The Stuart House

Friday

This is the last day of our tour and go are driven by ferry to the picturesque Isle of Bute. We are given a tour of Britain's Mount Stuart House a magnificent Victorian House. We were shown the private rooms of the family. At one point I noticed how large the bed in the master bedroom was and the guide informed us that the bed consisted of two beds put close together to accommodate a hard mattress and a soft mattress for the Marquess and Marchesa . Something like our sleep number bed at home no doubt. We were given lovely sandwiches on our way back to Glasgow. On to dinner that evening where we said our farewells to our dear companions. The next morning we caught a plane in Glasgow to London. London to Los Angeles. This time I was seated to a Polish music producer. I refrained from making too many inane comments and didn't pretend to know all about the happening music scene. I read my juicy romance novel and skipped over the over the top scenes just to protect young eyes, you know. Off the plane, onto my home. And Jolly Good , we arrived safely. OOH, LA LA.

PS. Britain won the The Ashes cricket game over Australia. The Australians on our bus took it well. Now about those Cricket game rules......

                                                           The Top of the World..the Isle of Skye

Wednesday..Sept 14

This date weighed heavily on my mind as I needed to send an e-mail to my daughter wishing her a happy birthday. Early in the day we stopped at Culloden Visitor Centre at the scene where the Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlies's Scottish clans occured. Then we followed the shores of Loch Lomond and had a lunch stop at Eilean Donan Castle. Then we crossed to the Hebridean Isle of Skye. Our room faced the water and we had large open windows. A seagull tried to get into our room which was very fun and interesting. That evening we had a guided tour around the island where a Gaelic scholar gave us an overview of the history of the Gaelic language. Drinks of various whiskies were passed around . I ordered Drambowie and it hit the spot. We went back to the hotel where had dinner and then I spotted an internet access and e-mailed by daughter my birthday wishes to her. It was very satisfying to be able to communicate with her. We bounded up the stairs to our room since there was no elevators. A little tv..very little tv and then off to dreamland.

Thursday

After breakfast we drove down to The Clan Donald Centre for a visit to the Museum of the Isles. and then boarded a ferry at Armadale to sail across the Sound of Sleat. We went to Glenfinnan , the scene of the raising of Bonnie Prince Charlie's standard in 1745. in the afternoon we saw gorgeous scenery at Fort William beneath Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain. It's only visible twelve days a year and as luck would have it we were able to view it. On to the mountain pass Glen Coe where the MacDonald Clan was treacherously massacred by the Campbells. We drove by the Bonnie banks of Loch Lomond and on to Glasgow. We had a guided tour through Glasgow to view the Georgian squares and 12 century university buildings. That evening we found a Chinese Restaurant and then walked back to the hotel.

Friday

                                       Whisky in the Morning..

Tuesday

Wake-up call, luggage out, breakfast. And then we were on our way to Aberfeldy, site of Dewar's World of Whisky and a tour of the distillery that converts simple ingredients such as barley, water and yeast into a great liquor. A dram was included as a treat. I say if you can say "cheers" at 11 AM life isn't bad at all. On to the nearby Victorian mountain resort of Pitolchry for lunch. Now you would think that this romantic setting could not be better for a salad and some time to appreciate the surroundings. However a persistent honey bee drove us from our idyllic spot and then we waited for our bus to open and take us to...Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games and cross the heather-clad moors to spend the night at Iverness.

                                           Edinburgh!

Monday...

A new meaning to a wake-up call the next morning involved a fire alarm signaling everyone to pour into the street. Soon we were allowed back into our rooms, consumed breakfast, and went on a guided tour of "New Town" and "Old Town" Edinburgh .We drove to Edinburgh Castle were we viewed Scotland's Crown Jewels and then on to Holyrood Palace, official Scottish residence of the Queen.

Later that evening we boarded the ROYAL YACHT BRITTANIA on which Queen Elizabeth 11 used to entertain state officials. Prince Charles and Princess Diana used this yacht for their honeymoon. It was decorated with simple furniture to create a leisurely atmosphere. The odd thing about the yacht was that you had to go through a shopping mall, up the elevator to gain entrance to the yacht. After, the tour I spotted a bookstore and had to investigate. I missed reading my novels. Trying to read in my hotel room and plane was a little fruitless as I was tired. Well, back to the hotel where we ate our supper. A little TV and then off to beddy bye for tomorrow we drive up to Iverness.

                                                             Harry Potter!

Sunday...Harry Potter!

After another lovely English breakfast we boarded the tour bus. We were greeted by our lovely throaty tour guide and we were off to ALNWICK CASTLE. The castle is the ancestral home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland and was photographed as the setting for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter films. Some of us compared notes sharing that we absolutely must bring home mementos of Harry Potter. A fairly small display of souvenirs featuring Harry Potter were displayed. After perusing and purchasing playing cards, magnets, etc. we contiued on to the castle. The Duke and Duchess are fairly young with children. Very privileged indeed. With opulent surroundings and views one could only imagine what it is like living in such splendor. After having a lovely lunch, we headed back to the bus where we drove to the Scottish boarder and on to Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city. Another lovely room awaited us. That evening we were taken to a Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. A great time was had by everyone. A sample of the Haggis was served with turnips, and potatoes. MMM. YUM. Recipes for the Haggis may be found on the internet. I intend to pursue these recipes and maybe try to figure out what all the fuss is about. I personally did not have any trouble consuming the Haggis but then I had been initiated by the Black pudding.

Off to our rooms once more, buoyed by the earlier festivities. A local pub was located below our room so shouting and good times were upheld until the pub closed.

                                                            Merry Ole England

Saturday!

Excitement grew as we left our lovely cocoon in West London and were met by our tour guide for a week in Scotland. After a head count our Tour Guide introduced herself. She had a lovely throaty voice which proved soothing for the week that we were together. Our bus driver was perfect. Capable , helpful and everyone loved him. We were given the general guidelines of tour etiquette...always be on time or you will be left behind. Our first stop was Stamford. It was also our first encounter with rain. Luckily we had proper rain gear and navigated the flea markets for a while. Then onto Sherwood Forest. Well, we skirted Sherwood Forest but then the excitement built when we stopped at the great structure of York Minster. York is the most complete medieval city in England. Quaint streets abound including Shambles. We went to a delightful train musem and then onto the bus to arrive at Middlesbough Hotel. A lovely room awaited us. Dinner and drinks were had by all and then off to bed before continuing our trip to Edinburgh. And oh, yes a stop to ALNWICK CASTLE, the site of Harry Potter's movie setting for the Harry Potter movies. Can't wait!

Sunday...Harry Potter!

                                                     Picadilly Circus...

Friday!

After a trip to the breakfast buffet we hooked up with a London guide who took us to many famous landmarks: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, Harodd's,The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben adjacent to the Thames and Westminster Abbey. We went into the magnificent ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL the site of Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding. The interior was of course beautiful. Designed by architect Christopher Wren it includes the Whispering Gallery, 356 -foot high dome that is breathtaking. After St. Paul's we saw Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly circus and then on to Buckingham Palace. The guards were not scheduled to change that morning but we did have photo ops. We arrived at our hotel at noon and rested in our room for the next day we were off to SCOTLAND.

                                        The Tower of London

Thursday!

Somehow keeping track of the days when you're on a vacation is helpful. Today we get to sample the wonderful English breakfast at our hotel restaurant. An array of lovely cheeses, fruits, cereal and yogurt awaited us. However, the thing that was driving my appetite was...black pudding. BLACK PUDDING? YES! My husband, being of Scottish and Irish ancestry was served black pudding by his grandmother when he was a boy. Of course, when I was a new bride I wanted to enforce my love of him and went to the butcher shop in Canada where I shopped for blood pudding as they said and cooked it for him. Only once, though. I think he got the love message and we have remained married for forty-two years. However, the anticipation of black/blood pudding was mixed. I scanned the buffet and there it was! I filled my plate with healthy back bacon, coddled eggs, cheese and other delights. When I got back to the table my husband had already dug into the black pudding and eyed me to see what I would do. I sampled the black and what do you know? I liked it. I really really liked it. I guess we'll stay married for forty plus more years.. I hope. But enough of the culinary blather.

Today the chartered bus took us to the Tower of London. We had spectacular weather and took pictures. But what awaited inside could not be photographed. The CROWN JEWELS! No words could adequately sum up the impression of such splendor except maybe OOH, LA LA! But enough memories of Paris. The Tower has a barbaric history and not being a scholar of such details I dredged up some memories of the History tv channel. King Richard had supposedly held his nephews in the Tower and eventually they died. A lady on the tour said that "that's the way children should be punished!" I gasped and choked a giggle at her incredulous comment. An ambulance arrived in the middle of the afternoon. After much delay, someone was driven to a nearby hospital.

Ah, yes Cricket!

A spirited rivalry match was being held at the London Oval The Ashes tournament was at stake and Australia and England were in the throes of competition. Right now, I'm in the internet research mode to see if I can understand the rules of play of the game of Cricket. I'll keep you posted.

After the tour, we went to a local shopping center. We were near a tube station where commuters suddenly spilled out onto the sidewalk like ants on a mission. We made it to a McDonald's restaurant where we ordered combos..I, a chicken patty that was so delicious. The breading was light and the spread was creamy.

We went into a famous grocery store.."Tesco"s" where we picked up a few snacks and a pint of milk. We walked back to our hotel feeling good that we had experienced a little bit of the modern culture. We lolled around the hotel room after taking the challenging shower and I proceeded to click the remote until I found a discussion on Northern England vs London's culinary differences. Apparently the foodies thought that Fish and Chips were better as you moved north because they used lard vs cooking oil. I say when you're in Britian on vacation go for the lard! Off to sleep for tomorrow we pick up another bus and sightseeing tour of London.

                                                        Paris!!

Wednesday...off to Paris!

A minivan picked us up and drove to the Eurostar train terminal. We waited for a little while and then embarked on the lovely train. A guide met us and made us feel very welcome. She arranged tickets for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and a boat ride down the Seine. Oooh, la, la. We were off. Miles and miles of farmland stretched out before us. We picked up a croissant combo in the rear train car and proceeded to relax and anticipate le train ride. We drove through the Chunnel, of course and then to the train station in Paris where we picked up a French tour guide who lead to a bus and then there it was...PARIS! Through the streets we drove absorbing all the nuances of old buildings, historical sites and then YES! or OUI! The Eiffel Tower. Throngs of tourists surrounded the plaza leading up to the tower. Our guide led us to the entrance and mais oui we were there...riding in an elevator to the second level where we finally exited and viewed..you know, Paris. It was a clear day and we were able to view the surrounding cities and landmarks. After a descent and trip to the bathroom and a sandwich we went on to the boat tour. Ah, yes, the Seine. Hot and sweltering weather (unusual for Paris) caused us to drink a lot of water and view the art colonies and many historic views. The the moment came to proceed to the LOUVRE. Wow! Magnificent! We viewed the Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa and had a whirlwind escort through the rooms. Throngs were viewing Mona Lisa. She was smiling, of course, enigmatically...she knew how important she was. The tour was sadly over and we went back to the Eurostar train with satisfying memories of our brief tour of Paris. Back to our rooms with the challenging showers and short beds. But we were happy. After all, we saw the Mona Lisa.

Television in Britain is good and bad. The first part of the week is well, weak on programming. It picks up later. I got hooked on "Coronation Street" and a few fix-it shows. Being a tv addict I flipped around channels and my husband caught me engrossed in a German channel. He asked me what I was watching and since I was half asleep I told him that I was enjoying the show. He had to remind me that since I don't speak German that was quite a feat for me. I proved to him that any show will entertain me whether I understand the language or not. One travel channel had a young guy and girl who were running around Paris and describing the sites. What a coincidence. The guy had a croissant making demonstration and then they viewed the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. The girl said that she loved Mona Lisa's lips, her smile. And the guy said "Yes, I love her smirk!" And here I was mesmerized by Mona and didn't even notice her smirk. Off to bed to that we can go to THE TOWER OF LONDON tomorrow.

Oh to be in England

The Tour of a Lifetime!

Early this summer my husband, Jack announced that we would be taking a dream trip to Great Britain. Surprised beyond belief, I agreeably nodded my approval and we quickly picked a travel agent. We were lucky, indeed when we met with Mary Kay Vicencia of Cerritos Travel. Her upbeat and professional manner added to the excitement and anticipation of our trip. Given brochures and brief information we went home and pored over the tours of London and the Scottish highlands. A trip to a site that was used in a Harry Potter movie cinched it for me.

After gathering all the necessary documents including passports we trekked down to the travel agency and pointed to our choice. With glee, we left the agency to await our travel documents. Buying luggage, a few clothes and necessary sundries we waited for the big departure day.

Monday1PM

We parked our car at a convenient off-site lot and were driven to the Airport. Checking in proved to be painless

no shoe removal, no wands. Then we proceeded to the McDonald restaurant to get our combo meal for who knew when we would eat again.

Boarding the British Airway plane was easy and surprising. Surprising because we got a bulkhead seat with four across. A lovely young women accompanied by a semi-precocious little girl of almost three years old and a five month old baby greeted us. The little girl had pretty blue mischievous eyes and the baby had equally large blue eyes. The mom was into breast feeding and had a long piece of cloth that she would fold and arrange on her body in maybe two hundred ways. She would hide the baby when she was feeding him. The little girl was extremely bright and intelligent. She had a sticker book that she arranged farm animals on. She also spoke German and English with her mother. The flight was ten hours. Within that time we were served dinner, juice, snacks, breakfast and other snacks. The mother hardly ever stopped attending her children. The baby cried a lot. The little girl needed to go to the bathroom. The mom asked me to watch her little one while she took the girl to the bathroom. Being a grandmother, I agreed. When she left the baby was laughing and cooing until he noticed that the mom was nowhere in site. My husband said that maybe she had jumped from the plane, but no, she returned and then it was nite-nite for everyone. Everyone, that is, except the mom, the little girl, the baby, my husband and me. Nearing the end of the flight I asked the mom if her husband was meeting her at the airport. She said no. He had to work. I, being a people person much to my husband’s consternation asked what her husband did for a living. I thought she told me that he was a baker. I volunteered that he must bring home samples to her. She looked funny at me. Finally, she said that he was a banker. I said that would account for him not bringing any sample home to her. Oh, well she was sweet and understanding about all the noise on the plane and that would account for my mistake. Whew!

It's Tuesday!

We arrived in London and rode a minivan to our hotel. The hotel was geared towards a lot of business conventions and meetings and was located in the west part of London. We went into assigned hotel and were struck by how the beds were about six inches from the floor. However, the bathtub sides were three feet high and difficult to get in and out of. Assistance was needed to get in and out of the tub. Some people cried. Well, maybe I cried. I was very fearful and falling in or out of the tub/shower.

My husband bounded up to the room and announced that we had three tours lined up. That evening we took a “Taste of London” tour which culminated into a dinner at Chez Gerard ( a French restaurant? Don’t ask. And then a boat tour down the Thames where we spotted The Tower Bridge and The Wheel. More about that later. Off to our room we went to arise the next day to pick up the The Eurostar train to

.Paris France.