23 May 2012 FIFE Wednesday

As Holyrood House is closed for Royalty reasons, we decided to visit St Andrews instead.  We crossed the Firth of Forth at Kincardine and detoured to the village of Kincross on Loch Leven for tea at what transpired to be the highlight of our trip thus far.  The tea room is part-housed in my most favourite building, built in 1866 as a Fisherman's Bar for the original harbour business.

A 10 minute boat ride on the infamous Willie Douglas - a man who freed Mary, Queen of Scots from Loch Leven Castle - to said Castle, set on a small island in a thoroughly tranquil setting.

 From there, straight on to St Andrews for lunch at 1 Golf Place and quickly, sneakily ran to the Old Bridge for photo op.



Fife Kingdom countryside offered sights of quaint fishing villages, such as Crail and Kilconquer where we stopped to drop in on an old friend from 12 years ago whose home backs on to a beautiful Loch.
Back home to Cambusbarron in Moray Shire over the magnificent Firth of Forth Bridge.

22 May 2012 EDINBURGH Tuesday

On the advice of our tourist guide, we got the Hermiston Park n Ride bus into Edinburgh and walked past the pretty Princes Street Gardens, up the hill to Edinburgh Castle atop the craggy rock;  stopping halfway to enjoy the wailing bagpipe music of a Scottish busker - now that's a sight not often seen or heard.
At the Castle we went on a brief 20 minute tour, stopping to gain a brilliant vantage point to watch the 1 o' clock gun which has been going since the 1800's.  The exact timing is ensured with a canon ball rising in the distance in Nelson's Column and dropping at the time of firing the canon from the castle.

Lunch was a brave affair for me as I opted to sample haggis pie!!  For those of you who don't want to know what it is, don't read the following sentence - it contains the heart, lungs and liver of sheep, along with turnip and potato.  It was quite nice, but once done, no need to repeat.
On to the Royal Apartments where Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to James IV who was responsible for uniting England and Scotland.  Keith went into the War Memorial to look up descendants from a bygone era and so we left Edinburgh castle through it's 8 undefeated gates.

21 May 2012 CAMBUSBARRON Monday

Home day, except for a drive through nearby Bridge of Allan which has no bridge that we could see, only a little fountain.

20 May 2012 STIRLING Sunday

Off to explore Stirling Castle today, after which, my Primary School was indirectly named.  The school was named after a ship called Stirling, which was named after Stirling Castle.  The ship docked in East London whilst the school was being built.
King Robert the Bruce was the King of Stirling Castle when he Knighted William Wallace for defeating Edward I - he then became Guardian of Scotland until his fall out and subsequent demise.

The Royal Hall is where it all happened and is certainly regal, PLUS it offers proof and reason for my belief in unicorns!!  : D

William Wallace's Monument towers above Stirling with a mighty statue of him and his sword.

We lunched with him watching over us and took the bus to the top of the hill and the base of his monument.  On our way home we stopped to walk on Stirling Bridge which is 2 miles direct canon shot from Stirling Castle.

19 May 2012 YORK TO STIRLING Saturday

After bidding farewell to the Grand Old Duke of York and his 10 000 men, we passed Roger Whittaker's "old Durham town", passed the huge Angel of the North with her aeroplane wings and stopped at Chesters Fort.  There, we learnt that Hadrian the Roman Emporer built his wall spanning the width of England and over 2000 years of history, for the purpose of weapon control between the North and South.
5 Minutes further on at Housesteads Fort, we were offered the priviledge of the pot-holed staff entrance in order to minimise the big walk up to a 14 mile stretch, 5 ft high section of Hadrian's Wall.

The wall runs in fairly isolated country and really gives the feel of total separation.

A late afternoon arrival in the small village of Cambusbarron in Stirling at 4 The Brae.

18 May 2012 YORK Friday

A whole day to explore York, so off we go after a delicious hot brekky of oats making a much-needed change from hotel scrambled eggs!

York Minster, as the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, was suitably impressive, it's size making it visible from near and far.

Just a quick sticky beak inside as the temptation of morning tea was too strong to resist for long, given the reknowned popularity of Betty's Tea Room.  It is an institution in North Yorkshire and has been going for over 90 years and quite rightfully so.  Morning tea was a treat to be reckoned with, including scones with clotted cream and chocolate cake, not to mention the variety of teas and coffees.

A walk along the castle wall was a necessity in order to settle our sizeable morning tea.  The wall still circles the majority of the city with some of it's entry gates still intact.

This appears to be a Roman defending the castle - none too successfully I'd say!

A pretty walk along the River Ouse while 3 families of ducks and ducklings paddled their way across the waters ahead of the gently floating York riverboat, ended our chilly and exhilirating day.

17 May 2012 CAMBRIDGE TO YORK Thursday

An easy two and a half hour drive with plenty green countryside along the way.  Conisbrough Castle was a stretch-the-legs stop, way to freezing for a lengthy visit so back we bundled into the car as fast as we could.

Look what we found in the hole in the wall - a 10 foot thick wall at that!

Our lunch stop was just a small bit further on at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens.  Originally we just wanted a stroll around the gardens, but in the end, decided to walk through the house as well.  From the outside it looks incredibly wealthy and, certainly, the main living areas are richly furnished with antique ornaments and trophies from horse racing, but at one stage when only a small branch of the Thuellson and Grant-Dalton families lived there, the unused rooms became weathered and unkempt.

The formal gardens appealed to Allan's sense of order, but, of course, I loved the more natural woodland gardens.

On we went to York, finding our cottage to be most satisfactory and close enough to walk to the shop for a few odds and ends for a delightful quiet dinner at home.

16 May 2012 LONDON TO CAMBRIDGE Wednesday

On the move again, but in the hire car this time, no more trains, tubes or escalators, except for the last train trip for Mum and Keith to meet us at West Ruislip after a quick stop in Beaconsfield for a few extra items.

Our stopover for the night was Cambridge to see all the austere colleges and to get a feel for great grandad's student life.

Kings College

Queens College

Most importantly, though, was a stop at Hardy's Sweet Shop for lollies in every flavour imaginable.
Dinner was more about the view, although the food was good too.  The Anchor was originally a boathouse in 1845 and for good reason, right on the river.  The tradition of punters gliding their customers along the water is still going strong.
The Anchor's other claim to fame is housing Syd Barrett who became part of Pink Floyd eventually.

15 May 2012 SPAIN TO UK Tuesday

After a slightly disastrous start to our travels, with me tripping up and falling, Al racing back to the hotel for his mobile, after already catching two trains, we eventually arrived at the airport.

Landing in Gatwick with a mix of sunshine and hail we arrived at our hotel quite late, settled in, quick dinner and some shut eye.

Will catch up with Mum and Keith in the morning for all their stories of hot-footing and bus-hopping the tourist sights of London FLAT!

14 May 2012 TOLEDO Monday

After grabbing a quick coffee and brekky we met up with our pre-booked coach tour for Toledo. 

It is a fascinating city wrapped around by castle wall and river, which provided great fortification for the entire city.  The contrast of Kings Palace and narrow lanes, accessible only on foot, make it enticing to explore and wonder. The eclectic mix of Cathedral, Synagogue and Monastery still continues to be supported by the locals who also revere the impressive works of Greco. 
The Fort proudly displays it's Statue of Victory.

The cloisters, naves and gold covered decor makes one realise that no expense was spared back in the day.

We ended our day with a perfect Spanish Omelette (Tortilla Espanol) at a cafe right on the street, back in Madrid.
                                                       See how late and how light it is.

13 May 2012 ELSA AND ANTONIO'S WEDDING Sunday

The whole reason for coming to Madrid was to celebrate Elsa and Antonio's wedding day with them and what a fun, social event a Spanish wedding is.



Set in this beautiful courtyard with Antonio singing passionately with the Mexican band, surrounded by stunning gardens, really made for a romantic setting - a wonderful celebration to be a part of.

12 May 2012 MADRID Saturday

We had such an interesting walk around the old City and Latin Quarter today. Starting with a very conveniently situated market where I came away with a pretty skirt and necklace!
Plaza de Mayor is where it all happens with youngsters breaking out into spontaneous song, sports enthusiasts shouting there support and much laughter and chatter amongst the sidewalk eateries.
Most exciting of all, though, was being caught up in the Patron Saint of Madrid celebration, the Festival of Isidiro, in which I almost managed to get my bull run in...

Madrid's version of Buckingham Palace was impressive too as were all their beautifully decorated buildings.

Later that night after a very Spanish dinner of paella in the plaza we were, again, caught up amidst chaos but this time in a rather intimidating demonstration put on by 1000's of students in protest to their uni cuts.  There was a huge police presence with TV news camera's and helicopters buzzing around, and fortunately, we never got arrested for being part of it all.

11 May 2012 FRANCE - UK - SPAIN Friday

Yikes, this day definitely goes down as the biggest travel day yet!

Into the taxi in Nice, bright and early, onto the aeroplane for Paris - so far so good.  What was meant to happen next, was the train to Gare du Nord for Mum and Keith, and Challe de Gaulle for Al and I.  Alak and alas, what actually happened, was no train service!!  Not to worry, there is a bus service in it's place (bearing in mind we are all traipsing up and down stairs, escalators and electronic gates with all our luggage), we eventually find the bus stop - along with hordes of other travellers.  We decided, sensibly, to miss the first bus and wait first in line for the next one - well there's an education for you!  No such thing as manners in Paris, not even with Mum and Keith in line - it was atrocious.  Nevertheless, we got to the Eurostar platform for Mum and Keith and Al and I made our way to Challe de Gaulle airport to head for Madrid.
We arrived just in time for dinner at 100Montedito's which was pretty authentic in a local setting with little Spanish to help us along.

10 May 2012 MONACO BY NIGHT Thursday

Daytime was a home day in Nice catching up with domestics, which was not a hardship, given the view of the invitingly azure Mediterranean.

Nighttime, however, was a different story, with Al and I hopping on the bus back to Monaco to rub shoulders with the wealthy punters!  After mild scrutiny at the entrance to the Monte Carlo Casino, making sure our attire was satisfactory, we spent a small fortune on a beer and glass of wine before finishing our finances off on a meal, set in a restaurant of absolute opulence.
On our way out we found a spare Euro or two to throw hurriedly into the pokie machine and rushed off empty-handed before we were tempted to bankcrupt ourselves completely.
On the train home, all the richer for the experience.

9 May 2012 MONACO Wednesday

On the train to Monaco!

A very busy and wealthy city indeed.  Up the big hill to the La Palais de Monaco.

Around the waters edge riddled with yachts the size of apartment blocks.
And right on to the Grand Prix track, all set up with TV cameras ready for the vintage race this weekend and the big one next weekend.

THE CONTENDER WITH THE BEST CHANCE!

Wow! What an eye opener Monte Carlo Casino was, where ONLY the rich and famous dare to tread.



Home on the bus with a little old lady showing us the way - otherwise we may just have been 'lost in France'.

8 May 2012 VIEUX NICE Tuesday

Back in time is how we felt, strolling the narrow lanes of Old Town - Vieux Nice.  The colourful flower market was the inviting entrance to this quaint area of Nice, accompanied by the traditional Market Square and washing on the lines above the street, right out the windows of the apartments.

Something different for lunch as we tried the traditional dish of Nice, called Socca which is a chickpea flour fried like egg bread. Very yummy.

Next we went up the lift of Devil's Well for a panoramic view of the coast and Lou Casteu ruins.

7 May 2012 PARIS TO NICE Monday

A hop and a skip later and we arrived in Nice to an eyeful of Mediterranean Cote d' Azur on the French Riviera.
After obtaining the key and the obligatory groceries, hauling our luggage up 3 flights of stairs and a very necessary sleep, we milled amongst the throng along the Promenade des Anglais.

The beach is too uncomfortable to sit on as it has big pebbles instead of sand, hence the tables and chairs.  Every 100 metres or so is a different private beach demarcated with it's own seating arrangement for which you have to pay for the pleasure of a soft spot, of course.

6 May 2012 SEINE CRUISE Sunday

Happy Birthday and a quick skype to Judy xx

Back into the City we go for a cruise on the river Seine, with it's numerous decorative bridges (I made a mistake previously - there are more than 9 bridges) linking mainland to Isle de Cite.

Off to Saint Michel in the Latin Quarter, which we discovered we had already seen multiple times and not known. The university students like to turn the fountain into a bubble bath from time to time.
(No pics - internet too slow at good old McDonalds - but grateful all the same).
Hopped off the tube at Champs Elysees to walk up the avenue to the Arc de Triomphe into the 270 step spiral staircase for a view of the 12 street intersection leading off the roundabout.  We ended with a parade of soldiers lighting the flame to commemorate the Unknown Soldier.  Back to our hotel for dinner and our last night in Paris.

5 May 2012 THE LOUVRE AND NOTRE DAME Saturday

This morning my mum, Al and I traipsed back into the city (Keith had a home day), to go for a self-guided tour of Notre Dame with it's magnificent windows and naves.

Thereafter, we took ourselves on a self-guided tour (with Al plugged into an earphone guide) of the Louvre, where, without doubt, the highlight was to marvel at the famous Mona Lisa.

Off home for late lunch and back on the tubes to Montmarte and Sacre Couer where I was almost picked up by two Frenchman looking for a little "experience".







4 May 2012 EIFFFEL TOWER Friday

Bonjour à tous.
Pour tous ces ânes intelligents (et vous deux savez qui vous êtes) qui veulent parler français, moi aussi, peut se traduire.

By the time this morning's petit dejeneur was figured out - and we all ended up with a version of French loaf that was offered in stupendous variety - we had worked up a good appetite.

After studying the tube map intensely, Al and Keith got us to Cite with remarkable ease, landing us at Mum's namesake (our holiday tradition).

We walked along the Seine River with it's 9 bridges spanning the cafe au lait coloured water

viewing all the famous landmarks along the way.

A quick lunch and sneaky shopping before embarking on our Paris City tour.
Very interesting, but as I always say, if you're interested, you know where to look ; D

Our tour ended at the world famous....

My beret adds a little authenticity, don't you think?

Back track on the metro home, muddle our way round the dinner menu and bonne nuit.

3 May 2012 LONDON TO PARIS Thursday

What better way to start the day, than with a walk in the Spring rain for brekky right?  Yeah, right.

It really was actually pleasant, then a little later onto the Hoppa bus for the great St Pancras station and the Eurostar.  Finding our way was easy, but the difficult part was keeping up with Allan as he wasn't going to miss the train for anything!
Eventually we all got to the platform in good time for boarding and on we went to this magical portal that travels under the sea, taking us into another country.  Such a comfortable ride with wine, beers and lunch to add to the pleasurable experience. 

However, our pleasurable experience soon exploded into a cacophony of people, passageways and getting stuck inside the turnstyle with my suitcase!  There I was with Al telling me to go back, Keith telling me to go forwards and my mum telling me to lift my suitcase.....well, did they all think I'd be standing there wrapped up tight in the tiny space if I could actually go anywhere!?  Finally I managed to extricate myself from the metal claws and we all continued on our way.

Clearly, the French don't believe in escalators, so we had to lug our luggage up and down innumerable stairs - a couple of people did actually help - until we made our way out of the maze and up to the surface of the road.  Finally reaching our hotel we all collapsed, exhausted till dinner and bed.  Enough sightseeing for one day that's for sure.

2 May 2012 LONDON Wednesday

Hooray!  What a relief, we have all landed safely at Heathrow from all corners of the world and now we're all together at last with so much catching up to be done.  My Mum, Keith, Al and I, after hours of flying, are all jetlagged out at our hotel.  Hopefully we will recover for dinner with Kit and Dal tonight.