Sept. 30 - Back again, for a very short post. I finally noted comments at the bottom of my posts from son Jeff, three of them I hadn't accessed before (always in a rush when posting in a library as opposed to our own digs). He finds my reports of interest, but keeps harping about the fact I haven't said much about the pints we've been enjoying. He wants more details.
Mostly we try to sample local products when we have our late afternoon pint. There are very good dark ales in each place, none of which I have noted as to name brand. Suffice it to say they're all good, although not famous, being local. Gail also likes Tennant, and I have often been reverting to good old Guiness. When we ask about the local beers, they give us a sample, and if we like, they pour. Good to the last drop.
For the next week, I guess I'd better do better at keeping track of what we imbibe, as there seems to be a lot of interest on the part of person named above. Thanks for the interest, Jeff. Bare mention of how we're surviving, how we're coping with our dreadful colds. All he wants to know about is the beer and ale. Oh well! We raised him. More later. Stay tuned.
Sunday 30 September 2018
Sept 30 - We have now moved to new digs, over in the Lake District. We're in another time share located out in the country, but this time it's very different. There is a very nice restaurant and bar, and there are considerably more units, all seeming to be full. Apparently there were 50 check-ins yesterday. Quite a contrast to our last place where hardly anyone could be found. But a very nice facility, with all of the amenities...pool, hot tub, etc. And we have wifi, at the bargain price of 25 pounds for the week. They haven't caught up with the rest of the world in terms of offering free wifi. Them's the breaks.
We've done an awful lot since our last post. Castles! Hadrian's Wall! Northumberland National Park. A one woman show in Wooler Friday night, performed by a Canadian actress, which was fun. Our focus has been primarily on building a good walk into each experience, where possible. For example, Hadrian's Wall was at least a 10 mile hike up and down the hills, through sheep and cow pasture lands. We started at the wrong place, thanks to a bit of misinformation from a rather disinterested information person. "Is this the best place to do a walk along the wall?", we asked. "Up to you, really." "Where does it start?" "Just walk along the road for a mile and look for the acorn sign." So we did. And it was probably an hour before we saw the first remnant of the wall. Then it was fields again for another mile before we found another stretch of wall. By the time we were at the half-way mark to our proposed destination, the mist and wind were heavily in our face, so rather than carry on and wait for a bus to take us back to our starting point, we turned about and retreated. We both hate to do that but the weather wasn't at all pleasant, so we gave in. Total of 4 hours of hiking, which was fine, but had we gone to the next 'station' to start our walk, we'd have been much better off. We drove there, found the remains of a large Roman Fort, and found the wall stretching off to the west, which we would have enjoyed hiking along. My fault for not researching better. Such are the perils of planning.
The castles? We saw a great range of them, from ruins to modernized spooky haunted to modernized classic, including the one where a lot of the Harry Potter filming was done (Alnwick, pronounced Annick). There you could get a lesson on how to ride a broom, and take a tour with a young lady who explained all of the films that had been done in the castle, and the lengths that producers go to in order to get the effects they want. That was a very good 45 minute tour. The castle is still lived in by the Duke of Northumberland, whose possessions are immensely extensive and in many cases priceless. The family moves out to Scotland for the summer tourist season, then moves back into their lavish digs in the fall for the winter.
The haunted castle was derelict until an adventurous character took it over in order to restore it. It is full of stuff that he has collected from all over the world (he's a leading antique expert known world-wide), it has a cool dungeon and torture chamber, is just crammed with stuff because he can't bear to throw anything out. He's climbed Mt. Everest, taken part in the big dog sled race in the north, is a friend of Prince Phillip...would be neat to meet this guy. His castle is a bit of a mess, but very interesting, with a lovely tea room next to the dungeon, where we had home-made tomato soup and bread (not in the dungeon).
Enough about castles. On Friday, we got out into the park and did two hikes, one up a vertical to get a view of the surrounding beautiful countryside, back down, and then on to do another hike up and down to find a lovely spout (waterfall). That was about 6 miles total. So close to 16 miles in two days meant a pretty good effort on our part. We're feeling good with all of the exercise, and have managed to subdue our colds pretty well (Gail totally, me partially).
Some other things to mention. Brexit Brexit Brexit. That's the big issue here, and dominates the news. The Labour Party had their big conference last week, and came out with some unity as to what their options are, although their leader is under some stress for claims that he is anti-semitic. He made it clear he isn't. The Conservatives start their conference today, with Boris Johnson accusing Elizabeth May's plan to leave as 'demented'. Should be an interesting conference.
Sports? Football, football, football. And Ryder Cup. Unfortunately we don't have Sky TV in our quarters, so will have to go to the bar to watch today, but that's okay. They'd best have the golf on rather than football, or I'll be upset.
Food costs? We don't see a huge difference in quite a few items, when calculating the pound to the dollar (5 to 3 is a rough guide, so what costs 3 pounds is 5 Canuck bucks). Grocery stores in smaller towns are usually Co-op, but in larger towns big supermarkets are very good. And you can always pop into a bakery to get meat pies and other goodies. We've been eating in most days, as we have good kitchen facilities, so that saves the routine of looking for a place for meals, which is such a pain.
Pubs? They are central to life for a lot of people, so we've joined the routine by trying to finish each day with a pint. We found three different ones in Wooler, each with its own character, and generally friendly patrons and staff. Nice way to finish a day before heading home.
Driving? I've talked about it before, but it's still a challenge on the small roads, as you can't take your eyes off the center line for a moment, winding along up and down and all around as they go. The motorways are a totally different story, as there appears to be no speed limit. Coming here yesterday part of the way on the A1 I was doing 75 mph, with cars zipping past me on the outside lane. Drivers are generally courteous, but they always seem to be in a rush to get to where they're going.
This area looks very appealing, as some research last night revealed many interesting areas to go to for some good hiking. We'll let you know how it works out. But looking back at our week in Northumberland, we would recommend it highly to anyone looking for an interesting and varied place to spend a week. We very much enjoyed our time there.
Time for some breakfast, then over to the bar area to hopefully catch the key moments of the Ryder Cup. Thanks to those of you who follow this rambling nonsense, and for sending along comments. More later. Stay tuned.
We've done an awful lot since our last post. Castles! Hadrian's Wall! Northumberland National Park. A one woman show in Wooler Friday night, performed by a Canadian actress, which was fun. Our focus has been primarily on building a good walk into each experience, where possible. For example, Hadrian's Wall was at least a 10 mile hike up and down the hills, through sheep and cow pasture lands. We started at the wrong place, thanks to a bit of misinformation from a rather disinterested information person. "Is this the best place to do a walk along the wall?", we asked. "Up to you, really." "Where does it start?" "Just walk along the road for a mile and look for the acorn sign." So we did. And it was probably an hour before we saw the first remnant of the wall. Then it was fields again for another mile before we found another stretch of wall. By the time we were at the half-way mark to our proposed destination, the mist and wind were heavily in our face, so rather than carry on and wait for a bus to take us back to our starting point, we turned about and retreated. We both hate to do that but the weather wasn't at all pleasant, so we gave in. Total of 4 hours of hiking, which was fine, but had we gone to the next 'station' to start our walk, we'd have been much better off. We drove there, found the remains of a large Roman Fort, and found the wall stretching off to the west, which we would have enjoyed hiking along. My fault for not researching better. Such are the perils of planning.
The castles? We saw a great range of them, from ruins to modernized spooky haunted to modernized classic, including the one where a lot of the Harry Potter filming was done (Alnwick, pronounced Annick). There you could get a lesson on how to ride a broom, and take a tour with a young lady who explained all of the films that had been done in the castle, and the lengths that producers go to in order to get the effects they want. That was a very good 45 minute tour. The castle is still lived in by the Duke of Northumberland, whose possessions are immensely extensive and in many cases priceless. The family moves out to Scotland for the summer tourist season, then moves back into their lavish digs in the fall for the winter.
The haunted castle was derelict until an adventurous character took it over in order to restore it. It is full of stuff that he has collected from all over the world (he's a leading antique expert known world-wide), it has a cool dungeon and torture chamber, is just crammed with stuff because he can't bear to throw anything out. He's climbed Mt. Everest, taken part in the big dog sled race in the north, is a friend of Prince Phillip...would be neat to meet this guy. His castle is a bit of a mess, but very interesting, with a lovely tea room next to the dungeon, where we had home-made tomato soup and bread (not in the dungeon).
Enough about castles. On Friday, we got out into the park and did two hikes, one up a vertical to get a view of the surrounding beautiful countryside, back down, and then on to do another hike up and down to find a lovely spout (waterfall). That was about 6 miles total. So close to 16 miles in two days meant a pretty good effort on our part. We're feeling good with all of the exercise, and have managed to subdue our colds pretty well (Gail totally, me partially).
Some other things to mention. Brexit Brexit Brexit. That's the big issue here, and dominates the news. The Labour Party had their big conference last week, and came out with some unity as to what their options are, although their leader is under some stress for claims that he is anti-semitic. He made it clear he isn't. The Conservatives start their conference today, with Boris Johnson accusing Elizabeth May's plan to leave as 'demented'. Should be an interesting conference.
Sports? Football, football, football. And Ryder Cup. Unfortunately we don't have Sky TV in our quarters, so will have to go to the bar to watch today, but that's okay. They'd best have the golf on rather than football, or I'll be upset.
Food costs? We don't see a huge difference in quite a few items, when calculating the pound to the dollar (5 to 3 is a rough guide, so what costs 3 pounds is 5 Canuck bucks). Grocery stores in smaller towns are usually Co-op, but in larger towns big supermarkets are very good. And you can always pop into a bakery to get meat pies and other goodies. We've been eating in most days, as we have good kitchen facilities, so that saves the routine of looking for a place for meals, which is such a pain.
Pubs? They are central to life for a lot of people, so we've joined the routine by trying to finish each day with a pint. We found three different ones in Wooler, each with its own character, and generally friendly patrons and staff. Nice way to finish a day before heading home.
Driving? I've talked about it before, but it's still a challenge on the small roads, as you can't take your eyes off the center line for a moment, winding along up and down and all around as they go. The motorways are a totally different story, as there appears to be no speed limit. Coming here yesterday part of the way on the A1 I was doing 75 mph, with cars zipping past me on the outside lane. Drivers are generally courteous, but they always seem to be in a rush to get to where they're going.
This area looks very appealing, as some research last night revealed many interesting areas to go to for some good hiking. We'll let you know how it works out. But looking back at our week in Northumberland, we would recommend it highly to anyone looking for an interesting and varied place to spend a week. We very much enjoyed our time there.
Time for some breakfast, then over to the bar area to hopefully catch the key moments of the Ryder Cup. Thanks to those of you who follow this rambling nonsense, and for sending along comments. More later. Stay tuned.
Tuesday 25 September 2018
Sept 25 - It's been awhile since our last posting, because we've been very busy, but mainly because we don't have wifi where we're staying. Odd that we don't, in that we have a very nice unit, 2 bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc., and all other amenities, but they haven't put the bucks out for wifi. We're about 3 miles west of Wooler, next to the Northumberland National Park, and central to the area, so it's a great location. And Wooler is quite a nice little town, complete with several pubs. So all is well in all regard.
The weather has been spectacular for the time of year. Here we are, Tuesday, and sunny again. Temps around low to mid-teens, so great for hiking. But I'll go back a bit, to our last day in Scotland, and I'll be brief about it. We spent the day with large crowds in Edinburgh, lining up to get into the castle, then lining up to get into the points of interest therein, but despite the masses, we enjoyed the tour, and would recommend it, as it's loaded with history. We even saw the Scottish Royal treasures...scepter, sword and crown, handed to each king upon coronation. When Cromwell came in, the practice was discontinued, and the treasures were hidden away and forgotten, only to be discovered again in the early 1800s by none other than Sir Walter Scott, the famous writer and inventor of the historical novel. And now all can see these treasures, contained in a huge safe, within the castle.
The rest of the day was spent on the Royal Mile, with a stop at the Writer's Museum, where we learned about Scott, Burns and RL Stevenson. The street is lined with shops selling tartan goods, as you might imagine. We ducked into a nice little cafe during a shower, then went down to the end to the Scottish Parliament, which we toured ( a very modern and beautifully designed Debate Chamber, where the members sit, all facing the front...not confrontational seating like we have). And we saw the Hollyrood Palace, where the Queen stays when she's here. She wasn't home, or we'd have been in for tea.
From there, on to the city of Peebles, where we stayed in a very nice old home, then on to Wooler next day, to check into our place. There's hardly anyone here, as it's end of season, so if we decide to make use of the pool and hot tub, there shouldn't be a problem.
Two days to summarize. On Sunday we did a 3 and a half hour hike up to the top of the Cheviot Hills, then along the St. Cuthbert trail through the sheep and cattle fields, and back down to Wooler. It was a fine day, with a mix of sun and clouds, so very enjoyable. The sheep were a little shy, but didn't seem too bothered by our presence. Down into Wooler, and into the Black Bull pub for a well-deserved pint. This is a local for many people, so was busy and noisy, but just fine once we had a pint in front of us. Taxi back to our place, as we weren't up to another 3 miles of walking along a busy road.
Yesterday, we did three things: went to Holy Island (pronouced Holly) which was first settled in the 900s by a monk who was charged with bringing the heathens to the word. Must have worked, because he is still honoured to this day, being of the same name as our hiking trail. St. Cuthbert's work also led to the establishment of a large Priory, which is now in ruins, but delightful to the eye. We walked out to the castle, but didn't go in, as it's empty of furniture, having just been renovated over a three year period. We saw the 6 large lime pits that were housed on the property, in which limestone was heated at 1,000 degrees to create lime, which was shipped to Dundee. We bought a bottle of mead on the way back to the car, watching the time, as the tide was scheduled for 1::20 p.m., at which time the causeway is covered with sea water. If you don't make it off before that time, you have to wait for the tide to recede at 7 p.m. in order to get off the island. We made it. People have been known to get on the causeway too late, and either get stranded on a little bridge that is just high enough to avoid the flood, or get inundated (a picture is posted of a car well submerged, to remind you that this is serious business).
The second activity was to go to Berwick Upon Tweed. (Berrick, for you Canadians). Here there is a very fine wall that encompasses three sides of the main part of town, the Tweed River covering the other. It was undertaken by order of Queen Mary, and then Elizabeth, and was the largest engineering project during the reign of Liz. They ran out of money, and there was even some mismanagement, so it wasn't totally completed. But it looks to have been well able to serve its purpose, although the cannon that were there have been removed. If the Russians try to take the town, they'd be quite able to do so. But it's a lovely walk of about a mile, with a garden or two and a playground down around the lower areas., the town below, and to the east, great views of the North Sea surf, and Bamburgh Castle in the distance.
The third thing was to do a seashore walk, so we were able to find a parking place south of the town and did a nice long walk along the Northumberland shore, both on the beach and above on the trail that runs for miles north to south. We met a lovely older couple along the way, who were out birding, and who surprised us by saying they have a son living in, of all places, Labrador City. He was RAF, stationed in Labrador for three years. Found his sweetheart there, and since reetirement, has there remained. Almost everyone we meet tells us of a Canadian connection, someone in the family, or a friend, who lives in Canada.
So lots of hiking again. We finished off the day with a pint at the Tankerton Arms, which was much quieter and very pleasant, with very friendly staff. (They gave us a brownie for being such good customers). They've had a very busy season, so were enjoying a quiet day, prior to a busload of Hungarians coming in next day.
All is not smooth in this journey, let me tell you. Quite often we can't follow the signs that point to where we want to go, somehow missing key corners, and having to back up and turn around in tight spaces. Happens frequently. The driving is now more comfortable, as I can now careen around corners dodging lorries with the best of them. And last night, we had a major power break-down. Gail was doing a washing, when the machine started to dance up and down, and killed a whole series of circuits. Refrig, stove, many of the lights, the t.v., all gone. But to make a long story short, Ian, the maintenance man, got us going again this morning, but for the washing/drying machine, which may be toast. We used machines in two other units to finally get the job done.
Finally, both of us have caught a cold, Gail first, who kindly handed it on to me. We have found meds that seem to help, so will tough it through. Today, rather than hours of hiking, we'll do a drive to two or three castles for a look, and no doubt end the day at a pub. Supposed to be plus 18 tomorrow, so maybe we'll head down to Hadrian's Wall for a good long walk along the top of it.
So that's enough nonsense for this post. Quite something that Tiger won on Sunday. The big event this week-end should be quite interesting, so hope we have a t.v. in our next place. That's all for now. More later. Stay tuned.
The weather has been spectacular for the time of year. Here we are, Tuesday, and sunny again. Temps around low to mid-teens, so great for hiking. But I'll go back a bit, to our last day in Scotland, and I'll be brief about it. We spent the day with large crowds in Edinburgh, lining up to get into the castle, then lining up to get into the points of interest therein, but despite the masses, we enjoyed the tour, and would recommend it, as it's loaded with history. We even saw the Scottish Royal treasures...scepter, sword and crown, handed to each king upon coronation. When Cromwell came in, the practice was discontinued, and the treasures were hidden away and forgotten, only to be discovered again in the early 1800s by none other than Sir Walter Scott, the famous writer and inventor of the historical novel. And now all can see these treasures, contained in a huge safe, within the castle.
The rest of the day was spent on the Royal Mile, with a stop at the Writer's Museum, where we learned about Scott, Burns and RL Stevenson. The street is lined with shops selling tartan goods, as you might imagine. We ducked into a nice little cafe during a shower, then went down to the end to the Scottish Parliament, which we toured ( a very modern and beautifully designed Debate Chamber, where the members sit, all facing the front...not confrontational seating like we have). And we saw the Hollyrood Palace, where the Queen stays when she's here. She wasn't home, or we'd have been in for tea.
From there, on to the city of Peebles, where we stayed in a very nice old home, then on to Wooler next day, to check into our place. There's hardly anyone here, as it's end of season, so if we decide to make use of the pool and hot tub, there shouldn't be a problem.
Two days to summarize. On Sunday we did a 3 and a half hour hike up to the top of the Cheviot Hills, then along the St. Cuthbert trail through the sheep and cattle fields, and back down to Wooler. It was a fine day, with a mix of sun and clouds, so very enjoyable. The sheep were a little shy, but didn't seem too bothered by our presence. Down into Wooler, and into the Black Bull pub for a well-deserved pint. This is a local for many people, so was busy and noisy, but just fine once we had a pint in front of us. Taxi back to our place, as we weren't up to another 3 miles of walking along a busy road.
Yesterday, we did three things: went to Holy Island (pronouced Holly) which was first settled in the 900s by a monk who was charged with bringing the heathens to the word. Must have worked, because he is still honoured to this day, being of the same name as our hiking trail. St. Cuthbert's work also led to the establishment of a large Priory, which is now in ruins, but delightful to the eye. We walked out to the castle, but didn't go in, as it's empty of furniture, having just been renovated over a three year period. We saw the 6 large lime pits that were housed on the property, in which limestone was heated at 1,000 degrees to create lime, which was shipped to Dundee. We bought a bottle of mead on the way back to the car, watching the time, as the tide was scheduled for 1::20 p.m., at which time the causeway is covered with sea water. If you don't make it off before that time, you have to wait for the tide to recede at 7 p.m. in order to get off the island. We made it. People have been known to get on the causeway too late, and either get stranded on a little bridge that is just high enough to avoid the flood, or get inundated (a picture is posted of a car well submerged, to remind you that this is serious business).
The second activity was to go to Berwick Upon Tweed. (Berrick, for you Canadians). Here there is a very fine wall that encompasses three sides of the main part of town, the Tweed River covering the other. It was undertaken by order of Queen Mary, and then Elizabeth, and was the largest engineering project during the reign of Liz. They ran out of money, and there was even some mismanagement, so it wasn't totally completed. But it looks to have been well able to serve its purpose, although the cannon that were there have been removed. If the Russians try to take the town, they'd be quite able to do so. But it's a lovely walk of about a mile, with a garden or two and a playground down around the lower areas., the town below, and to the east, great views of the North Sea surf, and Bamburgh Castle in the distance.
The third thing was to do a seashore walk, so we were able to find a parking place south of the town and did a nice long walk along the Northumberland shore, both on the beach and above on the trail that runs for miles north to south. We met a lovely older couple along the way, who were out birding, and who surprised us by saying they have a son living in, of all places, Labrador City. He was RAF, stationed in Labrador for three years. Found his sweetheart there, and since reetirement, has there remained. Almost everyone we meet tells us of a Canadian connection, someone in the family, or a friend, who lives in Canada.
So lots of hiking again. We finished off the day with a pint at the Tankerton Arms, which was much quieter and very pleasant, with very friendly staff. (They gave us a brownie for being such good customers). They've had a very busy season, so were enjoying a quiet day, prior to a busload of Hungarians coming in next day.
All is not smooth in this journey, let me tell you. Quite often we can't follow the signs that point to where we want to go, somehow missing key corners, and having to back up and turn around in tight spaces. Happens frequently. The driving is now more comfortable, as I can now careen around corners dodging lorries with the best of them. And last night, we had a major power break-down. Gail was doing a washing, when the machine started to dance up and down, and killed a whole series of circuits. Refrig, stove, many of the lights, the t.v., all gone. But to make a long story short, Ian, the maintenance man, got us going again this morning, but for the washing/drying machine, which may be toast. We used machines in two other units to finally get the job done.
Finally, both of us have caught a cold, Gail first, who kindly handed it on to me. We have found meds that seem to help, so will tough it through. Today, rather than hours of hiking, we'll do a drive to two or three castles for a look, and no doubt end the day at a pub. Supposed to be plus 18 tomorrow, so maybe we'll head down to Hadrian's Wall for a good long walk along the top of it.
So that's enough nonsense for this post. Quite something that Tiger won on Sunday. The big event this week-end should be quite interesting, so hope we have a t.v. in our next place. That's all for now. More later. Stay tuned.
Thursday 20 September 2018
Sept 20 - We started the day with our typical Scottish breakfast. Have I mentioned this before? Just in case I haven't, the day starts with eggs, sausage, bacon, hagus, blood pudding (if you can handle it), toast, beans, tomato, and potato, plus juice, cereal if you choose, and tea/coffee. Good for most of the day, so only a little bit of lunch is quite adequate until dinner.
On we went into St. Andrew's, to the Old Course and the British Golf Museum. The first thing we saw upon arrival was the destruction of the tents set up for the upcoming Dunhill Cup, out just to the shore side of the 1st hole of the Old Course. Storm Ali did a number on everything that had been set up, with winds up to 101 miles per hour, to the extent that all of the tents and framework were a total write-off. We talked to one of the techs, who was quite matter-of-fact about it. They did the set-up for the Ryder Cup last week, in Paris, and are part of a large company that does this sort of thing. So once the insurance people do their thing, they'll have all new replacement equipment ready to go in time for the tournament.
From there we went to the first tee, which is very open to the public. Took me back 38 years, to when I teed off there. The burn across the front of the first green, the old bridge, the road hole, all within easy vision. The wind was howling, so the urge to play was less than it might have been. Also, when I played the course, it cost 12 pounds. Now it's 180. So that's a bit of a disincentive as well. But there were players going out, despite the cool and the blowing wind, so more power to them.
Then we did the British Golf Museum. It was a little like visiting Golf Mecca, not unlike the visit we made to the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida. In this case, the story was of the development of the game from the earliest days, back to the 14th Century. And all the way up to the modern period, with focus on the Championship, to the development of course construction, the development of clubs and balls, and even the progression of clothing. Champions are highlighted, going back to Old Tom Morris and up to Francisco Molinari.
All in all, it was a grand visit. A few souvenirs were purchased, and a little tour of the main street followed. St. Andrew's is a much a student town as it is a golf town, as their famous university is right next to the golf courses. We stopped into the student's tea shop, called the Chrichton Room, after the Admirable Chrichton, and shared a table with a German young lady who is doing her second year of Masters study here. She was charming, and gave us some insight into the life of a grad student here. Two classes a week, one three hours, one an hour, and some structure, which is quite different from her experience in Germany, where there isn't much guidance or supervision. Her responsibility is to do a lot of research and reading, then write papers on selected topics. So the onus is on her to do the work as required in order to get her degrees, one here and one at her home university in Koln.
From there we went on to do the Fife coast road, down through a series of towns and villages along the North Sea and the Firth of Forth. We stopped for a good while at the town of Crail, and had a fine time walking about, exploring the area, finding the harbour, speaking to a piper who was taking a break during the photo session of a wedding, having a scone in one of the tea shops. Old town, hundreds of years of history. A hotel that still operates after opening in the late 1700s. Substantial buildings, narrow streets, winding alleys, sharp breeze, lovely old gardens. A good stop it was.
We wound our way along the route: narrow roads again, playing chicken with oncoming cars and large vehicles on tight corners, ducking into the other lane to dodge around vehicles parked on our side of the road, following the GPS, which has been a god-send. Things tightened up as we got closer to Edinburgh, with heavier traffic, tight roundabouts, and the usual speed demons dodging around whenever they got a chance. But we made it to our hotel, the Davaar, in Dunfermline, and were pleasantly pleased. This building was a home, at first, then converted to a hospital devoted to the delivery of babies. Now it's a lovely guest house with a beautiful dining room/lounge. We went to the local pub, the Glen Tavern, and got a great meal. Stuffed we are, and now we recline, watching the telly outline how tough things look for the Prime Minister. She's in trouble trying to work out a deal.
Tomorrow we go to Edinburgh for the day. Should be interesting. Stay tuned. More later.
On we went into St. Andrew's, to the Old Course and the British Golf Museum. The first thing we saw upon arrival was the destruction of the tents set up for the upcoming Dunhill Cup, out just to the shore side of the 1st hole of the Old Course. Storm Ali did a number on everything that had been set up, with winds up to 101 miles per hour, to the extent that all of the tents and framework were a total write-off. We talked to one of the techs, who was quite matter-of-fact about it. They did the set-up for the Ryder Cup last week, in Paris, and are part of a large company that does this sort of thing. So once the insurance people do their thing, they'll have all new replacement equipment ready to go in time for the tournament.
From there we went to the first tee, which is very open to the public. Took me back 38 years, to when I teed off there. The burn across the front of the first green, the old bridge, the road hole, all within easy vision. The wind was howling, so the urge to play was less than it might have been. Also, when I played the course, it cost 12 pounds. Now it's 180. So that's a bit of a disincentive as well. But there were players going out, despite the cool and the blowing wind, so more power to them.
Then we did the British Golf Museum. It was a little like visiting Golf Mecca, not unlike the visit we made to the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida. In this case, the story was of the development of the game from the earliest days, back to the 14th Century. And all the way up to the modern period, with focus on the Championship, to the development of course construction, the development of clubs and balls, and even the progression of clothing. Champions are highlighted, going back to Old Tom Morris and up to Francisco Molinari.
All in all, it was a grand visit. A few souvenirs were purchased, and a little tour of the main street followed. St. Andrew's is a much a student town as it is a golf town, as their famous university is right next to the golf courses. We stopped into the student's tea shop, called the Chrichton Room, after the Admirable Chrichton, and shared a table with a German young lady who is doing her second year of Masters study here. She was charming, and gave us some insight into the life of a grad student here. Two classes a week, one three hours, one an hour, and some structure, which is quite different from her experience in Germany, where there isn't much guidance or supervision. Her responsibility is to do a lot of research and reading, then write papers on selected topics. So the onus is on her to do the work as required in order to get her degrees, one here and one at her home university in Koln.
From there we went on to do the Fife coast road, down through a series of towns and villages along the North Sea and the Firth of Forth. We stopped for a good while at the town of Crail, and had a fine time walking about, exploring the area, finding the harbour, speaking to a piper who was taking a break during the photo session of a wedding, having a scone in one of the tea shops. Old town, hundreds of years of history. A hotel that still operates after opening in the late 1700s. Substantial buildings, narrow streets, winding alleys, sharp breeze, lovely old gardens. A good stop it was.
We wound our way along the route: narrow roads again, playing chicken with oncoming cars and large vehicles on tight corners, ducking into the other lane to dodge around vehicles parked on our side of the road, following the GPS, which has been a god-send. Things tightened up as we got closer to Edinburgh, with heavier traffic, tight roundabouts, and the usual speed demons dodging around whenever they got a chance. But we made it to our hotel, the Davaar, in Dunfermline, and were pleasantly pleased. This building was a home, at first, then converted to a hospital devoted to the delivery of babies. Now it's a lovely guest house with a beautiful dining room/lounge. We went to the local pub, the Glen Tavern, and got a great meal. Stuffed we are, and now we recline, watching the telly outline how tough things look for the Prime Minister. She's in trouble trying to work out a deal.
Tomorrow we go to Edinburgh for the day. Should be interesting. Stay tuned. More later.
Wednesday 19 September 2018
September 19 - First item of business is to wish my dear sister Marilyn a Happy 75th birthday. We hope you have a nice day, and a great cruise to celebrate within a few days. We are thinking of you today, and hope you have a great time.
Today was Storm Ali/William Wallace/find your place of rest day. To begin, there has been an orange alert on all day, with huge winds blowing in from across Ireland to Scotland and northern England. The rain had begun already when we went down the road to a so-called Scottish Knitting mill. Turned out to be a tourist trap, with most products definitely not made in Scotland. Even the plaids were not marked 'made in Britain', and after asking a clerk, she told me there is no requirement here to indicate the country of origin for products they sell. There were a few things that were Scottish made, but not much, so we left.
On the road, playing chicken with the mad Scottish drivers. We weren't too clear about where we'd go, other than to St. Andrew's, where I'd booked an inn for the night. As it turned out, we came to a sign pointing to Bridge of Allan, a small town near Stirling, where the William Wallace Monument is to be found. So that's where we went.
Upon arrival, we learned that the path up to the monument, a rather steep incline, was not deemed safe because of the high winds, so it was go at your own risk. We risked!! The wind was howling, especially when you reached the base of the monument, where it nearly blew you off your feet. The topmost section of the monument was closed off, as it's too exposed to the elements. But we made our way up to the other sections, after listening to one of Wallace's soldiers, who gave an animated account of the battle that made Wallace famous. He did his character to perfection, so well that I only got about 2/3 of what he had to say, his brogue was so heavy. But we understood enough to get the drift of his story.
Up the spiral staircase we climbed, with the wind and rain howling. (We just learned on the news that 2 people died in Ireland in Storm Ali.) Wheb we hit the west side, the wind whipped through the slot openings, rain spraying through in abandon. But we slogged up, and found the Arms Room, then up another level to the Heros of Scotland level, and finally the the level that explained the creation of the monument. It was truly enlightening, and gave us a good impression of the early days of Scotland's struggle to remain independent. Wallace, who rose from obscurity to become the Guardian of Scotlad, was a remarkable character, not overly well regarded during his lifetime, but later immortalized through story and song (and movie). He met a rough end, when the British king insisted on his arrest, and saw that he was first dragged through the public streets by horse, then hung, then cut down, disemboweled, then drawn and quartered. Not a good end for an heroic figure.
We had tea and a scone in the tea shop, learning that they were shutting the monument down at 3:30 to allow staff to get home safely. Then we hit the road toward St. Andrew's. Not much trouble getting to our destination, although we had to dodge fallen tree limbs and large branches, but there followed a big problem finding our spot reserved for the night. Turns out it is out in the country, in an obscure location, known to hardly anyone. We rambled around back roads, lanes, golf course entries, and around again, before finding a kind man in the local r.v. park who actually guided us to our destination. It took well over an hour from the time we left St. Andrew's until we found the place. Frustration big time.
However, after tidying up, and a drink of the favorite mood raiser, we were ready to head back into the city to find a place for dinner, as our remote inn has no restaurant for evening fare. We managed beautifully, finding an Inn called 'The Saint', where we had a lovely light dinner and pint. Best of all, we found our way back to our inn without a problem, and are now settled down for the evening.
Tomorrow we'll do a bit of St. Andrew's, maybe take in the Scottish Golf World Museum, maybe do a hike along the shore, and then head down the coast towards Edinburgh. Hopefully the wind and rain will have abated somewhat so we can do some outdoor activities. There you have it, the joys of travel. Stay tuned. More later.
Today was Storm Ali/William Wallace/find your place of rest day. To begin, there has been an orange alert on all day, with huge winds blowing in from across Ireland to Scotland and northern England. The rain had begun already when we went down the road to a so-called Scottish Knitting mill. Turned out to be a tourist trap, with most products definitely not made in Scotland. Even the plaids were not marked 'made in Britain', and after asking a clerk, she told me there is no requirement here to indicate the country of origin for products they sell. There were a few things that were Scottish made, but not much, so we left.
On the road, playing chicken with the mad Scottish drivers. We weren't too clear about where we'd go, other than to St. Andrew's, where I'd booked an inn for the night. As it turned out, we came to a sign pointing to Bridge of Allan, a small town near Stirling, where the William Wallace Monument is to be found. So that's where we went.
Upon arrival, we learned that the path up to the monument, a rather steep incline, was not deemed safe because of the high winds, so it was go at your own risk. We risked!! The wind was howling, especially when you reached the base of the monument, where it nearly blew you off your feet. The topmost section of the monument was closed off, as it's too exposed to the elements. But we made our way up to the other sections, after listening to one of Wallace's soldiers, who gave an animated account of the battle that made Wallace famous. He did his character to perfection, so well that I only got about 2/3 of what he had to say, his brogue was so heavy. But we understood enough to get the drift of his story.
Up the spiral staircase we climbed, with the wind and rain howling. (We just learned on the news that 2 people died in Ireland in Storm Ali.) Wheb we hit the west side, the wind whipped through the slot openings, rain spraying through in abandon. But we slogged up, and found the Arms Room, then up another level to the Heros of Scotland level, and finally the the level that explained the creation of the monument. It was truly enlightening, and gave us a good impression of the early days of Scotland's struggle to remain independent. Wallace, who rose from obscurity to become the Guardian of Scotlad, was a remarkable character, not overly well regarded during his lifetime, but later immortalized through story and song (and movie). He met a rough end, when the British king insisted on his arrest, and saw that he was first dragged through the public streets by horse, then hung, then cut down, disemboweled, then drawn and quartered. Not a good end for an heroic figure.
We had tea and a scone in the tea shop, learning that they were shutting the monument down at 3:30 to allow staff to get home safely. Then we hit the road toward St. Andrew's. Not much trouble getting to our destination, although we had to dodge fallen tree limbs and large branches, but there followed a big problem finding our spot reserved for the night. Turns out it is out in the country, in an obscure location, known to hardly anyone. We rambled around back roads, lanes, golf course entries, and around again, before finding a kind man in the local r.v. park who actually guided us to our destination. It took well over an hour from the time we left St. Andrew's until we found the place. Frustration big time.
However, after tidying up, and a drink of the favorite mood raiser, we were ready to head back into the city to find a place for dinner, as our remote inn has no restaurant for evening fare. We managed beautifully, finding an Inn called 'The Saint', where we had a lovely light dinner and pint. Best of all, we found our way back to our inn without a problem, and are now settled down for the evening.
Tomorrow we'll do a bit of St. Andrew's, maybe take in the Scottish Golf World Museum, maybe do a hike along the shore, and then head down the coast towards Edinburgh. Hopefully the wind and rain will have abated somewhat so we can do some outdoor activities. There you have it, the joys of travel. Stay tuned. More later.
Tuesday 18 September 2018
Sept. 18 - We might have stayed in Glasgow, but it's a big city, and our inclinations are towards countryside and a good walk. So after an excellent full Scottish breakfast (eggs, toast, beans, tomato, potato cake, sausage, orange juice and tea...good for all day) we got info from the desk clerk and braved the streets of Glasgow. We found our way to Motorway A82, and managed to cope with busy streets as we made our way out toward Loch Loman. Getting used to a standard drive on the wrong side of the car driving down the left side of the road takes a little getting used to, but soon became pretty comfortable.
As we got closer to the lake, the road became 2 lane, and quite narrow in places. But we managed, and found a lovely little village called "Luss". We spent a good part of the day there, walking about, enjoying the lake, the lovely cottages, and the Fairy Walk. The latter is a trail that has been developed in honour of the little people, with 9 stations depicting aspects of fairy life. It was a lovely walk in the woods, complete with sheep in the meadow, fairy dust, little houses in the trees, and much imparted wisdom. Quite neat. Our grand-daughter Anna would love to visit here.
When we got back to the village, we met Ian Cameron, who had just come out of his house to go for a walk. We had a great chat with this 89 year old former shepherd. He was sent here when he was 15 to be a shepherd's helper, and stayed to do that work for more than 50 years. Bright, articulate, and totally delightful he is. Like us, he fears for the future of the world. Like us, he regrets the changes that have come to his little community, with busloads of tourists pouring in every day. He also regrets the disappearance of his trade. Whereas there used to be 15 shepherds in this area, there are now none, so the majority of sheep that are here are almost feral, confirming the shyness they exhibited when we encountered them on the trail. He also told us that Gail's clan, the Elliotts, were shepherds, who came to the Central Highlands from the border country of England to do their trade. Gail had no idea of this.
Later, we went to another spot on the lake called Fricken Point. There we met a couple from Vancouver Island. Like us, their rural community is being bought up by city people. Their community is being over-run by tourism. Their community is not the same as before, which they greatly regret. We had a lot in common.
We did a nice one hour walk along the shore, then drove along the A82 towards the north end of the lake. The road was very narrow in spots, and just a little scary when meeting a truck or a bus. There were many signs on the road saying "SLOW", and there were signs saying "oncoming traffic on center of road", which meant cars coming our way had to cross the center line to get around the curves in some places, meaning you had to brake, or really hug the left side, lined with rock walls. And speed...most of the drivers on this road were driving like they were in the Daytona 500.
But we managed, and found our way to Callandar, a nice little town on the way to Stirling. We had dinner in the local hotel, just around the corner from our very nice B and B. sitting next to 3 ladies who were having a great chat. We ended up joining in, and found that the eldest is about to turn 90, and was with her niece and great-niece. We covered many topics, discovering that the niece is still practising her Ministry at 85 years of age, loving it, and her daughter is a professional opera singer. all of them are worried about Brexit, especially the singer, as it may affect her opportunities to perform abroad once Britain goes solo. They are off to Glasgow tomorrow to have a nice birthday dinner for the aunt. But as they were leaving, the niece couldn't resist coming back to tell us a group of the family have planned a large surprise birthday party for the old girl. They were great fun to talk with...one of the bonuses of travel being to meet people this way.
Tomorrow a huge storm is supposed to blow in from the west, across Ireland, with winds up to 50 or 60 miles per hour, and lots of rain. So we don't quite know what to do tomorrow. Will have to wait to see how bad it is. We may just stay here, or we may head over towards St. Andrew's. Time will tell. So stay tuned. More excitement later.
As we got closer to the lake, the road became 2 lane, and quite narrow in places. But we managed, and found a lovely little village called "Luss". We spent a good part of the day there, walking about, enjoying the lake, the lovely cottages, and the Fairy Walk. The latter is a trail that has been developed in honour of the little people, with 9 stations depicting aspects of fairy life. It was a lovely walk in the woods, complete with sheep in the meadow, fairy dust, little houses in the trees, and much imparted wisdom. Quite neat. Our grand-daughter Anna would love to visit here.
When we got back to the village, we met Ian Cameron, who had just come out of his house to go for a walk. We had a great chat with this 89 year old former shepherd. He was sent here when he was 15 to be a shepherd's helper, and stayed to do that work for more than 50 years. Bright, articulate, and totally delightful he is. Like us, he fears for the future of the world. Like us, he regrets the changes that have come to his little community, with busloads of tourists pouring in every day. He also regrets the disappearance of his trade. Whereas there used to be 15 shepherds in this area, there are now none, so the majority of sheep that are here are almost feral, confirming the shyness they exhibited when we encountered them on the trail. He also told us that Gail's clan, the Elliotts, were shepherds, who came to the Central Highlands from the border country of England to do their trade. Gail had no idea of this.
Later, we went to another spot on the lake called Fricken Point. There we met a couple from Vancouver Island. Like us, their rural community is being bought up by city people. Their community is being over-run by tourism. Their community is not the same as before, which they greatly regret. We had a lot in common.
We did a nice one hour walk along the shore, then drove along the A82 towards the north end of the lake. The road was very narrow in spots, and just a little scary when meeting a truck or a bus. There were many signs on the road saying "SLOW", and there were signs saying "oncoming traffic on center of road", which meant cars coming our way had to cross the center line to get around the curves in some places, meaning you had to brake, or really hug the left side, lined with rock walls. And speed...most of the drivers on this road were driving like they were in the Daytona 500.
But we managed, and found our way to Callandar, a nice little town on the way to Stirling. We had dinner in the local hotel, just around the corner from our very nice B and B. sitting next to 3 ladies who were having a great chat. We ended up joining in, and found that the eldest is about to turn 90, and was with her niece and great-niece. We covered many topics, discovering that the niece is still practising her Ministry at 85 years of age, loving it, and her daughter is a professional opera singer. all of them are worried about Brexit, especially the singer, as it may affect her opportunities to perform abroad once Britain goes solo. They are off to Glasgow tomorrow to have a nice birthday dinner for the aunt. But as they were leaving, the niece couldn't resist coming back to tell us a group of the family have planned a large surprise birthday party for the old girl. They were great fun to talk with...one of the bonuses of travel being to meet people this way.
Tomorrow a huge storm is supposed to blow in from the west, across Ireland, with winds up to 50 or 60 miles per hour, and lots of rain. So we don't quite know what to do tomorrow. Will have to wait to see how bad it is. We may just stay here, or we may head over towards St. Andrew's. Time will tell. So stay tuned. More excitement later.
Monday 17 September 2018
September 17 - Some transition. Up at 3 this morning to catch the bus to the airport for a 7:30 a.m. flight to Glasgow. Said airport is located about 50 minutes from the centre of town, and because it's so busy in the morning, one is advised to be there with plenty of time to spare. Turned out we had quite a bit of time before we finally left, partly because we had to stand in line for what seemed like forever while they fixed the plumbing on the plane. But it's a nice airport/shopping center, with no end of food facilities and duty free shops.
The flight went well, although quite bumpy, and two hours later we landed in Glasgow. And now the adventure of the road began, as we have a very nice Skoda standard drive that they still insist you drive on the wrong side of the road. Furthermore, we had a very sketchy map as to where our hotel is located, so we did a fair bit of touring of downtown Glasgow, winding around narrow one-way streets, before we found our hotel. Just as we were about to give up, after asking for directions a couple of times, we turned a corner, and lo and behold, there was the hotel. And a nice old place it is, housed in a long block of Victorian mansions near Glasgow University. After a little relaxing, and lunch at the Big Slope pub, we had a nap and reorganized. Later we had a nice walk, and went back to the same pub for a very nice dinner. A cut above normal pub fare, so we were very pleased.
But more about Iceland. Gail reminds me to tell you how impressive it is that this island nation in completely self-sufficient re hydro power. They use thermal and heat from the hot springs areas to fuel virtually all of their electrical needs. Their water is also excellent, filtered as it is through lava layers in most areas. Despite the high cost of living, people are well paid for their work, and although taxed quite highly, health and education is free, with a minor charge for university. Kids are required to complete 10 years of elementary education and then can go on to 3 years of high school, then to university or technical training.
2008 was a major set-back for the country, but they have recovered quite well, and are now enjoying a building boom in the city, which contains about 2/3 of the country's population. Fishing was for many years the basis of the economy, but since the crash, they have rebuilt the economy, quite deliberately, on the back of tourism. People are flocking here from all over the world, particularly since Iceland is central between Europe and North America. IcelandAir offers free stopovers of 3 or 7 days as a way to entice people to come, and are building their airline to accommodate the increased numbers.
Anyway, it's a great experience for anyone looking for something quite different in terms of environment, breadth of activities available, and a safe friendly place to visit. We enjoyed out third day by simply wandering about, first to the Flea market, and then around the old harbour area, where we learned a lot about Iceland's marine history. Being an island nation, the sea and the industries that grow out of such a location are quite varied, so it was interesting to learn about the various types of shipping that have existed over the years. We ended the day with a good dinner of fish and chips, then wandered home to prepare for our flight. Early to bed, with hopes of a good sleep. Unfortunately, Gail only got a couple of hours, then couldn't go back to sleep. So she did not have a comfortable time on the plane. When she's really tired, the restless leg thing really kicks ind, a very unpleasante experience. Our flying days may be over if a solution for the problem is not found.
Planning out the week was central this afternoon, as we didn't really have an itinerary planned for Scotland. We finally decided to go to the Loch Loman area, then up to the Trossach area, where we've booked a bandb for tomorrow night in Callendar. Look it up, and you'll see where we plan to go. Weather doesn't look good, as there may be storms for the next couple of days, which will affect our activities to some extent. But we'll do our best to get out and do some hiking tomorrow. More later. Stay tuned.
The flight went well, although quite bumpy, and two hours later we landed in Glasgow. And now the adventure of the road began, as we have a very nice Skoda standard drive that they still insist you drive on the wrong side of the road. Furthermore, we had a very sketchy map as to where our hotel is located, so we did a fair bit of touring of downtown Glasgow, winding around narrow one-way streets, before we found our hotel. Just as we were about to give up, after asking for directions a couple of times, we turned a corner, and lo and behold, there was the hotel. And a nice old place it is, housed in a long block of Victorian mansions near Glasgow University. After a little relaxing, and lunch at the Big Slope pub, we had a nap and reorganized. Later we had a nice walk, and went back to the same pub for a very nice dinner. A cut above normal pub fare, so we were very pleased.
But more about Iceland. Gail reminds me to tell you how impressive it is that this island nation in completely self-sufficient re hydro power. They use thermal and heat from the hot springs areas to fuel virtually all of their electrical needs. Their water is also excellent, filtered as it is through lava layers in most areas. Despite the high cost of living, people are well paid for their work, and although taxed quite highly, health and education is free, with a minor charge for university. Kids are required to complete 10 years of elementary education and then can go on to 3 years of high school, then to university or technical training.
2008 was a major set-back for the country, but they have recovered quite well, and are now enjoying a building boom in the city, which contains about 2/3 of the country's population. Fishing was for many years the basis of the economy, but since the crash, they have rebuilt the economy, quite deliberately, on the back of tourism. People are flocking here from all over the world, particularly since Iceland is central between Europe and North America. IcelandAir offers free stopovers of 3 or 7 days as a way to entice people to come, and are building their airline to accommodate the increased numbers.
Anyway, it's a great experience for anyone looking for something quite different in terms of environment, breadth of activities available, and a safe friendly place to visit. We enjoyed out third day by simply wandering about, first to the Flea market, and then around the old harbour area, where we learned a lot about Iceland's marine history. Being an island nation, the sea and the industries that grow out of such a location are quite varied, so it was interesting to learn about the various types of shipping that have existed over the years. We ended the day with a good dinner of fish and chips, then wandered home to prepare for our flight. Early to bed, with hopes of a good sleep. Unfortunately, Gail only got a couple of hours, then couldn't go back to sleep. So she did not have a comfortable time on the plane. When she's really tired, the restless leg thing really kicks ind, a very unpleasante experience. Our flying days may be over if a solution for the problem is not found.
Planning out the week was central this afternoon, as we didn't really have an itinerary planned for Scotland. We finally decided to go to the Loch Loman area, then up to the Trossach area, where we've booked a bandb for tomorrow night in Callendar. Look it up, and you'll see where we plan to go. Weather doesn't look good, as there may be storms for the next couple of days, which will affect our activities to some extent. But we'll do our best to get out and do some hiking tomorrow. More later. Stay tuned.
Sunday 16 September 2018
Sept. 16 - We're now in our third day in Iceland, and will finally take the time to put down a few notes. We've been blessed with good weather, which isn't always the case here, as conditions can change at the drop of a hat. It's been around plus 12 the first two days, with the only rain coming at the end of our tour yesterday. This morning is sunny, so we'll soon be out and about to enjoy the city.
Just a couple of words about the trip over. Start off with a little adventure, we like to do. Left the car at Park'nFly, and headed to the airport. Just as we started for the entrance, I realized I'd left my regular glasses in the car. Have to have them, so what to do? Fortunately, Park'n'Fly has a good number of shuttles running, so I hopped on the next one and went back to the check-in lot. Once there, I looked for my car, but it was gone, as we were in the Valet lot, and one of the attendants had already moved my car. So I explained my problem to several of the car jockeys, and they started a search. They move the cars to about 8 different lots, and because mine had just been moved, the jockey hadn't come back yet to post its location. So they called the manager, who put out a search, and they finally tracked down the car, brought it back, and I retrieved my glasses. Then back on a shuttle so we could check in.
That put us a little behind schedule, but, fortunately, we'd left home in lots of time, so were able to hasten a little dinner down before going to a transfer site, as we had to take a shuttle over to another smaller terminal. Iceland Air must be on the economy rate for airport fees, as from there they bussed us to the plane when boarding time arrived. Nice new plane with attractive staff (all tall blonds with hair tied back in attractive buns...no rules for hiring like Air Canada has, it seems) and a female captain. But the seats had only the bare minimum leg room, the plane was full, so it was a long 5 hours. Gail's pills didn't work, so neither of us had any sleep to speak of. No complimentary service either, except for a cup of tea. The pains of Economy flying. Can't say we enjoy it anymore.
We arrived at 6 a.m., to a very crowded airport. Looks like the majority of incoming and outgoing flights are early morning, so the place was jammed. Once we got through immigration and bag retrieval and customs, we were in the departure lounge, where the only food/coffee source was a very busy Dunkin' Donuts, if you can believe it. No seats available, so once drinks were obtained, I left Gail managing the luggage while I went to find bus transport into the city, which is about 45 minutes away. We had been told by Heida, our hostess, that we couldn't check in until mid-afternoon, but we could leave our bags at 9. So that worked out, as we were dropped off at bus-stop number 9 just before 9, not having a clue as to where to go from there. Turned out it was just around the corner and down the street half a block.
Heida's Home is a 13 room shared accommodation facility, so we have a kitchen and shared bathroom. It's been just great, as we are central, can walk to most places of interest in the city, and have met some nice folks in the kitchen, from Italy, Japan, the U.S. and elsewhere. Heida is a very nice woman, and helpful. So this has worked out well.
Once we dropped our bags off, we went a walking...all over town. I had already booked a tour for the next day, but we found an info center to get more ideas as to what to do, and were directed to a great bakery for breakfast...jammed with tourists, for good reason, as the offerings were just fine. From there, we headed over to a meeting place for a guided walking tour we had been told about at the info center. Our guide, Nanna, was just great, leading about 25 of us for two hours here and there with lots of stories, history, and insights into the life and spirit of Iceland.
Reykjavik is a very nice city, well maintained, clean, safe and interesting, with a fine waterfront and lots of neat streets. The culture goes back to the 10th Century, back to when the first settler came here from Norway in 930. (He escaped from his home country with his family and possessions in his boat after having killed two men.) Iceland also established the first true democracy in the world, which still exists, so there is lots of history politically as well, which I won't bore you with at present. Religion has been Lutheran since Martin won favour, bringing an end to the Catholic presence until recently, when a fairly large number of Polish people starting settling here, bringing their faith with them. According to our guide yesterday, 90 per cent of young people from 20 to 35 don't acknowledge any religious beliefs, claiming either agnosticism or atheism. So religion in general is in serious decline, similar to many other parts of the world.
Safety is part of the culture. There are no Armed Forces, police are not armed, and there has only been one recorded shooting of a person by the police, who then apologized to the family. In order to carry a gun and use it, an officer has to get permission from superiors. Guns, if any, are registered, and owners have to go through a serious course, and a demanding security check. Criminal offences tend to be of a domestic nature. So walking around the city is a very relaxed experience. Should also mention that Icelanders seem to be pretty heavy boozers, especially in the winter-time when there are only 3 hours of daylight, and depression can become a problem. All liquor is sold through government stores. But there are lots of bars to go to.
After we went back to Heida's and got checked in and settled, we hit the street again, wandering along the harbour, into the new and very impressive Cultural Center, and finally over to a market store that Nanna recommended for its reasonable prices. We bought a few things, including a couple of pizzas, and ended up back in our kitchen for supper. Restaurant prices, and all prices, for that matter, are very high, so we felt enough fatigue, having been up for 30-some hours, to want to have something simple for supper, then crash for a good long sleep.
Speaking of prices, my yardstick is usually how much a beer costs. Generally, it's 10 bucks here, but we found a happy hour pub that gave us two beers for 15 Canadian, which was similar to back home. A burger can easily be 20 bucks. Last night's dinner in a pretty basic but good restaurant was 100 Canadian. So best to forget about the cost of things and enjoy the surroundings, which is what we're doing.
Yesterday we did the Golden Circle tour, organized by Grey Line. Highly recommend it to anyone thinking of coming here, as it's well-priced in relation to many of the tours here, and was very well organized. We had a great guide, who gave us all sorts of insight into many aspects of Iceland, he being a retired older gentleman, a former Civil Servant in the Heritage and Education Ministry. We were about 9 hours on tour from start to finish, and as luck would have it, only had rain for the last small portion of the tour, the rest of the time quite pleasant with temps hitting plus 13.
What did we see? The first stop was to see the dividing point of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, plain as day in front of you, demonstrated by a significant cleft in Mother Earth. Hard to grasp that along this fault line is such a significant point of separation. On one side, you are in the North American side of the world. Walk over a bridge, and you're in the Eurasion side of the world.
This location is also the site of the original Parliament, dating back to the 10th Century. It was decided in the early years by the regional chiefs that laws were needed to maintain order, so a meeting was convened, and agreement was reached on a number of principles that governed the society of the island. This is still a place of significance, still a meeting place at important times, such as when Iceland declared independence from Denmark in 1944. For centuries, people trekked from all over the island for two weeks of meetings and celebrations and revelry in June of each year. It was neat to stand on top of a rise overlooking the tectonic area, the No Man's Land, where the assembled masses would gather to hear the leaders, learn of the laws, and hear the punishments for crimes that might have been committed during the year.
From there we went on to a wonderful waterfall, then to a hot springs area, then to a significant religious area, and then to a smaller waterfall, and finally to another rather primitive hot springs (in the pouring rain...short visit). In all, the tour was just what we needed, and when we considered whether or not to do another the next day (today) we decided we'd seen a lot, and didn't need a second, as we would prefer to wander the city again, maybe visit a museum or other point of interest. A long tour, considering we have to be at the bus stop tomorrow morning at 4:15 a.m. to catch our early flight to Glasgow, just didn't make sense.
Here we are, then, about to put on walking shoes and hit the streets for the day. Sunny and hopefully pleasantly warm, so it should be fine. We have really lucked out with the weather. More later. Stay tuned.
Just a couple of words about the trip over. Start off with a little adventure, we like to do. Left the car at Park'nFly, and headed to the airport. Just as we started for the entrance, I realized I'd left my regular glasses in the car. Have to have them, so what to do? Fortunately, Park'n'Fly has a good number of shuttles running, so I hopped on the next one and went back to the check-in lot. Once there, I looked for my car, but it was gone, as we were in the Valet lot, and one of the attendants had already moved my car. So I explained my problem to several of the car jockeys, and they started a search. They move the cars to about 8 different lots, and because mine had just been moved, the jockey hadn't come back yet to post its location. So they called the manager, who put out a search, and they finally tracked down the car, brought it back, and I retrieved my glasses. Then back on a shuttle so we could check in.
That put us a little behind schedule, but, fortunately, we'd left home in lots of time, so were able to hasten a little dinner down before going to a transfer site, as we had to take a shuttle over to another smaller terminal. Iceland Air must be on the economy rate for airport fees, as from there they bussed us to the plane when boarding time arrived. Nice new plane with attractive staff (all tall blonds with hair tied back in attractive buns...no rules for hiring like Air Canada has, it seems) and a female captain. But the seats had only the bare minimum leg room, the plane was full, so it was a long 5 hours. Gail's pills didn't work, so neither of us had any sleep to speak of. No complimentary service either, except for a cup of tea. The pains of Economy flying. Can't say we enjoy it anymore.
We arrived at 6 a.m., to a very crowded airport. Looks like the majority of incoming and outgoing flights are early morning, so the place was jammed. Once we got through immigration and bag retrieval and customs, we were in the departure lounge, where the only food/coffee source was a very busy Dunkin' Donuts, if you can believe it. No seats available, so once drinks were obtained, I left Gail managing the luggage while I went to find bus transport into the city, which is about 45 minutes away. We had been told by Heida, our hostess, that we couldn't check in until mid-afternoon, but we could leave our bags at 9. So that worked out, as we were dropped off at bus-stop number 9 just before 9, not having a clue as to where to go from there. Turned out it was just around the corner and down the street half a block.
Heida's Home is a 13 room shared accommodation facility, so we have a kitchen and shared bathroom. It's been just great, as we are central, can walk to most places of interest in the city, and have met some nice folks in the kitchen, from Italy, Japan, the U.S. and elsewhere. Heida is a very nice woman, and helpful. So this has worked out well.
Once we dropped our bags off, we went a walking...all over town. I had already booked a tour for the next day, but we found an info center to get more ideas as to what to do, and were directed to a great bakery for breakfast...jammed with tourists, for good reason, as the offerings were just fine. From there, we headed over to a meeting place for a guided walking tour we had been told about at the info center. Our guide, Nanna, was just great, leading about 25 of us for two hours here and there with lots of stories, history, and insights into the life and spirit of Iceland.
Reykjavik is a very nice city, well maintained, clean, safe and interesting, with a fine waterfront and lots of neat streets. The culture goes back to the 10th Century, back to when the first settler came here from Norway in 930. (He escaped from his home country with his family and possessions in his boat after having killed two men.) Iceland also established the first true democracy in the world, which still exists, so there is lots of history politically as well, which I won't bore you with at present. Religion has been Lutheran since Martin won favour, bringing an end to the Catholic presence until recently, when a fairly large number of Polish people starting settling here, bringing their faith with them. According to our guide yesterday, 90 per cent of young people from 20 to 35 don't acknowledge any religious beliefs, claiming either agnosticism or atheism. So religion in general is in serious decline, similar to many other parts of the world.
Safety is part of the culture. There are no Armed Forces, police are not armed, and there has only been one recorded shooting of a person by the police, who then apologized to the family. In order to carry a gun and use it, an officer has to get permission from superiors. Guns, if any, are registered, and owners have to go through a serious course, and a demanding security check. Criminal offences tend to be of a domestic nature. So walking around the city is a very relaxed experience. Should also mention that Icelanders seem to be pretty heavy boozers, especially in the winter-time when there are only 3 hours of daylight, and depression can become a problem. All liquor is sold through government stores. But there are lots of bars to go to.
After we went back to Heida's and got checked in and settled, we hit the street again, wandering along the harbour, into the new and very impressive Cultural Center, and finally over to a market store that Nanna recommended for its reasonable prices. We bought a few things, including a couple of pizzas, and ended up back in our kitchen for supper. Restaurant prices, and all prices, for that matter, are very high, so we felt enough fatigue, having been up for 30-some hours, to want to have something simple for supper, then crash for a good long sleep.
Speaking of prices, my yardstick is usually how much a beer costs. Generally, it's 10 bucks here, but we found a happy hour pub that gave us two beers for 15 Canadian, which was similar to back home. A burger can easily be 20 bucks. Last night's dinner in a pretty basic but good restaurant was 100 Canadian. So best to forget about the cost of things and enjoy the surroundings, which is what we're doing.
Yesterday we did the Golden Circle tour, organized by Grey Line. Highly recommend it to anyone thinking of coming here, as it's well-priced in relation to many of the tours here, and was very well organized. We had a great guide, who gave us all sorts of insight into many aspects of Iceland, he being a retired older gentleman, a former Civil Servant in the Heritage and Education Ministry. We were about 9 hours on tour from start to finish, and as luck would have it, only had rain for the last small portion of the tour, the rest of the time quite pleasant with temps hitting plus 13.
What did we see? The first stop was to see the dividing point of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, plain as day in front of you, demonstrated by a significant cleft in Mother Earth. Hard to grasp that along this fault line is such a significant point of separation. On one side, you are in the North American side of the world. Walk over a bridge, and you're in the Eurasion side of the world.
This location is also the site of the original Parliament, dating back to the 10th Century. It was decided in the early years by the regional chiefs that laws were needed to maintain order, so a meeting was convened, and agreement was reached on a number of principles that governed the society of the island. This is still a place of significance, still a meeting place at important times, such as when Iceland declared independence from Denmark in 1944. For centuries, people trekked from all over the island for two weeks of meetings and celebrations and revelry in June of each year. It was neat to stand on top of a rise overlooking the tectonic area, the No Man's Land, where the assembled masses would gather to hear the leaders, learn of the laws, and hear the punishments for crimes that might have been committed during the year.
From there we went on to a wonderful waterfall, then to a hot springs area, then to a significant religious area, and then to a smaller waterfall, and finally to another rather primitive hot springs (in the pouring rain...short visit). In all, the tour was just what we needed, and when we considered whether or not to do another the next day (today) we decided we'd seen a lot, and didn't need a second, as we would prefer to wander the city again, maybe visit a museum or other point of interest. A long tour, considering we have to be at the bus stop tomorrow morning at 4:15 a.m. to catch our early flight to Glasgow, just didn't make sense.
Here we are, then, about to put on walking shoes and hit the streets for the day. Sunny and hopefully pleasantly warm, so it should be fine. We have really lucked out with the weather. More later. Stay tuned.
Wednesday 12 September 2018
September 12 2018 - This is a test post, to see if all is working before we head off to Europe tomorrow. The decisions about what to take are nearly complete, so the packing can now begin in earnest. This time it's a little harder to decide what to take, as we're going to Iceland for three days, and expect the weather will be quite cool. Perhaps not much better in Scotland, as projection for the next week have highs in the 10 degree range. England for the following two weeks should be somewhat better, even though we'll be in the northern part of the country.
We fly tomorrow night, so will try to post as often as time and wifi permit. Looking forward to a different kind of trip for us, with no r.v. home base. Should be fun. More later. Stay tuned.
We fly tomorrow night, so will try to post as often as time and wifi permit. Looking forward to a different kind of trip for us, with no r.v. home base. Should be fun. More later. Stay tuned.
Monday 10 September 2018
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