FUN-travel: Scotland to England’s Lake District & York
October 14, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Day 24 – Friday, October 7 – Edinburgh to England’s Lake District – mostly blue skies w/cotton candy clouds – low 50′s – depart 11:15
Hadrians Wall
- 1st stop – 1:15 cap/latte @ Gretna Bakery in Longtown
- 2nd stop – take deviation to Hadrian’s Wall – (never even knew this existed) A.D. 122 Roman Emperor Hadrian has troops (10,000) construct 15′ wide by 18′ high rock wall (takes 10 yrs) from coast to coast across narrowest stretch of England – spans 80 roman miles (73 miles) with a guard castle @ each mile & 2 turrets between each mile (parts of the wall & footprints of the castles still exist)
- 3rd stop – arrive Keswick – walk through town looking for a B&B – main areas are The Heads (find one for 100 lbs – too much!) & Stanger St – only one left @ Brun Lea – dbl bed, very small room, 62 lbs cash only
- 4th stop – Bank Tavern – Stella/Guinness & whisky taste tasting of Jameson & Jura – we think Irish is smoother
- FUN-food – Star of Siam – owner from Chang Mai – noodles with chicken – duck in garlic sauce w/vegetables & rice
Keswick
FF (FUN-facts) – Lake District is about 30 miles wide & 30 miles long – lush & green w/lots of lakes
Day 25 – Saturday, October 8 - Lake District to York – much colder, high 40′s – steady drizzle – low clouds & fog – depart 9:30
York Entry Wall
- drive south – narrow, twisty, tree canopied road – spot extremely rare Red Neck Sheep!
- 1st stop – Hawkshead – (pay n’ park local gives us his ticket – good to Monday afternoon & says “pass it on” – third time on our trip someone has done this – good parking karma!)
- Beatrix Potter’s Gallery – housed in former office of husband William Heelis (her lawyer turned into her husband) & filled with wonderful intimate drawings & watercolors that illustrated her books
- find lovely Scottish couple to “pass on” the parking ticket
- 2nd stop – Hill Top Farm – Beatrix Potter’s home is just as it was when she died in 1943 (on way here see some of the real buildings & features from her tales)
- 3rd stop – Harvest Gourmet Store & Cafe
- tummy is feeling upset again – this is not good
- FUN-food – Lunch – spicy carrot & tomato soup – tuna melt served open face w/sweet taste – realize it has catsup on it!
- Arrive York 5:00 – horror! Horse Racing Weekend & no rooms – lovely lady @ The Hazelwood calls around – one room left @ Monk Bar Hotel (Best Western) 110 lbs – has very narrow iron spiral staircase w/bath on 1st floor & bedroom on 2nd floor – have to be very careful!
- 6:00 stop – Cross Keys Tavern for pints & shot
- stroll through town attempting to read map
Hill Top Farm
- FUN-food – Dinner – Masons Bar & Bistro - no wait – garlic Portobello mushrooms topped w/cheddar & stilton bleu cheese – Halloumi (from Cyprus) cheese salad w/shredded carrots, red onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes & crusty bread – Masons burger w/cheese & bacon on Ciabatta, onion rings & chips
- walk back to hotel & get totally turned around – lovely young man walks us to our hotel
York Minster
FF – typical breakfast consists of cold selection of yogurt, cereals & fruit & hot meal of bacon (more like our ham) sausage, eggs, baked beans, mushrooms, baked tomatoes & toast (bigger hotels & B&B’s have more fruit & bread selections & cheeses & meats) & one of the reasons we don’t buy lunch is because we make sandwiches to go
Day 26 – Sunday, October 9 - York to Manchester to Brussels, Belgium – pouring rain early – much warmer high 60′s – pouring rain & heavy fog in afternoon
- 11:00 take walk & finally figure out map
- 1st stop – York Minster – massive Gothic cathedral (King Henry VIII destroyed England’s great abbeys but not this one)
- 2nd stop – The Shambles – most colorful old street where butchers hung their meat – soil wasn’t good so buildings settled helter skelter – now filled w/shops
- 3rd stop – Clifford’s Tower – ruins from 13th century castle – climb to top for panoramic city views
- 4th stop – Starbucks cap/latte
- York is my favorite English city – fully walled Medieval city – looks like a movie set of Camelot
- Depart 1:00 for Manchester Airport – drive takes 2 hrs – return car w/no scratches, dents or dings!
- flying Brussels Airlines – member of Star Alliance & get access to Club Lounge
The Shambles
FF – one of the reasons many ruins are so sparse is due to locals “seeing perfectly good stones to build their homes & other buildings”
FUN-travel: Scotland – Edinburgh – Day 3 & 4
October 11, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Day 22 – Wednesday, October 5 – Edinburgh – thick clouds, bursts of rain followed by big, long bursts of sunshine, much warmer, high 60′s
St. Giles Cathedral
WRTC (What R The Chances) – blue skies overnight (I saw stars) awake to thick clouds & sporadic rainDepart 10:30 for Park & Ride
- Arrive 11:00 – walk to Waverly Bridge for Big Red Hop On, Hop Off Bus
- 1st stop – Edinburgh Castle – 11th century fort sits high on top of solid rock – see Crown Jewels
- Walk down Royal Mile – series of 4 different streets runs from castle to Holyroodhouse Palace – filled w/shops & pubs & St. Giles Cathedral – the Westminster Abbey of Scotland
- 2nd stop – Holyroodhouse Palace – 14th Century Palace (originally 12th-century Augustinian monastery) – Scotland’s royalty preferred it to blustery castle – home to Mary Queen of Scots – currently the Queen spends one week each summer – lavishly furnished rooms
- Walk back up Royal Mile
- 3rd stop – Gladstone’s Land – typical 16th – 17th century restored merchant’s house – multi storied bldg had shop on ground floor & rented out the other floors
- 4th stop – Starbucks for cappuccino & Lemon Drizzle Cake
- 5th stop – Elephant House – allegedly where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter books
- 6th stop – back to Deacon Brodie’s Pub – Guinness, Tennent’s Lager & shot of Jura Scotch
- 7th stop – Mary Kings Cross – 1 hr underground “ghost” tour – recently renovated underground network of hidden alleys & rooms where people lived & worked
- Walk to New Town for dinner
- FUN-food- Mussel Inn (suggested by guys we met at Deacon Brodies) – 1/2 kilo Moroccan Mussels – chilies, garlic, ginger,
St. Andrews Cathedral
coriander & cumin – 1/2 kilo w/ shallots, white wine, garlic, cream (we have a tie for best ones we’ve had so far – these from Loch Laxford, Sutherland) - grilled sea bass on rocket, feta, warm new potatoes & roasted red pepper sauce drizzled w/balsamic vinaigrette
FF – (FUN-fact) – see Mr. Fox on side of road on way back into Dalmahoy
Day 23 – Thursday, October 6 – Day trip St. Andrews – wake to blazing sunshine – very windy & much colder, low 50′s – sprinkles turn to pouring rain in afternoon
- Depart 10:45 -arrive noon – 50 mile drive
- 1st stop – cappucinno/latte
- 2nd stop – TI for map
- 3rd stop – St Andrew’s Cathedral – built 1160 – ruins consist of walls & spires – able to see the gigantic footprint & bases of columns
- 4th stop – Castle – overlooking sea - built 12th century by bishop for entertaining
- 5th stop – The Old Course – (they claim founding the sport of golf here) home of the British Open every 5 yrs
- 6th stop – The Old Course Golf Shop
- 7th stop – Starbucks
- Takes 2 hrs to drive back w/pouring rain & traffic
FF- Roads in Scotland better than Ireland – still narrow but no thick bushes/branches next to road
FUN-travel: Scotland – Edinburgh – Day 1 & 2
October 9, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Day 20 – Monday, October 3 – Edinburgh – thick clouds, bursts of rain followed by bursts of sunshine, 50′s – blue skies at 6 pm
Marriott Dalmahoy Castle & Country Club
- Rest
- Relax
- Recharge
- FUN-food – still captive here – Caesar salad (not the same as US) med rare Scottish hamburger (unbelievably pure meat, not greasy & wonderful flavor) – Raimat Tempranillo, Spain (wine maker from Australia)
Myth – rooms are cheaper if booked on line rather than walking in last minute
FUN-damental truth – maybe in peak season but not now – but beware, they will show you the most expensive room & if you ask for a cheaper room or another hotel/B&B option they magically find a cheaper room (this has happened 3 X’s so far)
Day 21 – Tuesday, October 4 – Edinburgh – thick clouds, bursts of rain followed by bursts of sunshine, very windy, much colder, low 50′s – Depart 9:30
- 1st stop – Morrison’s grocery store (actually wanted Tesco but got lost) stock up on water, snacks & wine
Royal Yacht Britannia Dining Room
- 2nd stop- 10:30 – Park & Ride – 3 miles from hotel only $5 – all day bus ride per person – takes 30 minutes (10 miles to city center)
Sir Walter Scott Monument
- 3rd stop – TI for maps & city bus tour (they have 4 options) opt for 2 day pass that includes use of all 4 buses plus entry to 3 attractions – Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh Castle & Holyroodhouse Palace
- 4th stop – Costa Coffee for cappuccinos
- 5th stop – Hertz to fix removing the charges for extra insurance (cost is almost 500 lbs & Visa covers all of that) told we have to have Glasgow office approval since we rented there & no one answers the phone – try customer service & they say same thing
- 6th stop – Waverly Bridge Hop On, Hop Off Bus – Mac City tour – 50 minute w/live local guide
- 7th stop – Waverly Bridge Hop On, Hop Off Bus – Majestic tour – takes a slightly different & longer route
- 8th stop – Royal Britannia Yacht – commissioned 1-11-1954 transported the royal family for more than 40 yrs & sailed 1 million miles (equivalent to once around the world for every year) w/a crew of more than 200 - Prince Charles & Diana honeymooned on it & the queen said, “This is the only place I can truly relax.” (hey, I could too!)
- 9th stop – back to Hertz – get Glasgow to eliminate extra charges
- 10th stop – 5:00 somewhere is Deacon Brodies Pub for Guinness, Tennent’s Lager
- FUN-food – Mamma’s Pizza in Grassmarket – spinach & cranberries salad w/light vinaigrette – pepperoni, sausage, onion, mushroom pizza – wonderful Australian McLaren Vale Shiraz (never a disappointment)
Deacon Brodies Tavern
FF – (FUN-facts) – Edinburgh is Scotland’s showpiece & a tourist delight! once the most crowded city in Europe – famed for its skyscrapers & filth – rich & poor lived atop one another
FUN-travel: Scotland – Glasgow to Isle of Skye to Edinburgh
October 6, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Day 18 – Saturday, October 1 – Glasgow to Isle of Skye – rain but still not cold, low 60′s – Depart 10 am
Eilean Donan Castle
Hertz pickup – hoping for smaller car – booked mid size automatic & get VW station wagon (better than the Renault) – take off w/pouring rain
- 1st stop – Bonnie Braes – bad coffee & scone (half way up Loch Lomand – no other options)
- 2nd stop – Fort Williams – good cappuccino & grocery store for snacks & drinks
- 3rd stop – Eilean Donan Castle – just too sweet! & Scotland’s most photogenic countryside castle
- Rain has persisted much of the day w/low thick clouds & fog swallowing the mountain tops
- 4th stop - town of Portree, Isle of Skye 5:45 pm – Almondbank Guest House – 72 lbs – Effie the owner suggests the Rosedale Hotel restaurant for dinner – drive 1.5 miles to cute harbor town of colorful store fronts & boats
- FUN-food – dozen Loch Harport oysters w/tomato chili salsa, grilled goats cheese w/sun blushed tomato & rocket salad, steamed Arasaig mussels in white wine, garlic, parsley, cream – these could be the best we’ve had so far!
Portree Harbor
Day 19 – Sunday, October 2 – Isle of Skye to Edinburgh – clouds w/blue sky in west – sprinkles but still not cold, low 60′s – Depart 9:30 am
- Actually got up early enough to experience exquisite dawn over the mountains and harbor!
Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness
- Depart 9:30 for narrow, twisty (more single lane roads) of Trotternish Peninsula – stark vistas of jagged rock formation
- 1st stop – 11:30 – latte/cappuccino stop in Broadford
- 2nd stop – 1:00 Loch Ness Urquhart Castle – too cheap to actually pay to go in so take photos from road
- 3rd stop – 2:00 Inverness for snack & gas – horror strikes when on way back to car realize you have to pay to park at the grocery store! no ticket thank god!
- Arrive Edinburgh 5:45 (takes 1 hr to find Dalmahoy Country Club) using the last of Marriott points – 5 days, 100,000 pts and free!
- FUN-food – pretty much captive here but Club House food is decent – salad of rocket, crumbled goat cheese, apples, toasted macadamia nuts – Murgh Makhani - butter chicken w/nan bread, chutney & rice (big Indian population here too)
Rare Blue Butt Sheep
Myth – you always get accurate directions on Google maps (or any internet provider)
FUN-damental truth – NO! & the reason is many old estates & castles have no real address & you’re better off getting directions directly from them
FUN-travel: Scotland – Glasgow – 3 days
October 5, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Day 15 – Wednesday, September 28 – Dublin, Ireland to Glasgow, Scotland – blue skies & full on sunshine – 60′s -unseasonably warm!
Sunny Loch Lomand
- Arrive 5:20 – take taxi to Acorn Hotel – very cute boutique hotel on edge of city center
- Suppose to be king bed & told they only have singles & doubles – could have sworn I paid more for that
- FUN-food – Charlie @ front desk suggests The Sisters (traditional Scottish) – Islay Island Scallops w/black pudding, side salad of various greens, onions, tomatoes, 10 hr slow roasted Scottish beef on mashed potatoes & cream sauce – VG
Day 16 -Thursday, September 29 – Glasgow – partly blue skies – still unseasonably warm! low 60′s
- Check reservation on laptop & shows Executive King Room – head to front desk & Charlie didn’t realize the Exec room had a bigger bed
- Take nice walk to city center (30 minutes)
- 1st stop – cobbler to see if shoes that died can be fixed – NOT!
- 2nd stop – BUY UK ROAD ATLAS! w/detailed maps
3rd stop – TI (Tourist Information) – Plan for tomorrow – oh what to do! - take train to Loch Lomand? go malt whiskey tasting?
4th stop – Starbucks Cappuccino
5thstop – hotel to change to big room we paid for – SWEET & much nicer – bigger bed & bathroom
Auchentoshan Distillery
FUN-lunch – Budda Restaurant – see nachos on menu – feel a hankering for ” home food” – hot & spicy w/jalapenos, meat chili, & sour cream – not bad
take nap
FUN-food – Mother’s India – (Glasgow has a huge Indian population & comfort food for us on the road) when asked about Indian food Charlie suggested – order 3 sides – yellow lentils w/chili’s, baked cauliflower & potato w/spices, & sautéed spinach & mustard greens – one entree of lamb in red curry w/rice & garlic nan bread – OMG we have enough food to feed a family of 5! & the least expensive meal we’ve had – everything VG!
Day 17 -Friday, September 30 – Glasgow – partly blue skies /scattered sprinkles – still unseasonably warm! YEAH
Depart 10:30 for train station – 50 minute train ride
1st stop – Balloch & Loch Lomand – nice stroll along lake – have picnic of leftovers from last night – continue walk to Balloch Castle & Gardens – back to train
FUN Fudge
2nd stop – Dalmuir for Auchentoshan Distillery – only triple distilled single malt Scotch – directions read “15 minute walk” takes an hour (should have gotten off at Kilpatrick but doesn’t say that because more trains go to Dalmuir) go figure! – make the last tour 4:00 & get sample – we like Jameson better – take cab to train station
3rd stop – McPhabb’s pub – try Scottish lager
FUN-food – pouring rain, no umbrella – so lunch leftovers, peanuts, chips & some wine of course in our room