupation is listed as "Glassworks Laborer".
I'm not sure why I found this area particularly depressing. The area is very tired and somewhat run down. Lots of row housing that looks like tenements. Not really different then I expected, but not pretty non the less.
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| Park View Hotel & Guest House |
We found the street. The area--like St. Helen's--is working class and tired. Probably like what it must have been in the Quinn's time since they were immigrants. There are no houses on Bold Street with their number on it, but these brick houses were not old enough to be there that long ago anyway.
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| Running Horses Pub |
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| Side Chapel |
We found their church! Now named Holy Cross & St. Helen's .......Beautiful old building! Having made the walk ourselves, we know they lived close enough to walk to their church from Bold Street.
Glassworks was a major employer in the 19th century in this area of England. In some of the research I did on our Quinn family, his occupation is listed as "Glassworks Laborer".
I'm not sure why I found this area particularly depressing. The area is very tired and somewhat run down. Lots of row housing that looks like tenements. Not really different then I expected, but not pretty non the less.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Random thoughts on Ireland as we leave -- Monday June 17, 2013
Today's going to be a lost travel day. We have to return the rental car by 11 am in order not to incur charges for another day, but our flight does not leave till 5:30 so we will spend it in the airport all day. Not Ed's favorite pastime! He's grumbling all ready. We can't even get the check in process over right away because it's too early. All my toys are charged up however, so I'll spend a few hours writing my blog until the juice runs out.
Ed is reading about Scotland --one of the areas we head to next week.
The ride from Limerick to Shannon is very easy. And dropping off the car is simple as well, so things are going smoothly. Before we left for our trip, Ed purchased a card to put into our GPS that has the maps of Great Britain on it. I don't have any idea how anyone can travel thru and around these countries on vacation without this kind of technology. It really makes traveling to your destinations quite simple (she who is not driving says calmly!)
The flight is somewhat delayed but we have Exit row seats again and it's a short ride to Heathrow.
Heathrow Airport, however, is another story. It is expansive and it takes forever to get from the plane to the baggage area.
We found the Hertz rental car place and pick up our car for the remainder of our trip. Guess what? You know those digs Ed wrote about in his Journal about the BMW and VW drivers in Ireland? He's now one of them. We are driving a VW now! You cannot believe the leg room in this car! It's huge.
Scary though. I think I see his eyes sparkle as he's driving this one.
We are heading back to our friends Jane's house (thanks Jane) tonight to do laundry and regroup. We are heading out in the morning to the St. Helen's, England area.
The GPS takes us a completely different way from the airport to Jane's house, though, then Jane did. Nothing looks familiar as we're driving and I'm thinking we put in the wrong town (these countries all have towns with the same name in different counties). Soon, however we are there! Technology is great.
We do a load of laundry, get pizza for dinner, and it's off to bed. New adventure tomorrow.
My general observations and notes about Ireland:
Ed is reading about Scotland --one of the areas we head to next week.
The ride from Limerick to Shannon is very easy. And dropping off the car is simple as well, so things are going smoothly. Before we left for our trip, Ed purchased a card to put into our GPS that has the maps of Great Britain on it. I don't have any idea how anyone can travel thru and around these countries on vacation without this kind of technology. It really makes traveling to your destinations quite simple (she who is not driving says calmly!)
The flight is somewhat delayed but we have Exit row seats again and it's a short ride to Heathrow.
Heathrow Airport, however, is another story. It is expansive and it takes forever to get from the plane to the baggage area.
We found the Hertz rental car place and pick up our car for the remainder of our trip. Guess what? You know those digs Ed wrote about in his Journal about the BMW and VW drivers in Ireland? He's now one of them. We are driving a VW now! You cannot believe the leg room in this car! It's huge.
Scary though. I think I see his eyes sparkle as he's driving this one.
We are heading back to our friends Jane's house (thanks Jane) tonight to do laundry and regroup. We are heading out in the morning to the St. Helen's, England area.
The GPS takes us a completely different way from the airport to Jane's house, though, then Jane did. Nothing looks familiar as we're driving and I'm thinking we put in the wrong town (these countries all have towns with the same name in different counties). Soon, however we are there! Technology is great.
We do a load of laundry, get pizza for dinner, and it's off to bed. New adventure tomorrow.
My general observations and notes about Ireland:
- Scenery is absolutely spectacular. Beautiful greenery all over!
- The flowering purple bushes---they look like Rhododendrons--and an orange bush/tree (which looks like a Broom plant) seem to grow wild)
- When it rains, it's not really all day. Comes and goes
- Many houses built in the last 100 years, have cinder blocks as decoration up and down the two front corners of their homes painted a different color then the rest of their house. It looks nice.
- Supermarkets:
- Most have parking garages
- You pay for using a cart and get your coin back when it's returned to the stall
- They do not give you bags--you either bring your own or carry your groceries separately (like BJ's)
- Toilets: All their toilets seem to flush enthusiastically and most covers do not fit on the toilet
- All brown bread is pretty much the same...not tasty. If you sprinkle the bread liberally with salt, a slight sprinkle of sugar and spread it with butter, it's actually pretty good.
- In most pubs you go to the bar to order and pay for your drinks & food and give them your table number. The server then brings it to you.
- Ed only had 1 shamrock decorating his Guinness the whole time we were in Ireland! I guess because we weren't in Dublin or where Guinness was made. Sad.
- My two favorite spots in Ireland were the Connemara Coast and Dingle Peninsula
Limrick -- Our last stop in Ireland --Sunday June 16, 2013
Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there!
Today's a transfer day. We are heading to Limerick, Ireland to get us closer to Shannon Airport. The city dates from at least the Viking settlement in 812. The Normans redesigned the city in the 12th century and added much of the most notable architecture, such as King John's Castle and St Mary's Cathedral. We fly out of Shannon Airport tomorrow for England.
Despite the threat of rain, and since it is only a few hours to Limerick, we decide to take one last try at the Ring of Kerry....from the other direction. We have another good breakfast, pack the car and try to beat the tour buses since they start in the direction, too.
Boy these mountains must be pretty spectacular on a clear day. (I wonder how many clear days they get, though). One of the really interesting little towns on this drive is Kenmare. Kenmare lies on two noted Irish tourist routes, the Ring of Kerry and the Ring of Beara, approximately 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Killarney. As a result it is a popular tourist destination and many of the businesses in the area cater to tourists. The town is noted for its
food and pubs. Kenmare boasts a range of restaurants and traditional pubs. Looks like it would a great base when we come back another time!
By mid day we finish and head to Limerick. We are booked in an inner city hotel. I wanted to be near the pubs for our last night. Good thing, too, since we never did make it to Irish Music in the evening. They all start after 9:30!
Our hotel is called The Boutique Hotel. We miss seeing it as we are driving thru these little side streets on what appear to be a seedy side of town. We are literally on the street and can't find it. Instead of driving around, Ed has me wait in the car, and he walks back to find it. Success.
The hotel has a glass front---just like a store--which is why we missed it. It's probably the nicest looking front on the street. Scary, isn't it?
Clearly, it's a really old hotel with really tiny rooms, and the Internet only works in the common living area and breakfast solarium. And finicky to get it started to boot. Nuisance.
We have wine and cheese for dinner as we sit in the living area. There's a commotion outside.
The breakfast area on the second floor is all glass so you get good views of all the comings and goings below.
Apparently there was a fight between some guys and some Travellers. Now we had just listened to a radio program while we were driving on the Travellers today. Apparently they are Ireland's version of gypsies. They have been largely segregated in Ireland much like the black community has been in America. The program told about how the schools would segregate them from the other children and not bother to teach them to read or write! Can you imagine? People tend to kick them out when they see them in stores and businesses. Tonight there was a fist fight and one of them was bleeding!
About 9pm we decide to troll the street looking for our Irish music for our last night in Ireland! A few bars we passed were jumping but none of their music is Irish....it's all hard rock! What the heck! Finally we found Phil Flannery's Pub. Irish music! A little bawdy but lively and fun.
A couple women sitting next to us took a fancy to us and after a few drinks were chatting up a storm. They had really heavy brogues so it was a challenge to understand them over the loud music.
We must have had fun since we closed the bar down!
Today's a transfer day. We are heading to Limerick, Ireland to get us closer to Shannon Airport. The city dates from at least the Viking settlement in 812. The Normans redesigned the city in the 12th century and added much of the most notable architecture, such as King John's Castle and St Mary's Cathedral. We fly out of Shannon Airport tomorrow for England.
Despite the threat of rain, and since it is only a few hours to Limerick, we decide to take one last try at the Ring of Kerry....from the other direction. We have another good breakfast, pack the car and try to beat the tour buses since they start in the direction, too.
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| Ring of Kerry view #1 |
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| Ring of Kerry view #2 |
By mid day we finish and head to Limerick. We are booked in an inner city hotel. I wanted to be near the pubs for our last night. Good thing, too, since we never did make it to Irish Music in the evening. They all start after 9:30!
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| Entry to The Boutique Hotel |
The hotel has a glass front---just like a store--which is why we missed it. It's probably the nicest looking front on the street. Scary, isn't it?
Clearly, it's a really old hotel with really tiny rooms, and the Internet only works in the common living area and breakfast solarium. And finicky to get it started to boot. Nuisance.
We have wine and cheese for dinner as we sit in the living area. There's a commotion outside.
The breakfast area on the second floor is all glass so you get good views of all the comings and goings below.
Apparently there was a fight between some guys and some Travellers. Now we had just listened to a radio program while we were driving on the Travellers today. Apparently they are Ireland's version of gypsies. They have been largely segregated in Ireland much like the black community has been in America. The program told about how the schools would segregate them from the other children and not bother to teach them to read or write! Can you imagine? People tend to kick them out when they see them in stores and businesses. Tonight there was a fist fight and one of them was bleeding!
About 9pm we decide to troll the street looking for our Irish music for our last night in Ireland! A few bars we passed were jumping but none of their music is Irish....it's all hard rock! What the heck! Finally we found Phil Flannery's Pub. Irish music! A little bawdy but lively and fun.
A couple women sitting next to us took a fancy to us and after a few drinks were chatting up a storm. They had really heavy brogues so it was a challenge to understand them over the loud music.
We must have had fun since we closed the bar down!
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