We headed out of Deal towards Dover where we checked onto the ferry for the crossing to France. We said goodbye to Sam & Regi and headed out of England with a view across to the White Cliffs of Dover. It certainly pays to shop around for prices (ferry crossing from Dover to Calais) P&O gave us a foot passenger price of £17 each which included a £1 Eurail pass discount, however we chose Sea France as they gave us a price of £6 each after also giving us a £6 Eurail pass discount. Our Eurail Passes for Europe are for 1st class travel which is very spacious and comfortable - these tickets are for 3 months of unlimited train travel in 18 countries of Europe - 2nd class Eurail travel passes are only available up to the age of about 30.
After arriving at Calais we kickstarted our Eurail passes, boarded a French train and headed north to Lille in France. We visited the old City of Brugge in Belgium where we visited the Church of Our Lady. Inside was a Statue of the Madonna & Child carved in Carrera marble by Michael Angelo (1504 - 1505) the faces on this statue are just superb. After leaving Brugge we travelled onto the magnificent City of Brussels. We visited St Nicholas Catholic Church and went to Mass there which was being said by a Priest from the Congo in Africa. Brussels has great architecture and many of the streets are cobblestones. The old part of the city has a wonderful atmosphere - restaurants and musicians spill out into the street - all are offering meals at competitive rates and trying to outdo the prices and the splendour of the next restaurant. We chose well and enjoyed a wonderful meal in this very vibrant city.
Rotterdam in the Netherlands is the largest port in Europe - here we enjoyed Australian home made icecream. The countryside in this part of Europe is very low and most of the country is at or below sea level. Most people speak English as their second language so there is no problem getting around and being understood. After leaving Rotterdam we travelled up through The Hague and onto Amsterdam.
What can I say about Amsterdam? Amsterdam has very liberal views in relation to drugs and prostitution. It will be interesting to see what becomes of all the Coffee Shops with their cannabis lounges when the No Smoking laws come into being in 2008. A walk through the red light district of Amsterdam is of course very interesting with the girls sitting in large windows attempting to lure in passers by. Many of the buildings appear to be leaning in different directions - we've since found out that many of them have been built with the upper floors fanning outwards to shelter the lower floors from rain. Amsterdam is a city of bicycles and canals - more bikes than I've ever seen before. We bought some crackers and cheese in the city from an authentic cheese shop - we had to try out 'Bertha's Kruid Kass' cheese - the cheesemaker said Bertha is his oldest and best cow! The cheese was very good indeed.
On the train trip from Amsterdam to Hamburg, Germany we met a delightful Canadian family from Edmonton who have taken 6 months off to do extensive world travel with their two teenage children. All going well, Barry & Margaret with their children Tessa & Connor will call into Dingo Beach for a visit in December. The children are having a very worldly education for the next six months - it was great to hear them chatting comfortably with other passengers.
Hamburg is a huge city. We went for a cruise on the River Elbe in a paddlesteamer ¨The Louisiana Star¨and were amazed at the size of the Port which is the largest in Germany. Hamburg is a container port and the containers were being stacked onto numerous ships - the number of container cranes on the seafront was unbelievable. The Queen Mary 2 was also in port and our paddlesteamer pulled up alongside and cruised past the bow - what a huge ship.
We left Hamburg in a 4 carriage train and headed for the coast where the train was loaded directly onto the ferry beside all the trucks and heavy transport. We left our train carriage and went upstairs to enjoy the view and the 45 minute ferry crossing into Denmark. Once we were ashore the train just drove straight out of the ferry and we were back on the land - something a little different. Denmark is a vastly wealthy country with the majority of Danes enjoying a high quality of living.
Copenhagen is a very attractive city and is the home of Hans Christian Andersen. We visited the Church in the city where Mary Donaldson and Prince Frederick were married. Amalienborg Palace has been the home of the Danish Royal Family since 1794. The Palace is comprised of four austere mansions which surround the central square and are guarded by sentries. These guards are relieved at noon by a ceremonial changing of the guards which was wonderful to watch. The Danish Royal Family live comfortably amongst the citizens of Copenhagen and supposedly are often seen out shopping in the city.
We had a big surprise in Copenhagen by running into friends Justin & Kylie with their two daughters. The last time we saw them was about 7 years ago when they left Burton Coal Mine - it certainly can be a small world! They currently live and work in Indonesia but were in Denmark on holidays.
A good way to view cities such as Copenhagen is by water so we went on a leisurely canal cruise which travelled along the waterways, up the canals, under bridges and up past the statue of The Little Mermaid. It was sad to hear that the original statue was stolen and has since been replaced twice due to theft. Every city and town in Europe seems to have a famous Church, building or museum - of course we cannot visit every one - to do so would mean settling in for a few years!
We headed north of Copenhagen to Helsingor where Kromborg Castle guards the seaway. This is where Shakespeare based his play Hamlet. From here we made a 4 klm ferry crossing to Helsingborg in Sweden. Sweden is having a Festival this weekend so it looks like everyone has come to this coastal city for the music and celebrations - so I guess if we can't beat them we might as well join them.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
London, England to Deal, England 23rd July 2007
We headed out of London by train to Salisbury and via Bath to Stonehenge. Stonehenge is the most outstanding prehistoric monument in the British Isles and is a World Heritage Site. Ancient people mapped the course of the sun and moon to build this monument. 7,000 years ago the area was mixed pine and hazel woodland before becoming downland. The larger stones are called Sarsen stones and were brought from the Marlborough Downs 30 klm away and the smaller stones, known as Bluestones, were from the mystical Preseli Mountains in Wales, 385 klm away. It is believed the stones from Wales were brought here some 5,000 years ago and that they were transported up along the waterways. This is a very interesting site to visit. We headed back to London via Southampton into Brighton. Brighton is England's 'Riviera' and it was great to see the open sea and the blue sky. The beaches are devoid of sand and are fully comprised of medium sized rounded stones.
We visited the Thames River, the London Eye, Docklands and walked across the Millennium Bridge. The ship The Cutty Sark was recently set alight but is currently being rebuilt. We travelled on the Docklands Railway to the Royal Observatory - home of Greenwich Mean Time, and visited the National Maritime Museum which was very interesting - of course anything to do with the sea and Pat is hooked.
We visited the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London and then headed out of London by train to Hastings on the coast. This is the famous site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. We then stepped back in time and travelled north to the ancient city of Rye, where buildings look as they did centuries ago. The streets are narrow and winding and make for an interesting walking tour of the town. That evening back in London, we visited Chinatown and of course had a Chinese buffet for dinner.
England has been very wet whilst we have been here, however it has not hindered us from touring and site seeing - fortunately we have missed the areas of major flooding. We bought raincoats in Ireland and have certainly put them to good use.
London is not complete without a visit to Marble Arch, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Windsor Castle, Windsor Village, Buckingham Palace and of course, Harrods department store. At Harrods we hit one of the two sales per year (Pat loves a bargain) and enjoyed lunch and coffee in one of the many restaurants.
Angela arrived home from Hong Kong on Friday - laden down with her great shopping. That evening we enjoyed a Thai dinner cooked at home by Angela's resident cook - Pat. We all had a great laugh the other day - Angela was feeling quite well heeled - she had a cook in the kitchen, a secretary on the computer and the housekeeper was cleaning her apartment!
We decided to have an easy day for our last day in London so Pat, Angela and myself headed out for a leisurely walk along the Grand Canal in Little Venice up to Primrose Hill where we had lunch in the Pembroke Pub. We then walked up to the top of Primrose Hill for a beautiful view across London and on the way home called into the Windsor Castle Pub to say goodbye to Sheila and the crew.
On Sunday 22nd we headed out of London to the beautiful seaside village of Deal on the eastern side of Kent. Sam & Regi have bought the Sondes Lodge B&B just up the road from the ocean, so we checked in for the night. We were greeted by a little black bundle called Rufus at the front door - a four month old poodle cross - he's a little corker! Pat and Sam also worked together at Burton Coal Mine so it was great to catch up. We went out for a walk along the waterfront and visited the King's Head Pub for refreshments. The sun was shining, the ocean was blue and the flowers in all the hanging baskets on the front of the buildings were out in bloom - a truly beautiful day. It was Regi's birthday so we headed out to Dunkley's Restaurant for a magnificent dinner.
Today we will travel to Dover and then take the ferry across the English Channel to Calais in France. So we will say goodbye to Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England and look forward to our travels in Europe.
We visited the Thames River, the London Eye, Docklands and walked across the Millennium Bridge. The ship The Cutty Sark was recently set alight but is currently being rebuilt. We travelled on the Docklands Railway to the Royal Observatory - home of Greenwich Mean Time, and visited the National Maritime Museum which was very interesting - of course anything to do with the sea and Pat is hooked.
We visited the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London and then headed out of London by train to Hastings on the coast. This is the famous site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. We then stepped back in time and travelled north to the ancient city of Rye, where buildings look as they did centuries ago. The streets are narrow and winding and make for an interesting walking tour of the town. That evening back in London, we visited Chinatown and of course had a Chinese buffet for dinner.
England has been very wet whilst we have been here, however it has not hindered us from touring and site seeing - fortunately we have missed the areas of major flooding. We bought raincoats in Ireland and have certainly put them to good use.
London is not complete without a visit to Marble Arch, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Windsor Castle, Windsor Village, Buckingham Palace and of course, Harrods department store. At Harrods we hit one of the two sales per year (Pat loves a bargain) and enjoyed lunch and coffee in one of the many restaurants.
Angela arrived home from Hong Kong on Friday - laden down with her great shopping. That evening we enjoyed a Thai dinner cooked at home by Angela's resident cook - Pat. We all had a great laugh the other day - Angela was feeling quite well heeled - she had a cook in the kitchen, a secretary on the computer and the housekeeper was cleaning her apartment!
We decided to have an easy day for our last day in London so Pat, Angela and myself headed out for a leisurely walk along the Grand Canal in Little Venice up to Primrose Hill where we had lunch in the Pembroke Pub. We then walked up to the top of Primrose Hill for a beautiful view across London and on the way home called into the Windsor Castle Pub to say goodbye to Sheila and the crew.
On Sunday 22nd we headed out of London to the beautiful seaside village of Deal on the eastern side of Kent. Sam & Regi have bought the Sondes Lodge B&B just up the road from the ocean, so we checked in for the night. We were greeted by a little black bundle called Rufus at the front door - a four month old poodle cross - he's a little corker! Pat and Sam also worked together at Burton Coal Mine so it was great to catch up. We went out for a walk along the waterfront and visited the King's Head Pub for refreshments. The sun was shining, the ocean was blue and the flowers in all the hanging baskets on the front of the buildings were out in bloom - a truly beautiful day. It was Regi's birthday so we headed out to Dunkley's Restaurant for a magnificent dinner.
Today we will travel to Dover and then take the ferry across the English Channel to Calais in France. So we will say goodbye to Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England and look forward to our travels in Europe.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Belfast, Nth Ireland to London England 15th July 2007
We had a great crossing from Belfast to Stranrear in Scotland, in the world's largest and fastest ferry. At Stranrear we kick-started our BritRail Flexi Pass which has given us 8 days of train travel in the four week period we nominate - train passes are excellent value and well worth the money spent on the tickets. It gives total flexibility with rail travel and is an excellent mode of transport for many reasons - for example - all railway stations are in the centre of the city whereas airports are often miles away; trains run regularly and waiting time between trains is minimal.
We headed out of Stranraer and travelled through the beautiful Scottish countryside of Ayr, Dumfries and Carlisle - then into England through Lancaster, Preston and into Liverpool the home of the Beatles - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. In the evening we headed out on foot to visit The Cavern where Liverpool's most famous residents, the Beatles, began their career. Liverpool is currently undergoing a face lift in many areas as the city is preparing to be the European Culture Capital in 2008. The old Albert Docks are great to visit - it's here we found the excellent Maritime Museum.
After Liverpool we headed out to Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction on the Wales Coast - then down to Blaenau Fiestiniog in the beautiful mountains of Wales. This northern area of Wales is famous for mountain walks and hiking. At Blaenau Fiestiniog we stepped back in time and crossed the track to board a small but magnificent narrow gauge steam train which then ambled down past a slate mountain to Minffordd, from where we boarded another train and headed down the coast to the town of Pwllheli.
We travelled to Pwllheli in Wales to see if we could find my Great Granny's (Sarah Jane O'Boyle) grave site as she was Mum's very favourite Grandmother who died in Wales when Mum was 16 years of age.
Slate is the main industry of this mountain area and all along this coast of Wales. Apparently earlier on a lot of Irishmen came to this area in Wales for the construction of the railways and to work in the slate industry. There was also an Air Force base in the Pwllheli area during the 2nd World War - Mum tells me that Great Granny's daughter Lily and her husband Kenny lived in this area during the war as Kenny was in the Air Force - hence the reason for Great Granny to be away from Ireland and living in Wales.
We stayed in the Victoria Hotel B&B down on the coast and had dinner - chatted with the staff and put together some information for the following day. The Welsh are all very friendly and helpful. The Shire Council office was only a 3 minute walk from the Hotel so we set out in the morning at 9 o'clock to see if we could check the cemetery records. By the way, everybody here in this part of Wales speaks Welsh - most seem to also speak English. They all know about Paul Hogan, Steve Irwin, Neighbours, Home & Away and Vegemite!!!
We were helped at the Council by a lovely lady who ushered us into a room and brought out all the cemetery record books. We opened up the books for 1946 and there on the second page was the entry for my Great Granny. The lady then made some phone calls and arranged for a Superintendent to meet us at the cemetery to show us her grave as it was unmarked.
We took a taxi to the address where my Great Granny lived while she was in Wales - the current building seems to have been rebuilt since the time she lived there. There was a lovely old set of gates almost overgrown with trees and an area behind full of undergrowth. This area may have been the spot where their cottage stood - somewhere in amongst the greenery which backs onto the river. The taxi driver was unsure if there was a cottage in there but said it is possible. Sometime I'd like to go back and investigate it further - perhaps take Mum.
When we arrived at the cemetery the Council Superintendent was waiting for us beside Great Granny's grave. We took some photos for Mum - the grave is unmarked and is covered in short green grass. It was wonderful to find the grave especially for Mum's sake - she doesn't believe anyone has been there since she was buried in 1946. We took the names of stonemasons in the area so later on we can organise to put a headstone on her grave.
We said goodbye to Pwllheli and boarded a train for Birmingham via the coast of Wales. We stayed with Phill, Anne and Laura and had a great time. On our first night we went out to an Indian Restaurant for dinner and had a most magnificent meal - yummo! Phill took us on a great tour around Birmingham where we visited St Martin's Church of England Cathedral, the Bull Ring, the magnificent old Markets, the Jewellery Quarter and then topped it off by having lunch at an Aussie Pub - The Walkabout.
After spending a couple of great days in Birmingham we headed back up north to Scotland and met up with Victor and Heather. Pat and Victor used to work together at Burton Coal Mine. We went to a Scottish Pub for lunch and had Scotch Broth, Haggis and Scottish Beer the Bagpipes were being played outside and kilts were seen in every direction. Edinburgh is a magnificent old city - this is a place where I felt I really stepped back in time - the buildings are excellent. The newly constructed Scottish Parliament building is also very different - very controversial, very expensive and considered quite ugly by many people - it certainly is a 'talking piece'.
We decided to take a bus tour to get a good overall view of this great city and in the evening we went on a Ghost and Ghouls Tour of the underground vaults - not a good tour for the faint hearted or the claustrophobic! It certainly makes us appreciate our living conditions today when we see how the people of yesteryear had to live. In those early times, all food and human waste was collected in buckets during the day and at 10pm each evening all buckets were emptied by being thrown out the windows into the street below - the contents of these buckets would then be washed down the hills - it was not a good time to be out walking in the streets of Edinburgh!!!
We headed north out of Edinburgh to Inverness where we decided to hire a car to be able to get in closer to the north and west coast. We headed up to John O'Groats the most northerly point on mainland Scotland - then on to the Castle of Mey which was the summer home of the Queen Mother for many years. We visited Bettyhill, Durness and on down to Ullapool where we stayed in a lovely Inn overlooking the loch. This day was just beautiful and was our first day of sunshine since we arrived in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
After leaving Ullapool we travelled south to the Kyle of Lochalsh and the Isle of Skye. We stopped off at beautiful Loch Ewe which was a safe haven for ships during the war. There was a little story from the soldiers who were based here at that time: After 6 months here we talk to ourselves - after 12 months here we talk to the sheep - then after 18 months here the sheep talk back!
We made a ferry crossing from Armadale on the Isle of Skye to Mallaig - a quaint little village nestled in amongst the many bays. We then headed onto Plockton, Glenfinnan and Fort William where Ben Nevis towers over the city. We drove up along Loch Ness and arrived in the beautiful village of Drumnadrochit. We kept out eyes open for the Loch Ness Monster but unfortunately he must have been resting because we did not see any sign of him! What we have seen in Scotland though are sea gulls almost the size of pelicans! Scotland has such beautiful countryside with so much to see - so we made sure we left some to see on another trip.
We headed out of Inverness once again and travelled through Aberdeen and Edinburgh on down to the famous city of York in England. York is a magnificent old walled city with so much to see and so much history. We stayed in the old Gillygate Inn and enjoyed the drinks, food and great hospitality. It was the Vikings who gave York its name, but it was Norman rule which lasted longer, then followed by the Tudor age. The magnificent York Minster took 250 years to build and was finally completed in 1485. York houses Britain's National Railway Museum which is the largest railway museum in the world. The medieval buildings in the old city of York are superb.
On our next train trip we travelled from York through Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter St David, Plymouth and down to the end of Cornwall to Penzance and Lands End. The train trip from St Erth to St Ives is just spectacular - wide white sandy beaches and beautiful aqua waters - we thought for a minute we were back in the Whitsundays! We left St Ives and headed to London through Westbury and Reading. The sun is trying to come out - it peeks through the clouds every now and then! This is the coldest and wettest July in Britain - everyone is wondering where the summer is hanging out!
We arrived at Angela's apartment in Maida Vale in London and have settled in for the next week. We went out for a walk and visited the canals of Little Venice, Lord's Cricket Ground, the Prince Alfred Pub, the Windsor Castle Pub and met up with Angela's friends for a great afternoon. This is a beautiful part of London with lovely gardens and lawns in behind the apartments - this area is like a little village and we're right in the centre of London! Michael Flatley of Riverdance fame lives around the corner, as does Princess Diana's brother - and yesterday we met the late John Inman's partner (Are you being served). Angela has retired from British Airways and left today for 5 days in Hong Kong so we are the house sitters here in the centre of London while she is away - but believe me - it is our absolute pleasure! Today has been the warmest day we have had since arriving in this part of the world - a lovely day to celebrate my birthday!
We headed out of Stranraer and travelled through the beautiful Scottish countryside of Ayr, Dumfries and Carlisle - then into England through Lancaster, Preston and into Liverpool the home of the Beatles - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. In the evening we headed out on foot to visit The Cavern where Liverpool's most famous residents, the Beatles, began their career. Liverpool is currently undergoing a face lift in many areas as the city is preparing to be the European Culture Capital in 2008. The old Albert Docks are great to visit - it's here we found the excellent Maritime Museum.
After Liverpool we headed out to Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction on the Wales Coast - then down to Blaenau Fiestiniog in the beautiful mountains of Wales. This northern area of Wales is famous for mountain walks and hiking. At Blaenau Fiestiniog we stepped back in time and crossed the track to board a small but magnificent narrow gauge steam train which then ambled down past a slate mountain to Minffordd, from where we boarded another train and headed down the coast to the town of Pwllheli.
We travelled to Pwllheli in Wales to see if we could find my Great Granny's (Sarah Jane O'Boyle) grave site as she was Mum's very favourite Grandmother who died in Wales when Mum was 16 years of age.
Slate is the main industry of this mountain area and all along this coast of Wales. Apparently earlier on a lot of Irishmen came to this area in Wales for the construction of the railways and to work in the slate industry. There was also an Air Force base in the Pwllheli area during the 2nd World War - Mum tells me that Great Granny's daughter Lily and her husband Kenny lived in this area during the war as Kenny was in the Air Force - hence the reason for Great Granny to be away from Ireland and living in Wales.
We stayed in the Victoria Hotel B&B down on the coast and had dinner - chatted with the staff and put together some information for the following day. The Welsh are all very friendly and helpful. The Shire Council office was only a 3 minute walk from the Hotel so we set out in the morning at 9 o'clock to see if we could check the cemetery records. By the way, everybody here in this part of Wales speaks Welsh - most seem to also speak English. They all know about Paul Hogan, Steve Irwin, Neighbours, Home & Away and Vegemite!!!
We were helped at the Council by a lovely lady who ushered us into a room and brought out all the cemetery record books. We opened up the books for 1946 and there on the second page was the entry for my Great Granny. The lady then made some phone calls and arranged for a Superintendent to meet us at the cemetery to show us her grave as it was unmarked.
We took a taxi to the address where my Great Granny lived while she was in Wales - the current building seems to have been rebuilt since the time she lived there. There was a lovely old set of gates almost overgrown with trees and an area behind full of undergrowth. This area may have been the spot where their cottage stood - somewhere in amongst the greenery which backs onto the river. The taxi driver was unsure if there was a cottage in there but said it is possible. Sometime I'd like to go back and investigate it further - perhaps take Mum.
When we arrived at the cemetery the Council Superintendent was waiting for us beside Great Granny's grave. We took some photos for Mum - the grave is unmarked and is covered in short green grass. It was wonderful to find the grave especially for Mum's sake - she doesn't believe anyone has been there since she was buried in 1946. We took the names of stonemasons in the area so later on we can organise to put a headstone on her grave.
We said goodbye to Pwllheli and boarded a train for Birmingham via the coast of Wales. We stayed with Phill, Anne and Laura and had a great time. On our first night we went out to an Indian Restaurant for dinner and had a most magnificent meal - yummo! Phill took us on a great tour around Birmingham where we visited St Martin's Church of England Cathedral, the Bull Ring, the magnificent old Markets, the Jewellery Quarter and then topped it off by having lunch at an Aussie Pub - The Walkabout.
After spending a couple of great days in Birmingham we headed back up north to Scotland and met up with Victor and Heather. Pat and Victor used to work together at Burton Coal Mine. We went to a Scottish Pub for lunch and had Scotch Broth, Haggis and Scottish Beer the Bagpipes were being played outside and kilts were seen in every direction. Edinburgh is a magnificent old city - this is a place where I felt I really stepped back in time - the buildings are excellent. The newly constructed Scottish Parliament building is also very different - very controversial, very expensive and considered quite ugly by many people - it certainly is a 'talking piece'.
We decided to take a bus tour to get a good overall view of this great city and in the evening we went on a Ghost and Ghouls Tour of the underground vaults - not a good tour for the faint hearted or the claustrophobic! It certainly makes us appreciate our living conditions today when we see how the people of yesteryear had to live. In those early times, all food and human waste was collected in buckets during the day and at 10pm each evening all buckets were emptied by being thrown out the windows into the street below - the contents of these buckets would then be washed down the hills - it was not a good time to be out walking in the streets of Edinburgh!!!
We headed north out of Edinburgh to Inverness where we decided to hire a car to be able to get in closer to the north and west coast. We headed up to John O'Groats the most northerly point on mainland Scotland - then on to the Castle of Mey which was the summer home of the Queen Mother for many years. We visited Bettyhill, Durness and on down to Ullapool where we stayed in a lovely Inn overlooking the loch. This day was just beautiful and was our first day of sunshine since we arrived in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
After leaving Ullapool we travelled south to the Kyle of Lochalsh and the Isle of Skye. We stopped off at beautiful Loch Ewe which was a safe haven for ships during the war. There was a little story from the soldiers who were based here at that time: After 6 months here we talk to ourselves - after 12 months here we talk to the sheep - then after 18 months here the sheep talk back!
We made a ferry crossing from Armadale on the Isle of Skye to Mallaig - a quaint little village nestled in amongst the many bays. We then headed onto Plockton, Glenfinnan and Fort William where Ben Nevis towers over the city. We drove up along Loch Ness and arrived in the beautiful village of Drumnadrochit. We kept out eyes open for the Loch Ness Monster but unfortunately he must have been resting because we did not see any sign of him! What we have seen in Scotland though are sea gulls almost the size of pelicans! Scotland has such beautiful countryside with so much to see - so we made sure we left some to see on another trip.
We headed out of Inverness once again and travelled through Aberdeen and Edinburgh on down to the famous city of York in England. York is a magnificent old walled city with so much to see and so much history. We stayed in the old Gillygate Inn and enjoyed the drinks, food and great hospitality. It was the Vikings who gave York its name, but it was Norman rule which lasted longer, then followed by the Tudor age. The magnificent York Minster took 250 years to build and was finally completed in 1485. York houses Britain's National Railway Museum which is the largest railway museum in the world. The medieval buildings in the old city of York are superb.
On our next train trip we travelled from York through Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter St David, Plymouth and down to the end of Cornwall to Penzance and Lands End. The train trip from St Erth to St Ives is just spectacular - wide white sandy beaches and beautiful aqua waters - we thought for a minute we were back in the Whitsundays! We left St Ives and headed to London through Westbury and Reading. The sun is trying to come out - it peeks through the clouds every now and then! This is the coldest and wettest July in Britain - everyone is wondering where the summer is hanging out!
We arrived at Angela's apartment in Maida Vale in London and have settled in for the next week. We went out for a walk and visited the canals of Little Venice, Lord's Cricket Ground, the Prince Alfred Pub, the Windsor Castle Pub and met up with Angela's friends for a great afternoon. This is a beautiful part of London with lovely gardens and lawns in behind the apartments - this area is like a little village and we're right in the centre of London! Michael Flatley of Riverdance fame lives around the corner, as does Princess Diana's brother - and yesterday we met the late John Inman's partner (Are you being served). Angela has retired from British Airways and left today for 5 days in Hong Kong so we are the house sitters here in the centre of London while she is away - but believe me - it is our absolute pleasure! Today has been the warmest day we have had since arriving in this part of the world - a lovely day to celebrate my birthday!
Monday, July 2, 2007
Seoul, Sth Korea to Ireland - The land of leprechauns and shamrocks
While we were in Korea I checked out the Ryanair website as we had heard so much about the cheap airfares. We were quite surprised - we booked fares from Frankfurt to Dublin for 1 cent per ticket! Including all taxes, baggage and fare the total cost of each fare was $38 Australian - what a bargain! Quite unbelievable really.
We left Frankfurt-Hahn airport and flew direct to Dublin - with all our delays in airports etc we arrived at the Dublin train station with 5 minutes to spare to catch our train. We checked onto the train and headed for Carrick-on-Shannon to begin our trip north on Mick & Diana's barge Papillon. It was great to see a familiar face at the train station - Mick took us through Boyle to Knockvicar where Diana was waiting to welcome us on board. Mick took the barge out for a quick trip where we saw ruins on Castle Island. We had dinner and a good night's sleep ready to head out next day.
It is possible to see the Irish countryside from this different perspective as there are over 1,500 klm of navigational waterways in Ireland. The evenings are very different to what we are used to - it is still light at 10:30pm and getting darker at 11:oopm. The only problem with this is that we now tend to have very late nights and get up later in the morning.
The riveted steel barge Papillon (French for butterfly) is over 100 years old and came from Holland. Mick did a lot of modifications to the barge and has turned it into a very comfortable floating home complete with 2 bedrooms, bathroom, toilet, kitchen, dining and living areas. The wheelhouse is fully enclosed with clear roll down blinds - which we certainly put to good use for our trip. Pat and I both took over the wheel for a short trip on a lough - a good experience.
We left Carrick-on-Shannon and headed out to Leitrum Village for lunch. Thus began our adventures along the Shannon, Boyle and Woodford Rivers where in total we spent 8 days on the waterways and went through 16 locks. As Mick would say "Invaluable experience for boating in the Pacific!" On our trip we learnt to play Gin Rummy, we were however no threat to Mick & Diana. The week prior to our arrival was a particularly warm spell but as soon as we arrived the weather took a turn for the worst and we had to buy warm jackets and raincoats! We have had rain every day we have been in Ireland for the past three weeks. It has not bothered us - as I say if we wanted great weather we'd stay at home. Ireland's countryside is absolutly glorious so needless to say the rain is part and parcel of it all.
Our overnight stays were at Lisconnor, Keshkerrigan, Ballinamore, Swan Island, Ballyconnell, Crom Castle and Enniskillen. Each place was different and held yet another experience. My favourite was our mooring at Crom Castle where we walked around the countryside and explored old Crom Castle. We walked along the little roadways and through the green fields and trees. We looked across at new Crom Castle which is privately owned and currently tenanted.
Pat was able to carry out a few maintenance jobs while we were on the barge - Diana was over the moon at having hot water to the galley sink!
We took a break at Carrybridge and went ashore for Guinness and a cup of coffee. A little verse on the wall of the pub took my eye:
With graceful pride the waters glide and never seem to hurry,
Tis well tis so, flow waters flow, beneath the bridge of Carry.
We met many of Mick & Diana's friends along the way - sometimes they'd catch up with us at the next mooring. At the end of the trip Mick said "We took 8 days to get from Carrick to Enniskillen but could have done it in an hour and a half by car!!!" Pat made himself a bit of a goal along the way - to have a Guinness in every port! It is quite strange cruising along the waterway and looking across the fields to see cars whizzing by. We travelled along in the barge at about 4 to 5 knots and had lots of time to take in the beautiful scenery and green fields along the way. It is lovely to see the sheep and cattle grazing at the water's edge. White swans and their babies abound in these waterways.
Our trip on the barge was a great experience - we'll never forget Diana's fabulous meals - the Port and chocolate every night - and the beautiful rolling green hills which seem to go on forever. We said goodbye to Mick and Diana and boarded a bus to Belfast to see my rellies.
My cousin Kevin met us at the bus station and took us home to his place where we moved into the same room we had on our last visit 10 years ago. It was good to see Eileen again and the children, Conor, Lauren and Kirsty - the only difference is they are all now 10 years older. Sadly my Uncle Patrick passed away last September but his memory is everywhere.
We headed up to Roddy McGorley's Club for a little while to say hello to Uncle Pat's friend John Dorris and my cousin Maggie - well that was the end of that! We left about 6 hours and 6 pints of Guinness later - we arrived home and Pat went straight to bed. The next day Kevin took us on a tour of Milltown cemetery where we searched out all the family graves including my Grandfathers and Great Grandfather. In the afternoon Eileen took us to Hannastown Cemetery to visit Uncle Patrick's grave and my Granny's.
In the afternoon we headed up to see the latest addition to the family Grace Crawford and saw Brian & Trisha, Ryan, Pearse and Grace. We checked out Majorca Street off the Grosvenor Road where my Mum grew up and where my parents lived when I was born - it is an old area beside the Royal Victoria Hospital and it is now a parking lot. This parking lot carries a lot of memories and could tell many stories! We headed up the Falls Road and visited Rockmount Street where my Dad & his brother and sisters grew up - his house seems unchanged and looks as it does in our photos taken 55 years ago.
During our visit we toured the docks of Belfast and visited the construction site of "The Titanic" and went on board the tender for the Titanic - the Nomadic. Each night we visited Roddys club and over the next few days caught up with all my cousins and their families, as well as some of my Mum's cousins. We attended a surprise 50th birthday at Roddy's for a family friend and had a great night. Ireland has the no smoking laws well in place which makes pubs a lot more pleasant to visit.
We hired a car for 3 days and headed out of Belfast to tour around the north coast and the Antrim coast. We headed down to Armagh, Monaghan and then north to Omagh, Strabane, Claudy, Limavady, Downhill and then into Coleraine. We visited Mum's cousin Vincent and his wife Mary - their daughter Ayelish was married the following day. Another daughter, Catroina is hoping to visit Australia later this year before she settles into university to study medicine.
We visited Portstewart and Portrush and Bushmills distillery where we did a bit of shopping. We stayed at a beautiful old pub The Smugglers Inn near the Giant's Causeway. We travelled down the Antrim Coast through Ballintoy and hugged the coast to Ballycastle, Cushendun, Cushendall and onto Waterfoot. We travelled through Glenariffe Forest Park and spent the night in Brian & Trisha's caravan at Waterfoot - Maggie and Eileen came up from Belfast to spend the evening with us as well.
County Antrim forms the north-east corner of Ireland where a channel only 13 miles wide separates Torr Head from the Scottish coast. Lough Neach (the largest lake in the British Isles) and the fertile valley of the Bann occupy the western part of Antrim. To the east, a magnificent coast road runs north from Larne and curves around the base of steep headlands, through which the beautiful glens of Antrim open to the sea. On the northern coast the Giant's Causeway, a striking hexagonal basalt rock formation, is truly awe inspiring.
Maggie took us out on Saturday to Casement Park to see our first Hurling match - Antrim vs Clare - Clare won on the day but Antrim put in a great effort on their home ground. It is a very fast game and very enjoyable to watch - hurling sticks seem to be flying in every direction - however protective head gear is optional.
Grace Crawford was christened at St Joseph's at Hannastown after Mass on Sunday - followed by a party at the Glenowen Pub. Gerard sang "Grace" - a song Uncle Patrick would often sing. I guess needless to say, we had a great day once again and met yet more generations of cousins. The Guinness was flowing freely - there is never a minute to go thirsty over here! Tonight anyone who is available is heading out for dinner - tomorrow we get the early morning ferry to Scotland. We've had a brilliant time in Ireland once again - so until next time we're here we'll say Slan abhile.
We left Frankfurt-Hahn airport and flew direct to Dublin - with all our delays in airports etc we arrived at the Dublin train station with 5 minutes to spare to catch our train. We checked onto the train and headed for Carrick-on-Shannon to begin our trip north on Mick & Diana's barge Papillon. It was great to see a familiar face at the train station - Mick took us through Boyle to Knockvicar where Diana was waiting to welcome us on board. Mick took the barge out for a quick trip where we saw ruins on Castle Island. We had dinner and a good night's sleep ready to head out next day.
It is possible to see the Irish countryside from this different perspective as there are over 1,500 klm of navigational waterways in Ireland. The evenings are very different to what we are used to - it is still light at 10:30pm and getting darker at 11:oopm. The only problem with this is that we now tend to have very late nights and get up later in the morning.
The riveted steel barge Papillon (French for butterfly) is over 100 years old and came from Holland. Mick did a lot of modifications to the barge and has turned it into a very comfortable floating home complete with 2 bedrooms, bathroom, toilet, kitchen, dining and living areas. The wheelhouse is fully enclosed with clear roll down blinds - which we certainly put to good use for our trip. Pat and I both took over the wheel for a short trip on a lough - a good experience.
We left Carrick-on-Shannon and headed out to Leitrum Village for lunch. Thus began our adventures along the Shannon, Boyle and Woodford Rivers where in total we spent 8 days on the waterways and went through 16 locks. As Mick would say "Invaluable experience for boating in the Pacific!" On our trip we learnt to play Gin Rummy, we were however no threat to Mick & Diana. The week prior to our arrival was a particularly warm spell but as soon as we arrived the weather took a turn for the worst and we had to buy warm jackets and raincoats! We have had rain every day we have been in Ireland for the past three weeks. It has not bothered us - as I say if we wanted great weather we'd stay at home. Ireland's countryside is absolutly glorious so needless to say the rain is part and parcel of it all.
Our overnight stays were at Lisconnor, Keshkerrigan, Ballinamore, Swan Island, Ballyconnell, Crom Castle and Enniskillen. Each place was different and held yet another experience. My favourite was our mooring at Crom Castle where we walked around the countryside and explored old Crom Castle. We walked along the little roadways and through the green fields and trees. We looked across at new Crom Castle which is privately owned and currently tenanted.
Pat was able to carry out a few maintenance jobs while we were on the barge - Diana was over the moon at having hot water to the galley sink!
We took a break at Carrybridge and went ashore for Guinness and a cup of coffee. A little verse on the wall of the pub took my eye:
With graceful pride the waters glide and never seem to hurry,
Tis well tis so, flow waters flow, beneath the bridge of Carry.
We met many of Mick & Diana's friends along the way - sometimes they'd catch up with us at the next mooring. At the end of the trip Mick said "We took 8 days to get from Carrick to Enniskillen but could have done it in an hour and a half by car!!!" Pat made himself a bit of a goal along the way - to have a Guinness in every port! It is quite strange cruising along the waterway and looking across the fields to see cars whizzing by. We travelled along in the barge at about 4 to 5 knots and had lots of time to take in the beautiful scenery and green fields along the way. It is lovely to see the sheep and cattle grazing at the water's edge. White swans and their babies abound in these waterways.
Our trip on the barge was a great experience - we'll never forget Diana's fabulous meals - the Port and chocolate every night - and the beautiful rolling green hills which seem to go on forever. We said goodbye to Mick and Diana and boarded a bus to Belfast to see my rellies.
My cousin Kevin met us at the bus station and took us home to his place where we moved into the same room we had on our last visit 10 years ago. It was good to see Eileen again and the children, Conor, Lauren and Kirsty - the only difference is they are all now 10 years older. Sadly my Uncle Patrick passed away last September but his memory is everywhere.
We headed up to Roddy McGorley's Club for a little while to say hello to Uncle Pat's friend John Dorris and my cousin Maggie - well that was the end of that! We left about 6 hours and 6 pints of Guinness later - we arrived home and Pat went straight to bed. The next day Kevin took us on a tour of Milltown cemetery where we searched out all the family graves including my Grandfathers and Great Grandfather. In the afternoon Eileen took us to Hannastown Cemetery to visit Uncle Patrick's grave and my Granny's.
In the afternoon we headed up to see the latest addition to the family Grace Crawford and saw Brian & Trisha, Ryan, Pearse and Grace. We checked out Majorca Street off the Grosvenor Road where my Mum grew up and where my parents lived when I was born - it is an old area beside the Royal Victoria Hospital and it is now a parking lot. This parking lot carries a lot of memories and could tell many stories! We headed up the Falls Road and visited Rockmount Street where my Dad & his brother and sisters grew up - his house seems unchanged and looks as it does in our photos taken 55 years ago.
During our visit we toured the docks of Belfast and visited the construction site of "The Titanic" and went on board the tender for the Titanic - the Nomadic. Each night we visited Roddys club and over the next few days caught up with all my cousins and their families, as well as some of my Mum's cousins. We attended a surprise 50th birthday at Roddy's for a family friend and had a great night. Ireland has the no smoking laws well in place which makes pubs a lot more pleasant to visit.
We hired a car for 3 days and headed out of Belfast to tour around the north coast and the Antrim coast. We headed down to Armagh, Monaghan and then north to Omagh, Strabane, Claudy, Limavady, Downhill and then into Coleraine. We visited Mum's cousin Vincent and his wife Mary - their daughter Ayelish was married the following day. Another daughter, Catroina is hoping to visit Australia later this year before she settles into university to study medicine.
We visited Portstewart and Portrush and Bushmills distillery where we did a bit of shopping. We stayed at a beautiful old pub The Smugglers Inn near the Giant's Causeway. We travelled down the Antrim Coast through Ballintoy and hugged the coast to Ballycastle, Cushendun, Cushendall and onto Waterfoot. We travelled through Glenariffe Forest Park and spent the night in Brian & Trisha's caravan at Waterfoot - Maggie and Eileen came up from Belfast to spend the evening with us as well.
County Antrim forms the north-east corner of Ireland where a channel only 13 miles wide separates Torr Head from the Scottish coast. Lough Neach (the largest lake in the British Isles) and the fertile valley of the Bann occupy the western part of Antrim. To the east, a magnificent coast road runs north from Larne and curves around the base of steep headlands, through which the beautiful glens of Antrim open to the sea. On the northern coast the Giant's Causeway, a striking hexagonal basalt rock formation, is truly awe inspiring.
Maggie took us out on Saturday to Casement Park to see our first Hurling match - Antrim vs Clare - Clare won on the day but Antrim put in a great effort on their home ground. It is a very fast game and very enjoyable to watch - hurling sticks seem to be flying in every direction - however protective head gear is optional.
Grace Crawford was christened at St Joseph's at Hannastown after Mass on Sunday - followed by a party at the Glenowen Pub. Gerard sang "Grace" - a song Uncle Patrick would often sing. I guess needless to say, we had a great day once again and met yet more generations of cousins. The Guinness was flowing freely - there is never a minute to go thirsty over here! Tonight anyone who is available is heading out for dinner - tomorrow we get the early morning ferry to Scotland. We've had a brilliant time in Ireland once again - so until next time we're here we'll say Slan abhile.
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