June 22--Homeward Bound

Wow we can't believe its time to head home.  It seems like the time has just flown, but at the same time it seems we've been here quite a while.  We ate breakfast down the street from our hotel--I had the English breakfast and Betsy had scones.  I really did enjoy the midafternoon tea's we had--probably the cakes.  Back to the hotel room to once again try and get all the stuff we'd purchased into the suitcases.  During our walks around the hotel we'd discovered a Tube Station that was mostly downhill which helped with the luggage.  Headed down there to buy our tickets to Heathrow Terminal 3.  I saw a station helper and he showed me where we could switch trains at a much smaller terminal which would make our trip much less hectic and he was right on.  Our final Tube trip was uneventful.  We arrived at Terminal 3 with plenty of time to spare, checked our luggage, went through security, did a little shopping, had a bite to eat, and sat down to wait for them to announce our gate number.  We sat next to a couple from New Zealand who were going home after a 5 week trip.  We compared our adventures driving in the UK, although he had the advantage of driving on the left at home.  Had a couple of laughs at the situations we'd run into along the way.  They finally announced our gate so we headed that way for boarding.  Flight was scheduled as 10 hours, but we were almost an hour late taking off.  The pilot said not to worry as the 747 was a fast plane and he'd push it so that we'd be no more than 20 or 30 minutes late, and he was spot on.  We went through the Border Check, and flew through Customs (I don't know why they have you fill out those forms showing what you'd purchased when out of the country, as they've never even glanced at them). Jeff and Betsy talked and we decided on a pick up point which worked out well.  It was about 6PM Phoenix time so we decided to stay at Jeff and Lisa's house for the night.  The gifts we brought were well received. Woke up the next morning, and headed home.  We had a wonderful time.  Betsy has enough inspiration to paint for years.  I was astounded at all the historical places we'd visited.  Everyone we've talked to has ask us what part of the UK we enjoyed the most and we totally agree that it was Cornwall.  Always just a few miles from the ocean, the weather is usually warmer there, the people were great, and the scenery was out of a storybook.  We've been talking about maybe going back to Cornwall for a couple of weeks in the near future.

June 13--The Long Drive (This post is out of order)

I admit I probably bit off more than I could chew for todays drive.  From the Lake District to Inverness, Scotland.  Almost 8 hours of driving!  The first part of the drive was okay as we were on what we'd call an interstate road, but then south of Loch Ness we had to take a twisty, small road the rest of the way in.  The reason we were on road A82 is that it went through Glencoe Valley and it was worth it.  We were now in the wild and rugged Scottish Highlands!  The green of the hills and valleys was beautiful and the waterfalls that came out of the hills were wonderful.  No farms here as the soil is all rock, but plenty of sheep.  We stopped in the village of Glencoe for a snack and then hit the road again.  We had planned on stopping in Ft. Agustus at the south end of Loch Ness for a quick picture but there were so many tour buses and people that we went straight through to Inverness.
We found our B&B which was next to the Caladonian Canal, much like our Erie Canal but it's still in use.  Our hostess said that to walk into the city would take about 10 minutes.  We did it and it was more like 30 minutes!  By the time we'd walked into the city, found a place to eat, walked around the town for a bit, and then walked back we were concerned about making it all the way.

June 21--London Sights

Since we were in London for only a day and a half we decided that we'd each pick one or two things we wanted to see.  I knew immediately that I'd like to see the ship Cutty Sark in Greenwich which was the last stop on the boat bus route and would take about an hour from where we started.  The good thing was that we went by many of the other sites and could plan other stops during the day.  We arrived in Greenwich (Greenwich is where the 0 meridian is which is the divider between the eastern and western hemisphere) about an hour early so were able to have a bite to eat, then walk around town a bit and we found a small flea market with an antique dealer where Betsy bought a couple of things.  Then on to the Cutty Sark.  What a magnificent ship!  It was a real thrill for me and Betsy enjoyed it too.  After that we headed to a park along the river and Betsy sketched while I went in to the Royal Navy College and looked around, then back on board the boat bus.  Our next planned stop was going to be Betsy's choice of The Tower of London.  But as we approached the pier a crew member got on the intercom and announced that we couldn't stop at that pier because the Queens Speech would be held at Parliament and the Tower artillery would be firing salvo's to celebrate the occasion.  So the artillery fired several rounds as we floated by. Very exciting.  So we decided to get off on the next stop to find something to eat.  After that we rode to the Westminster & Parliament area.  We couldn't get close to the Parliament area due to the Queen being there, but we did go into Westminster which was unbelievable with all the famous people and royalty buried there.  We meant to get back on the boat bus at Westminster but got mixed up with a protest march so we had to walk several blocks to another pier for the trip back to the Tower of London.  Unfortunately, by the time we arrived the Tower was closed.  We had a great day in London.

June 21--Thames River

Betsy had indicated that she wanted to ride a boat on the Thames River as one of her London experiences.  I found a company that operated bus boats all along the river and purchased two all day tickets and it was one of my better moves.  The route consisted of 16 different piers along the river and you went by all the major attractions--Westminster, Parliment, Big Ben, The London Eye, London Bridge (the new one), The Tower of London and Tower Bridge.  All of it was right next to the river.  Since it was hot and humid that day the river breezes offered relief, there were fewer crowds, and the boats were air conditioned, had restrooms, snack bar, and Wi-Fi.  I especially enjoyed watching the boat traffic on the river and the boats moored along the river.

June 20--To London

Leaving York and heading to London.  While the train station was just across the river we decided to take a cab since we had our luggage to deal with.  The B&B owner had called the taxi company the afternoon before and arranged the cab for us and it showed up on time. The driver ask where we were going and we told him London by train since we didn't want to drive in London.  He laughed and said he drove for a living and even he didn't want to drive in London.  We found the platform where our train would arrive and waited for it to arrive.  After it arrived we threw our luggage on the storage rack, found our reserved seats, and sat back for a high speed trip into London.  I really enjoyed watching the countryside whiz by and not having to drive.  Our train arrived at Kings Crossing Station which is the main train station for southbound trains.  It was an absolute madhouse.  We found the way out, and then found the entrance for The Tube which is Londons subway.  We knew we wanted to go to Charing Cross but had no idea which of the 6 or 7 lines to take.  I finally found an info call button and we got the info we needed which included a change of cars at an intermediate station.  We made it to Charing Cross, exited the car, walked up the stairs and were smack dab in the middle of Trafalgar Square.  We did it!  We knew our hotel was on Northumberland St but for the life of us couldn't find a street sign anywhere.  I left Betsy with the luggage and walked around until I found a street sweeper and he told me which street was Northumberland.  We started trudging down the street but weren't quite sure we were right so we ask a guy outside a pub where our hotel was.  It was just another couple hundred feet away.  We'd learned early on that if you wanted directions or information all you had to do was ask and people were absolutely delighted to help you out.  After checking in to the hotel we took off and headed to the National Gallery which was close.  We saw paintings by

 all the masters which was very exciting for Betsy.  After that we walked along the Thames River and found our way to the Whitehall Section which is where all the government offices are.  About 4:30PM it was like a bell went off and workers started streaming out of office buildings to head home or to the pub.  It was just an absolute sea of people.  Very exciting, but I wouldn't want to live here.

June 19--York

The first item of business today was to turn in the rental car.  The rental car company was housed in the train station so we could pick up our train tickets for the trip into London tomorrow.  According to the odometer we'd driven 2,182 miles without incident!  From the train station we headed back into town and did a self guided walking tour that included walking a portion of the walls that surround the old part of the city, found a street with antique and charity shops, walked through The Shambles which is a medieval street where the local butcher shops were located, and I bought a new hat as my Irish Tweed cap was to hot to wear.  About mid afternoon we headed back to the B&B for a little rest, but then back to Yorkminster for the Evensong Service.  Unfortunately, the service was not sung but said.  Betsy was disappointed but it was a very nice Church of England service.  Dinner then back to the B&B through the gardens of the museum.

June 18--Edinburgh to York

We drove pretty much straight through to York and arrived mid-afternoon.  Our new B&B is next to the River Ouse and much to our delight there was a rowing competition going on.  After settling in we walked along the river into town to see what we could find to eat and look at.  According to our guide book York is the second most visited city in the UK and on this warm Sunday afternoon I have no doubt that it is.  We found Betty's Tea Shop which Jeff and Lisa had visited in February.  After that we wandered around York and found Yorkminster the beautiful cathedral second only to Westminister in London in status.  In the year 306 AD Constantine was visiting from Rome and learned that his father had died thus making him the Roman Emperor. It just amazes me that there is so much Roman history in England.  Another interesting fact about York was that for a hundred years it was actually a Viking city. 

June 17--Edinburgh

Yesterday we rode the train back to the park and ride lot, retrieved the car and headed to the next B&B which was in a suburb of Edinburgh called Portobello which is on the Firth of Forth and is a beach community.  We could see the beach from our bedroom window.  We headed back into town via the bus and spent some time in the Princes Street Gardens where Betsy sketched and I walked around the park.  Since the Scottish National Gallery was next to the park we took a look.  After that we headed to New Town for a stroll.  I think we were tired because the crowds of people got to us, it was a warm day so we headed back to the B&B via bus and walked along the beach until dinner time.  One of the places the B&B recommended was a tapas restaurant which is something I've wanted to try.  Tapas are a Spanish food.  We each ordered 3 different tapas and enjoyed them.
I forgot to mention that a night or two before I had tried a small portion of the dreaded haggis. I actually liked it--had a good taste, very rich, and was peppery.  I ask the waitress if the peppery taste was normal and she said it was.

June 16--Edinburgh

We didn't want to drive into Edinburgh so we found a light rail park and ride location and took the train into town and immediately headed to the castle which is the most impressive castle we've seen thus far.  It's built on solid rock and looms over the city.  It was crowded but we did wait in line to see the Scottish crown jewels.  After the castle we walked The Royal Mile to look at the shops in Old Town.

June 15--Inverness to Edinburgh

On the road again with a stop at Blair Castle around the Perth area.  This was a great castle but they would only allow pictures to be taken in one room which was a bummer.  I managed to sneak a couple anyway.  The gardens were very nice.  After the castle we hit the road again for the Edinburgh area for a one night stay in Faside Castle.  This castle goes all the way back to the 1200's and for many, many years was a ruins.  Then in the 1980's a couple bought it and began a restoration which is amazing.  They now rent out the one tower bedroom along with the great hall and it was really fun to have the whole upper two floors all to ourselves.

June 14--Inverness

First thing in the morning before taking off from the B&B we walked down to a marina to look at the boats.  Then in the car to Ft. George which on the coast and is an active army base and home to The Royal Highlanders Regiment.  We were lucky enough to watch a group of new recruits being taught how to dress in their dress uniforms.  Then back to the city to do the self guided walking tour, stopped at every kilt shop in the city (no I didn't buy anything since I've already got a kilt that my family loves), and toured the cathedral. 

June 12--Lake District

Cloudy all day but no rain.  Headed south to Ambleside which is a very cute but touristy town, and then to Hawkshead which is where Beatrix Potter's husband had a law office, but it's now used as a gallery of Potter's art.  Betsy went through the gallery and I walked up to the old church and wandered around the town.  On the way back toward we stopped at the biggest garden center I've ever seen.  It was like a mall with nothing but plants, garden tools, furniture, clothing, anything and everything garden related.  Then another drive through the country via a "mountain" pass.  This was our last day in the Lake District and our weather wasn't good, but even with the clouds and rain it was a pretty place.  Must be spectacular with sun.

June 11--The Lake District

The weather was (again) a little rainy.  Drove into Keswick which is the main town in the district and found a laundry where we washed the clothing we'd worn for the past few days.  After finishing that duty we walked the town and I swear every other shop was selling hiking, climbing, mountain biking stuff.  Betsy discovered that an art pencil she uses is made here and they had a factory outlet! Apparently about a hundred years ago a couple of sheepherders found a deposit of graphite which they thought might be a form of coal.  That didn't work out for them, but they discovered that it left a smudge on their hands that was pretty much waterproof so they started using it to mark their sheep.  Someone else took it step further and invented the graphite pencil. 
After Keswick we took a drive through the Newland Valley which was beautiful despite the rain and clouds.
We've gotten into a routine of eating which would probably kill us at home, but we're doing so much walking that we will probably survive.  In the morning we have an English breakfast which consists of eggs (scrambled, fried, or poached), incredible English bacon (much thicker and more flavorable than ours), sausage, beans, toast, and coffee or tea.  After the first couple days we tell our hostess that we'll just have eggs and one piece of bacon, one sausage, toast and coffee or tea as we can't eat all that food.  About 1 or 2 PM we'll stop at a tea room and have a little something.  Betsy usually has tea and scones with clotted cream and jam.  I'm on a mission to try every Lemon Drizzle Cake that I run into along with coffee.  About 5 or 6PM we'll find somewhere to have dinner.  If we're in the country we'll try and find an inn with food or if we're in town we'll find a restaurant or pub. The food over here is much more flavorful since they don't put all the chemicals in it.

June 11-- Mosedale End B&B

Most of our travel day yesterday was rainy but shortly after checking into our B&B the clouds parted and we were able to walk around the town of Mosedale, which consists of maybe 15 old stone farmhouses, and the village inn.  This region is known for it's beautiful "fells" which the locals define as mountains, but for us they were big hills.  Lots of hikers and bikers in this area.  There are lakes, but the weather was cool and rainy so we skipped the boat ride. In the  picture of our B&B the right end of the building would have been used for livestock housing back in the 1600-1700's, but the upper portion now houses 3 guest rooms and down below is storage.  Our hostess, JoAnn is a baker and we had delightful baked goodies delivered daily to our room.