16 July 2015
London Day 2
Our second day in London saw us wake up to a misty, drizzly day - well we are in London. It was off to sort out our Hop On/Off and London Pass. Once sorted we headed for the Tower of London and went on a tour with one of the Beefeaters. This is a very interesting place and we spend quite a number of hours here. Next stop was Tower Bridge winch involves travelling to 5 different levels. The displays are a combination of poster boards and videos which describe the history of this bridge.
I was surprised to learn that the bridge is still a functioning opening bridge and opens around 1200 times a year. If a ship wants to pass through it has to provide 24 hours notice.
The second level was a walkway from one tower to the next with a section with a glass floor - not for the faint hearted. Down in level 5 is the engine room that holds the machinery that opens the bridge.
It was back to the hotel and prepare for our next day.
London Day 3
We went on a couple of walking tours today. The first was a Royal Tour which took us around places of interest in London with Royal connections and ending with the Changing of the Guard. We had a royal moment when The Queen and Prince Phillip whizzed past in their flash car and surrounded by security. The pomp and ceremony of the Changing of the Guard was every impressive and certainly attracted a crowd.
Our next walking tour was The Beatles Tour of London. This pointed out places in London where The Beatles played, recorded and had their offices. It was all every interesting to see these places and the guide was very knowledgeable.
Back to the hotel to prepare for tomorrow.
17 July 2015
London Day 4
We set off this morning on the Hop On/Off bus and got off at Westminster and proceeded to the wharf to catch a cruise to Greenwich Village. After a short wait we boarded and set off down river. Our first stop was Waterloo Pier where the London Eye is situated so we had a really good look at it. Next stop was the Tower of London where we picked up a few more passengers and then off to Greenwich Village.
Greenwich Village is the site where astronomers determined how to use time to measure longitude - all very interesting if you are a nerd. We saw a couple of Sheldons there.
The village itself is nice and tidy and was once the site of the Naval Academy which is now the University of Greenwich. As luck would have it, day was graduation day and as we walked through the grounds there were thousands of motor boards being thrown in the air.
Back on the cruise boat after we had some lunch and made our way back to the hotel to get ready for the start of our third and final tour.
Meridian Line at Greenwich Observatory.
19 July 2015
London To Plymouth
We met up with the rest of the tour group without any problems and headed off to the west country bound for Plymouth. On the way we stopped off at Salisbury to visit the Cathedral (another old church) where one of the 4 remaining copies of the Magna Carter is held. There was a service is progress when we got there so we could not go into the Cathedral but we could access the Chapel Room and view the Magna Carter. Not supposed to take photos but Charmaine managed to snap one off.
From here we set off to Stonehenge which is one of the best money making ventures I have ever seen. The way that the surrounds have been laid out there is no way you could get a free look. Apparently everyone has a different theory on how this place was built and no one really knows. It was a vey interesting place to visit.
Next stop was Plymouth, but before we got there we stopped at a pub in a village outside of Plymouth for our welcome reception dinner. Here we were told by one of the locals that the cottage across the road is where the nursery rhyme “Old Mother Hubbard” originated. He went on to say that Old Mother Hubbard would be turning in her grave because the cottage is now a Chinese restaurant.
More of Plymouth and the Cornish coast tomorrow.
Plymouth Day 2
We started the day fairly early with a coach ride around some of the town and ended up at the Mayflour Steps. This is where the Pilgrims set sail for America in 1620. We thought that the town was not a nice as we thought it would have been considering its age but most of it was destroyed by German bombers in WWII hence the lack of historical buildings.
We then went for a cruise on Plymouth Harbour and went passed the naval docks where there were a number of naval vessels in port. We also saw where about 20 obsolete nuclear submarines are currently stored. We then landed in Cornwall where the coach picked us up and we headed for a tour around the countryside. We stopped at Michael Mount which is a castle built on an island of the coast and is only accessible at low tide over a causeway.
Next stop was St Ives for lunch. This is an old fishing village that is now a popular holiday destination and, because it is holiday season, looked very much like Noose at Christmas time. We has an authentic Cornish pasties for our lunch - so much for cutting back.
Back to the hotel to get ready for our night out on the moors of Dartmoor. We picked up our local guide and made our way to the Dartmoor Inn for dinner. On the way we had a photo stop at the infamous Dartmoor Prison which was a very hard place to spend your time if you were a prisoner.
After we had dinner our guide told us a stack of ghost stories with connections to the moors. I still slept OK.
More tomorrow.
Plymouth To Bath
We set off this morning in typical English weather - it was a pea soup fog and drizzling. We made our way west towards Bath and were on the coach for about 2 hours. When we got there the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. Bath itself is a nice town and was designed as a tourist destination back in the day.
We went to the Roman Baths site which is a magnificent site. It takes a little way to go through and is very interesting. We spent another couple of hours on the loose looking through Bath which was enjoyable.
Back on the coach and off to Cardiff boyo. We went straight to the hotel and had a couple of hours before we went to a restaurant in the Cardiff Millennium Centre for dinner and entertainment. These Welsh folk can really sing, we were rapt in the singing and the MC was a real joker.
Off to the castle (another one) tomorrow and over to Ireland. More then.
23 July 2015
Cardiff To Waterford
Today we headed off to the ferry in Pembroke to catch the ferry to Ireland. Before we left we went to Cardiff Castle which was renovated by a Welshman in the 1800’s. This guy had inherited most of the mineral rights for coal mining in South Wales and had stacks of money. Inside the grounds of the castle was a keep that was built by King Henry VIII. It has now become a bit of a ruin but was interesting to have a look at.
Off we go to the ferry at Pembroke where we had some lunch and a bit of a look at the outside of the castle (not another castle). We got on the ferry for the 4 hour crossing and set off. Starting off was OK but a couple of miles off shore it got a little bit lumpy and we all had difficulty walking around. It was pretty funny really. None of our crew got sick but there were a few passengers hogging the toilets.
When we landed it was a quick dash to the hotel for dinner and then off to bed.
Ferry from Pembroke to Waterford
23 July 2015
Waterford To Kenmare
Our first port of call this morning was the Waterford Crystal factory. Here we were given a tour of the factory to see how the crystal glass is made and decorated. Very interesting - we can understand now why it is so expensive to buy.
From here we headed towards a tourist village of Kenmare and on the way we called at the Blarney Castle with the intention of kissing the Blarney Stone. However, a few other tourists had the same idea and the queue time was about 2 hours. We did not have the time to wait so we just watched from below.
Next stop was Kenmare which is a village specifically designed in the 1800’s for young gentlemen to visit when they did their grand tour of Europe. It is a quaint little village with a pub every 4th shop or so.
Dinner was served in the hotel which was very nice. We are off to the Ring of Kerry tomorrow and will stay another night in Kenmare.
Brook running through Kenmare.
24 July 2015
Kenmare Day 2
Today we are off to drive the Ring of Kerry which is 122 miles of probably the worst road in Ireland but the scenery is spectacular. Our first stop is Killarney where we went on a jaunty cart ride. This is basically a horse and buggy ride and took us through the Killarney National Park. Our driver is a typical Irish larrikin and had us in stitches of laughter. On our way around we spotted some deer in the fields and then stopped at Ross castle - yes another one.
We continued our drive around the ring and stopped at the Scraiff Inn for lunch. The view from here are truly magnificent and the food was OK too. We continued on our way and eventually made it back to the hotel.
Our next activity was a cruise on Kenmare Bay where we spotted a colony of seals who have made their home in the bay. We then went on to dinner in the local restaurant and we all ate too much.
More tomorrow.
Kenmare To Galway
We set off today and headed for Galway. On the way we stopped off at Adore for a coffee break and a bit of a look around. It is a nice quaint little town with the usual cottages, church and castle ruin.
Next stop was at Durty Nellie for lunch. This is a small but traditional pub with all the nick knacks hanging on the wall. We then drove through Limerick and only stopped to take a few photos. From what we saw Limerick is not really a nice place and we were glad to move on.
Our next stop was supposed to be the highlight of the day - Cliffs of Mohr. As we got closer to this place the clouds started building up and you guessed it - when we got there it poured with rain and was freezing cold. We managed to get to the viewing platform and take a couple of shots but the rest of the time was spent at the information centre. These cliffs look very much like the cliffs along the Great Ocean Road in Australia.
We then set off to Galway through any area called The Burren which is an area where there is hardly any top soil and all of the rock is exposed. Arrived at the hotel ready for our dinner.
26 July 2015
Galway To Letterkenny
We set off this morning to have a look through Galway before heading to Letterkenny. Unfortunately the child of one of the families on board was advised that the cabin where she spent time on camp before the trip had a dead bat in it. Because of this she had to go to hospital for rabies treatment. This meant that we were left to our own devices for a little while.
We had to leave the family behind and they will catch up to us in Dublin. However, the delay caused by hospital visit meant that we had to skip a few things to get back on track.
On the way to Letterkenny we went passed the Mountbatten Estate. This is where Lord Louie Mountbatten used to live before he was blown up on his boat by the IRA.
It was a late arrival at our hotel and we went straight in to dinner and hit the sack early.
More tomorrow.
Letterkenny To Belfast
Woke up this morning to what you would think of typical Irish weather, it was raining, it was windy and it was cold. Now I know why they are all a bit the way they are.
We headed of to a place called Derry if you are a Catholic or Londonderry if you are a Protestant. Of course we went to have a look at the old castle etc. From here we went to a place called the Giants Causeway winch was supposed to be a highlight of the day. We entered the site along with thousands of others and had a quick look around the visitors centre. From here we stood in the rain waiting for the mini bus to take us down to the causeway. When we got there it was so cold we turned around and came back.
Next stop was Belfast. We checked in to the hotel and then went with a local specialist to look around some of the sites. The tour ended in a local pub and from here we went to the local fish market where we were treated to a fish and chip meal.
Back to the hotel to warm up.
Cheers
Belfast To Dublin
We had a black cab tour today of the main areas around Belfast where the troubles occurred between the Catholics and the Protestants. You had to see it to believe it. While the fighting has stopped there is still an animosity between the two and will take generations before there is true integration.
We made the short drive to Dublin and checked into the hotel and got ready for our night out at Nancy Hands which is an old pub nearly opposite the Guinness brewery. Good meal and good Guinness.
More tomorrow.
Gentleman Tourist outside Guinness Storehouse
29July 2015
Dublin Day 2
Today we went on a tour to the ruins of Glendalough Monastery with a local expert guide. On the way she told us the story behind the multi-coloured doors of Dublin. Apparently when Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, passed away she ordered all doors to be painted black. Well, the Irish being Irish multi-coloured doors it is. The ruins were interesting but just another old thing.
When we got back to the city we were let loose for a couple of hours so we wandered up to the museum to have a look at the bog people. These are the remains of bodies that are hundreds of years old found in peat bogs.
Tonight we went to an Irish Cabaret which was absolutely marvellous. We were feed, watered and entertained by musicians, dancers and the funniest comedian I have heard in a long time.
Off to Liverpool on the ferry tomorrow.
30 July 2015
Dublin To Liverpool
An early start this morning to catch the ferry back to England. The crossing was fairly lumpy and thankfully it was for only 2 hours. We landed in Hallowell in Wales and proceeded to make our way to Chester which is just over the border in England.
We stopped here for lunch and had a demonstration by the Town Crier which was a bit of fun. Off we go to Liverpool and meet up with our local expert for a tour of the town. First stop was the Liverpool Cathedral - of course, and around some of the spots made famous by the Beatles.
We went into the Cavern Club where they made their début in Liverpool. This place was extremely small and if you suffered from claustrophobia, you would be in trouble. Apparently, The Beatles would play at lunch time in the club and fans would pay the money then go into a lottery and hope that their name was pulled out of the hat to actually see them.
More tomorrow.
Liverpool To Penrith
We continued to make our way north towards Scotland and stopped at Styal Village just outside of Manchester to have a tour through Quarry Bank Mill. This is a working representation of a cotton mill with the original machinery in place and is a good example of the Industrial Revolution. It was fascinating to see how this place worked but I would seek employment elsewhere. The hours a are from 7 to 7 and there was no such thing as occ. health and safety.
Next stop was Windermere Lake which is the largest lake in England for a cruise. We headed to the north end of the lake, Waterhead, and checked out the million dollar houses along the edge of the lake. Even though the lake is not overly large there were thousands of boat moored everywhere on the lake - go figure. All of us Australians were freezing on the boat but here were the Poms out swimming etc. in the lake.
Off the boat and off to Grasmere to have a look at William Wordsworth’s grave. I didn’t like him at school and I still don’t like him. The village was very nice though with most of the houses made the same way as the fences, dry wall stone.
We stopped at Penrith for the night to prepare for our charge into Scotland. More tomorrow.
Penrith To Glasgow
When we woke up it was raining, cold and windy and generally unpleasant. We set off for Glasgow and called into Gretna Green en route. Gretna Green is famous for the place where couples, who were eloping would go to get married. The age of consent in Scotland was 16 which meant that there was a flood of couples from England hopping across the border to get married. This changed in 1940 when an Act of Parliament changed the law as a lot of servicemen from Australia, New Zealand and Canada where waking up with a hangover and a wife.
From here it was about an hours drive and we were in Glasgow. First stop was the Cathedral - of course. We spent a bit of time in this precinct then headed for the hotel which is in the centre of town. On the way some dickhead reversed into us at a set of traffic lights. The collision damaged the front of the coach and threw the door out of alignment and would not close properly. This meant that the bus would not move - a safety feature of modern coaches. Fortunately we were only about 200 metres from the hotel so we hoofed it.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the city and went for dinner at the Corinthian Club which is a flash restaurant that started its life as a bank and was used as a court to send poor Scottish folk to Australia as convicts - last laugh is on them because we are back.
More tomorrow.
Glasgow To Isle of Syke
We set off today to make our way to the Isle of Skye which is the northern most part of our trip. On the way we called into Loch Lohman for a cruise from one end to the other. Fortunately the rain held off and even though it was a bit cool the cruise was very enjoyable. The guide told us the story of Rob Roy McGregor and, as it turns out, he was not the nice guy as portrayed in the movie by Liam Neeson. In fact he was a bit of a rat.
It was back on the coach and off through some of the best scenery in Britain. Apparently all of the trees in the highlands have been planted by man and the natural landscape is treeless. It looks much better with trees and has also created jobs in the forestry industry.
We made it to the Isle of Skye and went to our hotel which can be described as quaint. We then had a tour with a local expert who pointed out some of the interesting features of the island. To my mind to would be very tough to live in this place.
More tomorrow
Isle of Skye To Aievmore
We left the Isle of Skye and started making our way inland to view some more of the scenery of the Highlands. Our first port of call of Loch Ness. After a few false alarms we concluded the Nessie was not going to come out to play so we climbed back on board the coach and set off.
Our next stop was the battlefield of Culloden where Bonnie Prince Charles got his bottom handed to him when he tried to overthrow the current King. Passing through Inverness I got the closest to returning to the families roots by taking a photo of the roadsign leading to Cory. Apparently my great Grandfather came from here.
We checked in to our hotel at Aviemore which was created as a ski resort back in the 1970’s and was probably the last time any maintenance was done on the place. From here we went to a local farm where a shepherd demonstrated how well trained his dogs are using different whistles and voice commands for each dog. Very impressive.
More tomorrow.
Aviemore To Edinburgh
Getting close to the last days of the tour so we set off in the drizzle towards Edinburgh. First stop was Blair Castle which is still lived in and only part is available to the public. We wandered around here for a while and then it was back on the road again.
Next stop was St Andrews where we visited the famous golf course. This is a public course and anyone can play here as long as you book at tee time. The wait is approximately 2 years.
Made it to Edinburgh where we checked into the hotel and then for dinner at a club in the centre of town overlooking Edinburgh Castle which does not look anything like the one from home.
More exploring tomorrow.
Edinburgh Day 2
We started the day with a tour of the centre of Edinburgh with a local specialist and then went for a tour of Edinburgh Castle. The castle is a massive place and has taken hundreds of years to build. We spent several hours here climbing all over the many levels and had a look at the Scottish Crown Jewels.
Our next stop was Rosslyn Chapel which featured in the Tom Hanks movie The Davinci Code. In the movie Tom Hanks goes into the crypt and opens a secret door ands steps into the Pinewood Studios in London - there is no secret door. The guide at the chapel said the this movie has done wondered for the gate receipts.
We went to a Scottish show at one of the bigger hotels in Edinburgh, in fact, it was held in the renovated round stables and must of held about 300 hundred people. Apparently these are the only round stables in Scotland.
Back to England tomorrow.
Edinburgh To York
Second last day of the tour. We headed out for York which is about 5 hours on the coach. To break up the trip we stopped at Alnwick Castle where most of the Harry Potter movies were filmed. We had a look around the adjoining village and had a bite to eat.
Back on the bus and off to York to check into our hotel. We went for our Farewell Dinner at The Grange Hotel which is a converted private residence. This was a very old school establishment and we were meet by the owners sister with a glass of champagne for all. She then proceeded to give us the history of the place and her family before we sat down to dinner.
Back to London and then home.
York Minster Cathedral.
7 August 2015
York To London
This is our last leg on the tour, and we will be pleased to get home. Just outside our window in the hotel in York is the grave of Dick Turpin who was an infamous highway man. After he was hanged, he was buried here and for some reason they have been caring for his grave ever since.
We stopped at Stratford-Upon-Avon to have a look at Anne Hathaway’s cottage and William Shakespeare’s birthplace. I didn’t like Shakespeare at school and he still has not endeared himself to me.
Back on the buses and off to London. There would have to be a tube strike today - the traffic was fairly thick. We managed to grab a cab and get to our hotel fairly quickly. Now all we have to do is wait for our transfer to the airport then home sweet home.
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