June 23 to July 8, 2014
Monday, June 23
We were in good shape this morning; all packed and ready to go. Rog met Michelle at Ryan's to get the truck and Micki arrived at 8:45. We got to the airport by 9:30 and found out that the plane was delayed in Dallas due to weather. The Sacramento group (Ann, Linda, Don, Barbara, Linda, Katy and Dorothy plus Rog, Micki and me) finally downtown, We had dinner, watched 3 movies (Endless Love, Lego Movie, Winter's Tale), got in a little sleep, and ate breakfast.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Got into London at noon and had no wait at immigration nor even a stop at customs. Then a wait for Globus. Once the Walshes arrived....(all of them!! Not just Jim and Sue but Jenny, Katy and Christy much to our surprise) we got aboard the Globus bus and headed into London to the Hilton Metropole. We arrived there aboout 2pm only to be told that our rooms would not be ready until 3. Then, 5 minutes later, they said that they had most of our rooms ready. Rog and I headed up the East wing to room 924 to rest for a bit before heading downstairs to meet Micki for a quick walk around. Before we could get on the Underground we had to get some money. Not so easy!! The ATM in the lobby would not accept my credit or debit card. We hit 2 more money exchanges with no luck, then were able to get 200 pounds at a bank ATM.
Then, back to the hotel to meet the 10 folks going for a short trip. We got on the Underground at Edgware Road (Bakerloo Line) and got off at Clearing Cross. We walked to Trafalgar Square, then on to Picadilly Circus. We stopped at Caffe Concerto for a bite to eat (Rog and I shared a plate of Hot Bites) before heading back, in bed by 8pm.
London is the largest city of Europe with a surface of about 1.000 square kilometers and some 7 million inhabitants. This is the same amount as in 1900, when London was the biggest city on earth. Although it no longer ranks among the world's most populous cities, London is still one of the world's major financial and cultural capitals.
London is divided into many districts which seem still to be functioning as separate villages, like they used to be in the past and they still have their own typical identities. Therefore London shows many faces with many different attractions for tourists, picturesque sceneries, historical monuments, many green parks, theatres, luxurious shops et cetera.
The center of the city owes it's layout to the great fire in 1666 and the Blitz in World War II. Both events left the city in ruins and when it was reconstructed, urbanistic improvements were carried out to a great extent. After 1666 the streets were broadened and buildings had to be made out of stone. After the Blitz there was more focus on the development of the suburbs and the redevelopment of the slum areas.
WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2014
Wide awake at 2am so by 5 we were showered, dressed and ready for the day. We had to wait until 6:30 for breakfast, then met up with Katy for a great breakfast. We remembered the breakfasts we had on our last European trip back in the 1980's when breakfast was toast and juice. This breakfast was a full spread of pastries, cereals, and hot dishes. This held true for the remainder of the trip.
Globus picked us up at 8am along with another 20 people in addition to Micki's group, making us a total of 43. Tony was our guide in London and had a great sense of humor and lots of information. We saw Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, the Marble Arch (originally designed for the Queen's Palace but it was not wide enough for the royal coach), Haymarket, Whitehall, Westminster, "the City", Buckingham Palace, the palaces where Charles and Ann lived, the new ULA (unaffordable luxury apartments), spent an hour in St. Paul's Cathedral and watched the parade for the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Then it was back to the hotel for lunch. We headed over to Marks and Spencers across the street and bought sandwiches to eat back in our hotel room. At 1pm it was time for the afternoon tour with Tony to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. We got lots of history, saw the crown jewels, the ravens, real Beefeaters, and Traitor's Gate. We could have spent a whole day there roaming around.
Back by 5:15, we then headed to Mickey's for fish and chips. It turned out to be run by Turks. So we had an authentic English meal served in a Turkish restaurant with a Greek dessert of baklava. By 7:30, Rog was asleep and I soon followed.
THURSDAY, June 26, 2014
Breakfast was "lovely" and then it was on to the Globus bus to meet Stuart and head southeast. Traffic was unusually congested as we wove through the numerous burroughs until we finally got beyond the suburbs of London and out into the countryside. First stop today was Hampton Gardens, a palace taken over from the original builder, Wolsey, by King Henry VIII in 1529. Went, the renowned British architect, had started a rebuild under William and Mary but only replaced half of it. So today you see a huge complex, 1/2 of it in the original Tudor style and 1/2 in newer Gothic style. Equally impressive are the grounds with fountains and gardens. They have the world's largest grapevine and gorgeous groomed yew trees.
In 1514, in the parish of Hampton, Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York began building a magnificent palace on the north bank of the River Thames. Wolsey had water for his new palace running from Coobe Hill in Surrey through lead pipes which traveled through Surbiton to get to Hampton Court. Not much of Wolsey's original building remains due to the remodeling by Henry VIII and later kings. Part of the Great Hall are probably from Wolsey's palace, and the structure of the Base Court looks much like it did in Wolsey's time. The parts of the kitchens from the original building are also very much as they were in Wolsey's first building. Henry VIII received the palace from Wolsey in the mid to late 1520s, although the Archbishop retained apartments there, as well as at all the other royal palaces until he fell from favor and was arrested (and subsequently died before he could be executed). Henry made many additions to the palace and most of the Tudor parts we still see today were built by him. Henry enlarged and rebuilt his own apartments, parts of the kitchens, the Chapel Royal, replaced most of the Great Hall and added tennis courts. Henry also laid out the overall plan for the gardens at Hampton Court, the basic structure of which is still seen today.
The astronomical clock was made in 1540 by Nicholas Oursian and shows the hours, days of the week, days of the month, the time of high tide, the phases of the moon, the signs of the zodiac and in all its pre-Copernican glory -- the golden sun traveling around an immobile Earth.
Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I all stayed at Hampton Court at times during their reigns, although none made and significant additions or alterations to the palace, as their father had.
Parts of the Tudor palace were pulled down when construction began on a new building for William and Mary. The change in architecture styles is very marked as is the dramatic difference in the colors of the bricks.
Events in Tudor History at Hampton Court
In 1537, Jane Seymour gave birth to the future King Edward VI at Hampton court. The baby prince was christened in the magnificent Chapel Royal a few days later. Jane fell very ill after Edward's birth and died in the palace only two weeks after giving birth to the new heir.
Henry VIII spent three of his honeymoons at Hampton Court, as did his daughter Mary I when she married Philip of Spain. It was at Hampton Court that Henry VIII was told of the infidelity of Kathryn Howard, which would eventually lead to her arrest and execution (and according to some, why her ghost inhabits the Haunted Gallery.) Henry also married his sixth wife, Katherine Parr, in the Holyday or Queen's Closet at the Palace, adjoining the Chapel Royal.
Then it was on to Stonehenge. What a beautiful job they have done to showcase this site with a large visitor center and the stones themselves are seen from a distance via a gravel path. We each received an audio unit and could wander around at our own speed and tune in to as much information we wanted. It took us a little over 1/2 an hour to wander around the stones, then we headed back to the visitor center for an impressive recreation of the stones in a theater in the round. It was an outstanding highlight of the wonders of this place.
Stonehenge is an enigmatic prehistoric monument located on a chalky plain north of the modern day city of Salisbury, England. It was started 5,000 years ago and modified by ancient Britons over a period of 1,000 years. Its purpose continues to be a mystery.
The biggest of its stones, known as sarsens, are up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall and weigh 25 tons (22.6 metric tons) on average. It is widely believed that they were brought from Marlborough Downs, a distance of 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the north. Smaller stones, referred to as “bluestones” (they have a bluish tinge when wet or freshly broken), weigh up to 4 tons and most of them appear to have come from the Preseli Hills in western Wales, a distance of 156 miles (250 km). It’s unknown how people in antiquity moved them that far; water transport was probably used for part of the journey. Recently, scientists have raised the possibility that during the last ice age glaciers carried these bluestones closer to the Stonehenge area and the monument’s makers didn’t have to move them all the way from Wales.
The bus then drove us through some gorgeous countryside to the city of Bath. Bath originally developed around a mineral spring. When the Romans (or "ramens" as the Brits say) occupied England, they built an enormous complex around the spring, with hot rooms, therapy baths and huge bath "pools", all covered by an immense arched roof. The museum provided an audio tour and did a great job of recreating the atmosphere and the history.
Boasting a population of 83,992, Bath was awarded status by royal charter and Queen Elizabeth I in 1590. The city was first established as a Spa resort with the Latin name Aqua Sulis by the Romans in AD43. They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avon around hot springs which are the only ones naturally occurring in the United Kingdom.
When we emerged from the baths, we encountered our first real rain of the trip. We braved the wetness and walked through some of this charming city.
Back on the bus, we headed to Wales, stopping in Newport to spend one night at the Hilton. We met the group at 7pm for "cocktails" and then a buffet dinner. The glass of wine I had resulted in a lively discussion about sharing desserts....ah well
FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
I slept through the night and felt pretty rested at 6am. We headed down to breakfast and were on the bus for the 8:15 departure. The first stop today was Cardiff, capital of Wales. There is a gorgeous castle right in the middle of town with some of the original Roman stones at the base of its outer walls. The entire castle has been restored. We declined the castle tour and headed to the shops. The one souvenir I wanted from this trip was a Welsh love spoon. Rog picked out a beautiful one and the store clerk was worth the whole hour we spent in his shop. He even engraved the spoon on the back. We spent the next 45 minutes wandering the streets. Since it was drizzling, we headed back to the bus early.
Welsh Love Spoons
Traditionally, in old Wales, the groom was responsible for providing the bowl and spoon to eat with. In later years, this developed into a responsibility for the furniture in the house. The wife was to provide the linens in her "bottom drawer" (which we call our Hope Chest). Most men didn't get all of the furniture done until after the wedding, but they could demonstrate their skill to their intended with a carved spoon which became quite ornate. A man would present a carved spoon to a woman he was interested in. She often showed this spoon to her father who would let her know if the guy was a skilled craftsman or not. If she accepted the spoon, she was now betrothed and he could get started on the rest f the furniture. This probably was the origin of the term "spooning", if not the hobby of collecting spoons. Our spoon is made ot of lime wood, the others are olive.
From Cardiff, we headed to the port with a rest stop before Fishguard at Pont Abraham. Once at Fishguard, the bus drove onto the ferry and we climbed 4 flights to the lounge. We ended up in a "resting" lounge since the chairs were so comfortable. We thought they would show a movie there, but it turned out to be a video camera view of the bow of the ferry as we crossed St. George’s Channel in the Irish Sea. Luckily the seas were calm and the crossing uneventful. In 3 1/2 hours, we were in Ireland. Back to the bus, off the ferry and on to Waterford. This is the home county of my ancestors. There was a financial boom in Ireland 15 years ago, then a bust with the recession in 2007. Lots of empty malls and businesses.
Waterford (1991 pop. 41,853), seat of County Waterford, S Republic of Ireland, on the Suir River near the head of Waterford Harbour. The port town is a center for the export of fruit, meat, and the famous Waterford crystal. Other industries are fishing, food processing, and the manufacture of footwear and fertilizers. The making of crystal and glass, predominant in the 18th cent., died out in the mid-19th cent. but has since been revived. Established very early as a walled Danish settlement, Waterford was taken in 1170 by Richard, earl of Pembroke, who used Reginald's Tower (built 1003; still standing) as a fort. King John granted the first charter in the 13th cent. In 1618 the charter was withdrawn because the people refused to accept the religious supremacy of the king of England. Waterford was besieged by Oliver Cromwell in 1649 and taken by Henry Ireton in 1650. The area contains remains of 13th-century Franciscan and Dominican foundations that were suppressed in the 16th cent.; there are also Protestant and Roman Catholic cathedrals. Waterford is the seat of the united Protestant dioceses of Cashel, Emly, Waterford, and Lismore and of the Roman Catholic dioceses of Waterford and Lismore. St. John's College is a Protestant theological seminary.
In Waterford, we got our room at the Granville Hotel. At first I was disappointed that we didn't have a room with a view of the River Shuir, but then we walked into a charming suite with 3 beds and a sitting area. We joined the others for dinner in the restaurant and were incredibly impressed. The 3 course meal was served in a new way. After the starter (an appetizer: your choice of melon balls in liqueur or salmon and prawns), the plates were whisked away and replaced the with warm dinner plate. Then the entire waiting staff descended on one large table at a time, each serving a different dish; carrots, beans, home fries, gravy, mashed potatoes, rolls, and the main course (I had salmon and Rog had Irish stew). It was like poetry in motion. They never seemed to get in each other's way and it seemed like you were always being served from one side or the other. One minute, and then they were gone off to the next table. And the food was absolutely delicious. Dessert was a raspberry meringue, blackberry crumble or bowl of ice cream. All of the ingredients were locally grown. In fact, the menu mentioned Gerry Walsh as the provider of the potatoes.
After the meal, Niall (the manager...who received applause 4 times during the meal) demonstrated the fine art of making Irish coffee (the Granville is an award winner for it). Then we each got an Irish coffee and headed to bed.
Granville’s Irish Coffee recipe:
Before you add the ingredients, heat the glass or cup by rinsing with boiling water. Then add each ingredient. Do not stir! Sip the coffee through the cream.
1 1/2 t. instant coffee
1 1/2 t. brown sugar
whiskey – if you use a jigger, get your fingers wet.
hot water
top with whipped cream
SATURDAY, June 28,2014
Had a little rougher night's sleep here with hotel noises, but not bad. Down to breakfast at 7am where we were treated to porridge with a splash of our choice of liquors. I had Bailey's and it was delicious. I like the way these Irish eat!! Then we not only had a full buffet with fruit, breads, meats, cheeses, etc but were served an Irish breakfast of potatoes, sausage, bacon ham, eggs and black pudding. This place is going to be tough to beat.
We left on the bus at 8 and headed to the Waterford Crystal Factory Tour. Today a marathon race was starting outside the showroom so we had to get there before it started and leave after it cleared out. The large Waterford factory founded at the edge of town in 1783 was closed down years ago and moved to Czechoslovakia. The small factory where the tour is hired back 80 of the best of the craftsmen they had let go when they bought the business and they make specialty items like commissioned art and trophies. It was fascinating watching the process. I even took the opportunity to smash a rejected water goblet. I was amazed to hear that they make 3 of each specialty item in case of damage in shipping. They reuse the crystal and melt it down.
We left Waterford and got to Blarney at noon. We headed to the castle and spent an hour perusing the area and making the trek up the 130 steps to kiss the Blarney stone. While in line inside the tower, we had a group of kids from Chicago behind us: a choir on tour from Chicago. They treated us to a few songs while we climbed, one of them "May the Road Rise to Meet You". Then we went to the town of Blarney to do a bit of shopping. I found some Irish wool to make a hat. Then it was back to the bus to head to Killarney.
Blarney Castle was built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland's greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, and has been attracting attention beyond Munster ever since. Over the last few hundred years, millions have flocked to Blarney, making it a world landmark and one of Ireland's greatest treasures.
Now that might have something to do with the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of our Tower. Kiss it and you'll never again be lost for words.
In Killarney, we stayed at the Killarney Avenue Hotel, room 101. We will be here for 2 nights, so I left our dirty clothes to soak in the tub while we headed out to see the town. We walked all over, looking at shops and trying to find a pub that served food. We finally settled on one and I had a bowl of leek/potato soup and Rog had a chicken Caesar salad. Then back for a hot bath and movie.
Killarney: In a town that's been practicing the tourism game for over 250 years, Killarney is a well-oiled machine in the middle of the sublime scenery of its namesake national park. Beyond the obvious proximity to lakes, waterfalls, woodland and moors dwarfed by 1000m-plus peaks, it has many charms of its own.
Killarney and its surrounds have been inhabited probably since the Neolithic period and were certainly important Bronze Age settlements, based on the copper ore mined on Ross Island. Killarney changed hands between warring tribes, the most notable of which were the Fir Bolg ('bag men'), expert stonemasons who built forts and devised Ogham script. It wasn't until much later, in the 17th century, that Viscount Kenmare developed the town as an Irish version of England's Lake District. Among its many notable 19th-century tourists were Queen Victoria and the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who began Queen Mab here.
SUNDAY, June 29, 2014
I had a great night's sleep and we got up at 7 for breakfast at 8. Before I fell asleep the night before, I had received an email from Capital One questioning a $682 charge from London. I had tried twice to use the ATM in the Hilton we stayed in and was rejected both times. So, after breakfast, I found Stuart and he let me use his phone to call the credit card company and straighten it out.
We boarded the bus at 9 and headed out to take the 134 mile Ring of Kerry: a road that circles the scenic areas around the area.
We were incredibly lucky to have no mist and lots of sun so we had fabulous visibility. We stopped at a number of pullouts to take pictures and take in the scenery. We stopped at a jewelry store/craft shop that served Irish coffee to everyone. Micki found a cape she loved and I offered to make it for her if she found the fabric.
At lunch, we stopped at a great lookout over a small anchorage with a handful of boats. We heard a story about a guy who tried to place fish pens in this bay, much to the dismay of the townsfolks. When the locks to the pens were broken and all of the fish let out, the local police did an investigation. They concluded that it must have been seals that did it. The guy took the hint and moved on.
We ended our bus trip ringing the 3 Killarney lakes of the national park, ending up back at the hotel at 3 pm. We headed out to find the jarvie (cart driver) we had met the previous day. Patrick Tagney took us for a 1 1/2 hour cart jaunt through the park. The carts are passed down in the family and licenses are inherited, not purchased. We had a nice vist to Ross Castle, then headed back, entertained with Patrick's wit and commentary.
Patrick had recommended Frenck's Restaurant and we walked around a bit before it opened at 5:30. I had seafood chowder and Rog had salmon, then it was back to the hotel.
The Ring of Kerry is the longest and the most diverse of Ireland's big circle drives, combining jaw-dropping coastal scenery with emerald pastures and villages.
The 179km circuit winds past pristine beaches, the island-dotted Atlantic, medieval ruins, mountains and loughs (lakes). The coastline is at its most rugged between Waterville and Caherdaniel in the southwest of the peninsula. It can get busy in summer, but even then, the remote Skellig Ring can be uncrowded and serene – and starkly beautiful.
MONDAY, June 30, 2014
Up at 6am for breakfast at 7. We left Killarney at 8:15 and headed towards Dublin. We had front row seats today so had a great view. (Each day, you move forward 2 rows (skip and sit) which gives everyone a chance to be in front, and it also gets you to meet almost everyone on the bus.) Along the way, we made a number of stops. First was Limerick to see King John's Castle and St. Mary's Cathedral. Then we stopped at Adare to see the historical museum and a quaint row of cute thatched houses. We watched as one of our group walked right in the front door of one of them, thinking that it was a shop. The owner was good natured about it.
Then we stopped at Cashel Rock. Legend has it that the devil came to Ireland and his progress was stopped by the mountain range. This made him angry and he took a bite out of the mountain and spit it out. This became Cashel Rock and the spot where he took the bite (which is surprisingly the same shape, more likely due to glacial factors) is called Devil's Bite. A castle was built on Cashel Rock and is now being restored.
Then it was on to the National Stud Farm. Believe it or not, this place has a fairly large Japanese garden that we strolled through then sat and ate our picnic lunch. Then we had a tour of the farm. Our guide, David, was just as charming as Patrick had been with a quick wit and silver tongue. We saw the retired stallions, the mares and foals and their current stallion studs. We heard about Tommy the Teaser who sorts out the mares in season and were surprised to hear that no artificial insemination is allowed. Their stallions service up to 120 mares a year for 6K-70K pounds each.
Since I had lost one day of pics, I went to Laur's room and downloaded her pics. Another day done.
DUBLIN: The first documented history of Dublin begins with the Viking raids in the 8th and 9th century. These led to the establishment of a settlement on the southside of the mouth of the Liffey, named Dubh Linn (Black Pool) after the lake where the Danes first moored their boats.
Despite stone fortifications, Dublin town was sacked many times over the next two centuries but always recovered. By the 11th Century, Dublin prospered, mainly due to close trading links with the English towns of Chester and Bristol and soon became the most important town in Ireland with a population of about 4,000.
Dublin in the Middle Ages
1169 marked the beginning of 700 years of Norman rule. The King of Leinster, Mac Murrough, enlisted the help of Strongbow, the Earl of Pembroke, to conquer Dublin. After Mac Murrough’s death, Strongbow declared himself King of Leinster, defeating both the Vikings and the High King of Ireland to win control of the city. However, the king of England, afraid Strongbow might become too powerful, pronounced himself Lord of Ireland and gave Dublin to the merchants of Bristol.
Dublin was devastated by fire in 1190 and a stone fortress built sometime in the 13th century. The first mayor was appointed in 1220. Following this, the city grew fast and had a population of 8,000 by the end of the 13th century, prospering as a trade center, despite an attack by the Scots in 1317.
From the 14th to 18th centuries, Dublin was incorporated into the English Crown as The Pale and, for a time, became the second city of the British Empire. In 1537, a revolt occurred when the Lord Deputy of Ireland was executed in London. His son renounced English sovereignty and set about gathering an army to attack Dublin. However, he was defeated and subsequently executed.
Dublin continued to prosper in the 16th Century and boasts one of the oldest universities in the British isles, Trinity College, which was founded by Queen Elizabeth I. The city had a population of 20,000 in 1640 before plague in 1650 wiped out almost half of the inhabitants. But the city prospered again soon after as a result of the wool and linen trade with England, reaching a population of 60,000 in 1700.
The History of Modern Dublin
The city grew even more rapidly during the 18th century with many famous districts and buildings added, such as Merrion Square, Parliament House and the Royal Exchange, later to become City Hall. The beginnings of the City Corporation was created in 1757 with a body of men formed to widen, pave, light and clean the streets. Ireland's famous Guinness stout was first brewed in 1759 and a stagecoach service to other towns began. The Grand Canal was built in 1779 and a police force established in 1786. Towards the end of the century O’Connell Bridge and Kilmainham Gaol had been built and by 1800 the population had swollen to 180,000. However, this overpopulation brought with it great poverty and disease
The 19th Century brought the construction of the Gasworks and introduction of street lighting, but overall Dublin suffered a steep political and economical decline with the seat of government moving to Westminster in 1800 under the Act Of Union.
Things were to change dramatically in the 20th Century with the 1916 Easter Rising, the War For Independence and the subsequent Civil War which eventually led to the establishment of the Republic of Ireland.
As the seat of English administration, Dublin was the setting for many key events during the Irish struggle for independence and you will find a number of historic buildings, such as the General Post Office on O'Connell Street, Dublin Castle and Kilmainham Gaol, where history comes alive.
Since the mid-1990s, an economic boom christened the ‘Celtic Tiger’ brought massive expansion and development to the city, including the creation of Dublin’s newest landmark, the Spire monument on O'Connel Street. Fuelled by the boom years, Dublin has grown to be the single largest conurbation in Ireland. Some 1.2m people live in the greater Dublin area, that equals 28% of the country's total population of 4.2m.
The boom brought many new ethnic groups into the city and created a more international feel, particularly in the north inner city. Ireland has fallen on harder times in recent months, but Dublin is, if anything, more vibrant than ever.
TUESDAY, July 1, 2014
We had a late morning. The bus left at 9:30 and took us on a tour of Dublin. The city is home to almost 1/3 of the country's population but is amazingly small. We ended the tour at Trinity College where we visited the library which housed over 2000 books, all over 200 years old. We also saw 2 of the Books of Kells under glass, dating from 800AD.
From there, we hiked around town, visiting much of what we had toured earlier in the day, but this time on foot. We hit Hard Rock Cafe, Grafton Street, St. Stephen's Green, the Georgian area, did a geocache with Peg and Laur, and found a Starbuck’s mug for Micki.
On the bus, we had visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church, Temple Bar, the Halfpenny Bridge, Samuel Beckett Bridge (Harp Bridge) and the River Liffey
We picked up a Magnum bar and then headed back to the hotel to chat and relax. We joined John and Carol at the hotel bar for dinner and complimentary drinks and appetizers for Hilton Honors members. To bed by 9.
The Book of Kells (Irish: Leabhar Cheanannais) (Dublin, Trinity College Library, MS A. I. (58), sometimes known as the Book of Columba) is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created in a Columban monastery in either Britain or Ireland, or indeed may have had contributions from various Columban institutions from both Britain and Ireland. It is believed to have been created ca. 800 AD. The text of the Gospels is largely drawn from the Vulgate, although it also includes several passages drawn from the earlier versions of the Bible known as the Vetus Latina. It is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and represents the pinnacle of Insular illumination. It is also widely regarded as Ireland's finest national treasure.
The illustrations and ornamentation of the Book of Kells surpass that of other Insular Gospel books in extravagance and complexity. The decoration combines traditional Christian iconography with the ornate swirling motifs typical of Insular art. Figures of humans, animals and mythical beasts, together with Celtic knots and interlacing patterns in vibrant colours, enliven the manuscript's pages. Many of these minor decorative elements are imbued with Christian symbolism and so further emphasise the themes of the major illustrations.
The manuscript today comprises 340 folios and, since 1953, has been bound in four volumes. The leaves are on high-quality calf vellum, and the unprecedentedly elaborate ornamentation that covers them includes ten full-page illustrations and text pages that are vibrant with decorated initials and interlinear miniatures and mark the furthest extension of the anti-classical and energetic qualities of Insular art. The Insular majuscule script of the text itself appears to be the work of at least three different scribes. The lettering is in iron gall ink, and the colors used were derived from a wide range of substances, many of which were imports from distant lands.
The manuscript takes its name from the Abbey of Kells, which was its home for centuries. Today, it is on permanent display at Trinity College Library, Dublin. The Library usually displays two of the current four volumes at a time, one showing a major illustration and the other showing typical text pages, and the entire manuscript can be viewed on the Library's Digital Collections portal.
WEDNESDAY, July 2, 2014
We move on to Northern Ireland today. We left Dublin at 8, making a stop at the Talbot Castle in Malahide. This castle had been in the Talbot family and lived in continuously until recently, when the family had to sell it to cover inheritance taxes. It is in remarkable shape and fully furnished. In the upstairs hallway was a document headed "Reverend Walsh" and a portrait in the bedroom looked remarkably like Jim.
We headed to Belfast from there and got there at just about noon. Stuart gave us a couple of hours to eat and browse before meeting back at the bus at 2 for a city tour with Rosemary. She was an outstanding guide, not only pointing out the highlights of the city, but discussed the "Troubles" (1960-1994) and the current political climate. She claims that the troubles were not religion based, but more British vs Irish culture. There had been some serious discrimination in housing and employment which has now been rectified. She pointed out some of the remaining 30 foot tall “peace” walls, built to keep the two factions from killing each other. They are being removed now that things have calmed a bit. It was very interesting and Rosemary was quite entertaining.
Back to our new hotel, the Europa, to get our rooms (#319). We met my sisters downstairs at 4:15 to walk downtown. Peg had one souvenir to buy and I was looking for a birthday cake for Rog. I found 2 and pointed them out to Micki. She made some excuse about wanting to head back to the hotel and we left without her. Micki was then able to buy the cakes and take them back to the restaurant. I had bought some cookies so we had a "cookie party" for Rog in the lobby before heading over to the Crown (pronounced "cran") Pub and Restaurant for a Globus dinner.
I had fish and chips and Rog had chicken shepherd's pie and then we had a decadent chocolate brownie for dessert. Our table of the Walsh Clan was the last to be served so the first table was getting dessert served when we got our main dish. Most of the room had left when they finally brought out the birthday cake. We sang, Rog was embarassed and nobody had room for cake. So we will save it for tomorrow.
Back to the hotel and to bed by 9:30.
The name Belfast comes from the Gaelic ‘Beal Feirste’ derived from the River Farset which means ‘mouth of the sandy ford’. The banks of the Farset became the first quaysides of the developing merchant city and the river flowed beside docks on High Street into the 19th century. In the late 18th century it contributed to being one of many Belfast rivers which provided the power for early industrialization by powering factories and supplying essential water to the Mills for linen production.
The history of Belfast dates back to the 17th century and started to grow during the plantation of Ulster when charters were granted to develop land in the province. A Royal Charter was granted in 1613 giving Belfast ‘town’ status where it continued to thrive thanks to its location adjacent to Belfast Lough. It soon became a port for wool, grain and food exported to and from Ireland. By the end of the 17th Century other industries had also begun to develop in the town including linen, tobacco and rope making.
Success in the linen trade was matched with the rapid expansion in shipbuilding, particularly with the opening of the Harland & Wolff shipyard in 1862 who built the infamous RMS Titanic in 1912 amongst others. At the height of prosperity, the shipyard was one of the biggest and most productive in the world employing a vast number of the workforce in Belfast. By the end of the 19th century, Belfast had grown from strength to strength and Queen Victoria granted Belfast the ‘city’ title in 1888.
Today Belfast continues to develop and grow as a popular tourist destination and cultural hub. As the birthplace of the Titanic, Belfast’s maritime heritage is portrayed at its best with the sensational new Titanic Belfast visitor attraction. Visitors can explore and experience first hand the Titanic Quarter where Titanic was built and marvel at the city skyline dominated by the world famous Samson and Goliath cranes.
THURSDAY, July 3, 2014
Another beautiful day. I never dreamt we would tour Ireland with no rain.
We headed to breakfast with Jim and Sue, then boarded the bus at 8:30. We headed to the Titanic Museum. Now I don't think I would have chosen this as a site to visit, but once there, I could have spent all day. It was so well done. It gave some history of Belfast, let you experience shipbuilding as well as being aboard the Titanic. They even had a theater room where you could see a film of the rediscovery of the sunken ship, with a second film below a glass floor showing a scan of the ship so you could feel like you were in a submersible sub skimming over the sunken vessel. The building that the museum was housed in was also fantastic. From a distance it mimicked a ship slicing through an iceberg. Next door to the museum was Titanic studios where they were filming Game of Thrones.
RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning of 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK to New York City, US. The sinking of Titanic caused the deaths of more than 1,500 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. The RMS Titanic, the largest ship afloat at the time it entered service, was the second of three Olympic class ocean liners operated by the White Star Line, and was built by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast with Thomas Andrews as her naval architect. Andrews was among those lost in the sinking. On her maiden voyage, she carried 2,224 passengers and crew.
Under the command of Edward Smith, the ship's passengers included some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as hundreds of emigrants from Great Britain and Ireland, Scandinavia and elsewhere throughout Europe seeking a new life in North America. A wireless telegraph was provided for the convenience of passengers as well as for operational use. Although Titanic had advanced safety features such as watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors, there were not enough lifeboats to accommodate all of those aboard due to outdated maritime safety regulations. Titanic only carried enough lifeboats for 1,178 people—slightly more than half of the number on board, and one-third her total capacity.
After leaving Southampton on 10 April 1912, Titanic called at Cherbourg in France and Queenstown (now Cobh) in Ireland before heading west to New York.[2] On 14 April 1912, four days into the crossing and about 375 miles (600 km) south of Newfoundland, she hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. ship's time. The collision caused the ship's hull plates to buckle inwards along her starboard side and opened five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the sea; the ship gradually filled with water. Meanwhile, passengers and some crew members were evacuated in lifeboats, many of which were launched only partly loaded. A disproportionate number of men were left aboard because of a "women and children first" protocol followed by some of the officers loading the lifeboats.[3] By 2:20 a.m., she broke apart and foundered, with well over one thousand people still aboard. Just under two hours after Titanic foundered, the Cunard liner RMS Carpathia arrived on the scene of the sinking, where she brought aboard an estimated 705 survivors.
The disaster was greeted with worldwide shock and outrage at the huge loss of life and the regulatory and operational failures that had led to it. Public inquiries in Britain and the United States led to major improvements in maritime safety. One of their most important legacies was the establishment in 1914 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which still governs maritime safety today. Additionally, several new wireless regulations were passed around the world in an effort to learn from the many missteps in wireless communications—which could have saved many more passengers.[4]
The wreck of Titanic remains on the seabed, split in two and gradually disintegrating at a depth of 12,415 feet (3,784 m). Since her discovery in 1985, thousands of artifacts have been recovered and put on display at museums around the world. Titanic has become one of the most famous ships in history, her memory kept alive by numerous books, folk songs, films, exhibits, and memorials.
Then we bussed to the ferry for a farewell to Ireland and a welcome to Scotland. This trip across the North Channel was only 2 hours, during which we were able to finish off both of the birthday cakes.
Once in Scotland, we journeyed northeast to Ayr, through Glasgow, then on to Edinburgh. Glasgow is larger than Edinburgh but lacks the history of the capital city. We got to our hotel a little after 5 and then took a walk with the sisters. Our hotel is right in the center of town with Edinburgh Castle looming over us on one side and the River Forth on the other. We walked down Prince Street where the shops are then down Rose Street where the restaurants are. We stopped at the Rose and Crown, a small pub restaurant. I had leek/potato soup and Rog had a shepherd's pie.
Then it was back to the hotel to wash clothes and hair. It is light in Edinburgh until 11pm and gets light before 4am which is a bit disorienting.
FRIDAY, July 4, 2014
This morning's tour was with Tom Wales, a local Scot. The queen is in Edinburgh to christen the new aircraft carrier, the Queen Elizabeth II, so we were unable to go to the Palace. Instead, we toured the new town (which is still quite old by our standards, the new town was built outside of the castle walls back in the 1700's) and then the old town. We spent 1 1/2 hours inside the castle. We saw the crown jewels, the bedroom where James II was born, the prison where they held prisoners of war (including Americans captured while we were at war with England), and the Great Room with the roof of the inverted boat hull built by shipwrights. The castle was built on a spot surrounded on 3 sides by sheer cliffs and the castle was never successfully breeched. As Tom said, the first skyscrapers were built here; the townspeople ran out of room for their homes inside the castle walls and had to build on top of each other. Some of the homes are 14 stories up.
Edinburgh is "lovely". Everywhere you look, there are photo opportunities. Old stone buildings and fanciful stone carvings abound. Statues, bridges,, walls....kilts, plaids, cashmeres, bagpipes. What a fun and charmingly historical town. When we got back from our tour, we had sandwiches in our room, then joined the sisters for a walk. Peg and Laur found their geocache, we all bought cookies at Marks and Spencer, and then we headed to Old Town, hitting almost every store along the way. We walked through St. Giles Church, then headed back to New Town for high tea at the Dome. Then it was back to our room to rest up for tomorrow.
EDINBURGH
Edinburgh began as a fort. Castle Rock is an easily defended position so from earliest times it was the site of a fort. In the 7th century the English captured this part of Scotland and they called this place Eiden's burgh (burgh is an old word for fort). In the 10th century the Scots re-captured the area. Late in the 11th century King Malcolm III built a castle on Castle Rock and a small town grew up nearby. By the early 12th century Edinburgh was a flourishing community.
In 1128 King David I founded Holyrood Abbey. The Abbey was manned by Augustinian canons who gave their name to Canongate. (Gate does not mean a gate in a wall it is from the old word 'gait' meaning road).
In the Middle Ages there were friars in Edinburgh. Friars were like monks but instead of withdrawing from the world they went out to preach. In Edinburgh there were Dominican friars (called black friars because of their black costumes) and Augustinian friars (known as grey friars). Both orders lived in friaries on the southern edge of Edinburgh.
Medieval Edinburgh was famous for making wool cloth. Nearby was the settlement of Leith which acted as Edinburgh's port. The main export was hides. Cattle and sheep were sold at a market in Cowgate. They were then butchered in the town. After 1477 grain and hay were sold in the Grassmarket.
In 1329 Edinburgh was given a charter, a sign of its growing importance. However in 1296 the English captured Edinburgh castle. They held it until 1322. Edinburgh suffered in constant warfare between Scots and English. In 1385 the English burned St Giles Kirk and the Town Hall. Despite this Edinburgh continued to grow and by the 15th century it was Scotland's de facto capital.
At the end of the 15th century the king built Holyrood House. John Knox's House was also built at the end of the 15th century.
By 1500 Edinburgh probably had a population of 12,000. It rose to about 15,000 by 1550. Between 1513 and 1560 a wall was built south of Edinburgh to keep out the English.
However the English attacked in 1547 and they sacked Edinburgh castle. They returned in 1547. Edinburgh was also besieged in 1571 during a civil war. Edinburgh also suffered from outbreaks of the plague. There were severe attacks in 1585 and 1645. However each time Edinburgh recovered.
In the 17th century Edinburgh grew in size and prosperity. This was despite outbreaks of plague in 1604 and 1645. Meanwhile in 1621 thatched roofs were banned in Edinburgh as they were a fire hazard.
In 1633 Charles I was crowned in Edinburgh. However he alienated the people of both England and Scotland. In Scotland the last straw was when he tried to changed the people’s religion by introducing a new prayer book. A riot began in St Giles cathedral when somebody threw a stool at the Dean's head. The rioting spread to other churches in Edinburgh. After months of unrest a national covenant was drawn up demanding the king respect Scotland's religion. Prominent Scots signed it in Greyfriars Kirk. After that the king effectively lost control of Scotland.
In 1650, after the battle of Dunbar, the English occupied Edinburgh. However after their departure Edinburgh continued to grow in size and prosperity. By the end of the 17th century the population of Edinburgh had probably risen to about 50,000.
During the early 18th century Edinburgh continued to grow. By mid century it was severely overcrowded. The Lord Provost decided to build a new town on the land north of Edinburgh. In 1767 a competition was held to decide the best plan. The winner was a young architect called James Craig. Accordingly new broad streets, circuses and crescents were erected at the New Town.
In 1759 the city fathers also drained the Nor Loch, a body of water north of Edinburgh.
The Royal Edinburgh Society was founded in 1783. One of the founding members was the great economist Adam Smith.
Although Edinburgh was not a manufacturing center in the 18th century there was an important shipbuilding industry at Leith the city's port.
In the 19th century Edinburgh did not become a manufacturing center and so lost its position as Scotland's number one city to Glasgow. The only significant industries in Edinburgh were printing and brewing. Edinburgh remained a city of lawyers and bankers.
Edinburgh was also famous for its literary figures and was called the Athens of the North. Yet alongside upper and middle class elegance there was a great deal of poverty and overcrowding. Like other cities Edinburgh suffered outbreaks of cholera in 1832 and in 1848-49.
Despite its failure to become an industrial center Edinburgh grew rapidly during the 19th century. The population was under 100,000 in 1801 but it grew to 170,000 in 1851.
Princes Street was finished by 1805 and by the early 19th century the New Town was complete. In the mid 19th century many Irish immigrants arrived in Edinburgh fleeing from famine.
The railway reached Edinburgh in 1842 and The Royal Infirmary was founded in 1870. After 1895 Edinburgh was lit by electric street lights.
In 1847 Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh. Arthur Conan Doyle the creator of Sherlock Holmes was born in Edinburgh in 1859.
In the 20th century Edinburgh remained a city of banking, insurance and other service industries.
SATURDAY, July 5
A lot of travelling today as we leave Scotland and head south. A dreary start to the day with some drizzle, but happy that the only time we have encountered rain on this trip is while we are on the bus. The only exception was Bath and that wasn't bad. We made a stop at Alnwick (pronounced Annick) to see the charming castle used in Harry Potter's movie (quidditch scenes) and the accompanying town. We spent an hour walking the streets, going through the open air market, and getting in to take pics of the castle. Then it was back to the bus to head to York.
Along the way, Stuart explained that hedgerows were planted to separate the fields and to keep the animals in. They were high enough that sheep and cows could not jump the, but low enough that horses could clear them for organized hunts. The government is currently recommending to farmers that they let the hedges go 3 years before trimming them to allow for protection to the ecology but many farmers like to keep them neat and trim them every year.
We drove past Hadrian's wall,or at least the remnants of it. This was a wall that the Romans built to mark their northern border in 126 AD. Originally 16 feet tall and made of turf and then stone, it was 75 miles long. Not much remains as folks have used the stones for their homes in the ensuing years.
We also saw the Angel of the North, a huge statue that was more artistic than beautiful.
And then we got to York. York is the considered the #2 city of England, second only to London. Must be based on popularity and not population. It was settled by the Romans in the first century AD and suffered some bad luck, having had 2 emperors die while visiting. Their saving grace was that Constantine was crowned emperor while there as well. York was plundered when the Vikings came through, but not destroyed because they liked the town and decided to stay. When the Normans invaded, William the Conqueror built the castle at York. When Richard the Lionhearted came to power, the townsfolk mobbed the 300 Jews in York, killing half and forcing the remaining 150 to hole up in the town tower. These Jews ultimately took poison instead of submitting to the mob.
York currently has 120K people and is hosting the Tour de France while we are here. The Tour ended its first stage in York today and starts Stage 2 here tomorrow. The city was festooned with yellow bicycles and banners and the streets were jammed. We enjoyed a few hours wandering the streets of this medieval town, and going through Yorkminster, the largest cathedral built north of the Alps. Originally Catholic, it is now home to the second most important Anglican archbishop (the head archbishop is in Canterbury). The inside is massive and gives meaning to Pillars of the Earth. The stain glass windows here are magnificent and are currently being restored. When they were restoring the foundation back in 1967, they found Roman remains and still have these on display. We ended the afternoon sitting in the park watching a wedding, then bought ice creams and boarded the bus for a short trip to Doncaster for our Holiday Inn Hotel (room 117). We were welcomed with a glass of wine since they had relocated us from our York Holiday Inn and then enjoyed a really good meal with everyone. The best part was the bowls of vegetables they served with it...seems like a long time since we have had a lot of veggies! We also had a tart for dessert with a strange fruit on the top. The waiter finally found out from the chef that it was a physalis, a kind of ground cherry. You learn something new every day!
Hadrian's Wall was 75 Roman miles or 117.5 km (73.0 mi) long;[3] its width and height were dependent on the construction materials that were available nearby. East of the River Irthing, the wall was made from squared stone and measured 3 meters (9.8 feet) wide and 5 to 6 meters (16 to 20 feet) high, while west of the river the wall was made from turf and measured 6 meters (20 feet) wide and 3.5 meters (11 feet) high. This does not include the wall's ditches, berms and forts. The central section measured eight Roman feet wide (7.8 ft or 2.4 m) on a 3 m (10 ft) base. Some parts of this section of the wall survive to a height of 3 m (10 ft).
Sections of Hadrian's Wall remain along the route, though much has been dismantled over the years to use the stones for various nearby construction projects.
Although Hadrian's biographer wrote "(Hadrian) was the first to build a wall 80 miles long to separate the Romans from the barbarians",[8] reasons for the construction of the wall vary, and no recording of any exact explanation survives. However, a number of theories have been presented by historians, primarily centering around an expression of Roman power and Hadrian's policy of defense before expansion. For example, on his accession to the throne in 117, Hadrian had been experiencing rebellion in Roman Britain and from the peoples of various conquered lands across the Empire, including Egypt, Palestine, Libya and Mauretania.[7] These troubles may have had a hand in Hadrian's plan to construct the wall, and his construction of limits in other areas of the Empire, but to what extent is unknown.
SUNDAY, July 6, 2014
Off at 8:30 heading south. We passed some points of interest along the way. We skirted Sherwood Forest, and passed Robin Hood Airport. Stuart did let us know that they do not really know if Robin ever actually existed. We saw Hardwick Hall from a distance. Built in the late 1500's, it is a museum with the top floor furnished with the original furnishings. Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall.
Our first stop was in Coventry, home of Lady Godiva. The story of Lady Godiva is actually true. She was known as a fair and benevolent lady to her people, charging low rents and low taxes. But then she married. The new lord raised the taxes and rents until the people came to lady Godiva asking for her help. She beseeched her husband and was allegedly told that he would lower rents and taxes when she rode naked through the streets of Coventry on market day. So the word spread and on market day, all of the people stayed indoors with shutters closed as she rode naked through town. Although the lord was money hungry, he was a man of his word and the rents and taxes were lowered.
Coventry now has 335K people and the focus of the town is the joining of the 2 cathedrals in town. The huge original Gothic cathedral was ruined when bombed in WWII. The people of Coventry decided not to rebuild, and instead, they built a new cathedral adjacent to it. It is called the cathedral of reconciliation because the English received help from the Germans to build it. The people of Coventry then helped the people of Dresden rebuild their church. The juxtaposition of the old and new as well as the air of reconciliation is quite emotional.
From Coventry, we headed to Stratford where we stopped to see Ann Hathaway's cottage and have a group picture taken. It is a charming thatched roof cottage with wonderful English flower gardens all around it. Then we headed into the town of Stratford upon Avon. This town capitalizes on its famous citizen, starting with a museum tour of William Shakespeare's birthplace. There is so very little that we know about Wm Shakespeare, but what we do know was presented in this museum. We spent a relaxing 2 hours people watching and window shopping.
We got on the bus and dropped off the folks not going to tea at the Stratford Holiday Inn. Then we left for an excursion out to the Cotswolds. We stopped in Broadway and strolled down the main street admiring the stone block houses with stone roofs. We spent the next hour winding through country roads through hedgerow lined fields of flowers, crops and sheep. We ended up in Quinton at a teahouse called College Arms. Our scones and hot teas were waiting for us when we got there. Absolutely delicious. We roamed around their gardens and duck pond, then headed back to the hotel for a group dinner.
After dinner, Rog and I took a walk over to the marina to see the barges. Planning a future trip....
The Cotswolds is an area in south central England containing the Cotswolds Hills, a range of rolling hills which rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment, known as the Cotswold Edge, above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Jurassic limestone which creates a type of grassland habitat rare in the UK, and which is quarried for the golden coloured Cotswold stone. The area, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1966, is considered to have unique features derived from the local Cotswold stone; the predominantly rural landscape contains stone-built villages, historical towns, and stately homes and gardens.
There is evidence of Neolithic settlement from burial chambers on Cotswold Edge, and there are remains of Bronze and Iron Age forts. During the Middle Ages, the area became prosperous from the wool trade - indeed the name is usually attributed the meaning, sheep enclosure in rolling hillsides, and large "wool churches" were built. The area remains affluent. Typical Cotswold towns are Burford, Chipping Norton, Cirencester, Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold. The Cotswold town of Chipping Campden is notable for being the home of the Arts and Crafts movement, founded by William Morris at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
The Cotswolds is roughly 25 miles (40 km) across and 90 miles (145 km) long, stretching south-west from just south of Stratford-upon-Avon to just south of Bath. It lays across the boundaries of several English counties; mainly Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, but also parts of Wiltshire, Somerset, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire. The hills give their name to the Cotswold local government district in Gloucestershire, which administers a large part of the area. The highest point of the region is Cleeve Hill at 1,083 ft (330 m) just to the north of Cheltenham.
MONDAY, July 7, 2014
Started the day later today...off towards London at 8:45. On the first leg of the trip, Stuart entertained us with English superstitions. Quite entertaining.
We meandered through the countryside, through Compton, past fields and castles and thatched roofs. Again, the weather is amazing. Sunny and mild with fluffy clouds. Eventually we reached the grounds of Blenheim Castle in Woodstock and had 3 hours to roam around. Churchill was born here, though he didn't live here. His mother had come to keep an eye on her husband, the Duke of Marlborough. Writer, painter, politician and one of the world's great thinkers, Churchill received one of the few state funerals in 1967.
Blenheim Castle was built by the First Duke of Malborough with the money and land he received from the Queen as reward for winning the Battle of Blenheim. The current 11th Duke and Duchess reside in private quarters on the palace grounds, but a major portion is now a museum. The rooms are furnished and finished authentically and they retained many of the family's tapestries and paintings. There was an excellent feature called "Untold Stories" and an exhibition on Winston Churchill. We ate outside in the elaborate gardens. The three hours flew by, then back on the bus to London.
We reached the Park Plaza about 3pm. We had to take a few detours, as many of the streets were closed for the running of the Tour de France. But the Plaza is worth waiting for. It is incredibly plush and reeks of expensiveness. We headed up to our room, dropped off our packs and headed off with the sisters to see the Tour de France. It was only 2 blocks away, just over the river. We stood with hundreds of thousands of other people hoping to catch a glimpse of the riders as they went by. Stuart had told us they were due to hit this point at 3:40 but all we got at 3:40 was a drizzling rain. We held in there and the first riders came flashing by about 4:15. Rog was able to get a few pictures but all I saw was a flash of movement between the 3 rows of people in front of me. It was absolutely awesome to be standing at the base of Big Ben in Westminster watching a Tour de France. It was over in less than five minutes. As we were heading back to the hotel, we bought a Tour de France souvenir and split it with Laur. She got the T shirt and bag and Rog got the hat, I got the bandanna. The small bear and bracelets will go to Max and Karissa.
Back at the Plaza, we sat in the plush lobby chatting with Jim and Sue until dinner. Micki wanted her group together for a farewell dinner and we all decided to go to the Joel Brassiere inside the Park Plaza. It was a pretty ritzy French restaurant and the food was expensive but quite good. After dinner, we joined Jim and his family at the London Eye. By the time we got there, Jim had already purchased fast-track tickets and we walked right on. The Eye is located on the south shore of the River Thames. The entire structure is 443 ft tall and the wheel has a diameter of 394 ft. When erected in 1999 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel. It has 32 enclosed capsules, each capable of holding 25 people, and it rotates at 10 feet per second, taking close to half an hour to complete a full rotation. Once inside, you are free to roam about to take in the views of London from above. We were on it at the perfect time. The sun was setting behind clouds and it was breathtakingly gorgeous. After the ride, we went inside the terminal to see their 4D film, a slightly corny 3D London Eye experience including a mist of water in the face (hence the fourth dimension). We all had to get ready for tomorrow’s departure so it was back to the hotel and off to bed.
Blenheim Palace /ˈblɛnəm/ (pronounced "Blen-im") is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between 1705 and circa 1722. Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Its construction was originally intended to be a gift to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, from a grateful nation in return for military triumph against the French and Bavarians at the Battle of Blenheim.
Designed in the rare, and short-lived, English Baroque style, architectural appreciation of the palace is as divided today as it was in the 1720's. It is unique in its combined usage as a family home, mausoleum and national monument. The palace is also notable as the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill.
The building of the palace was a minefield of political intrigue by Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. Following the palace's completion, it became the home of the Churchill family for the next 300 years, and various members of the family have in that period wrought various changes, in the interiors, park and gardens. At the end of the 19th century, the palace was saved from ruin by funds gained from the 9th Duke of Marlborough's marriage to American railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. The exterior of the palace remains in good repair.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Usual Globus routine; up early, bags packed and outside the door for pick-up, down to breakfast, and ready to board the bus at 8:15. This time, we had an Asian Brit (strange accent) with a great sense of humor and running commentary. He had to pick up from one other hotel, then it was off to Heathrow, Terminal Five. The airport was under intense security for flights to the USA so we got there 3 hours before our flight. Once we had our tickets, Micki gave us the go-ahead to head out on our own while she stayed with “the pack”. It only took us about 5 minutes to get through security and we were able to get to Terminal C in time to see Jim and Sue off, then headed to our gate for the British Airlines flight to Philadelphia. As uncomfortable as these transcontinental flights can be, I didn't think this one was too bad. I watched 4 movies (Frozen, Saving Mr. Banks, Gravity and Hunger Games), ate two meals and one additional OJ. The seat next to me was again empty so I could stretch a bit. I thought the hard part was over. But then we hit the USA. Immigration in the Philadelphia airport was as bad as LAX. It took almost 2 hours to get through. So much for our 3 hour layover! They had not been able to pull up our PHI-SMF tickets in London so we had to get them here. We raced through customs and downstairs to the ticket agent at AA who told us we had to go to US Air desk. Luckily there were no long lines but the agent took his dear old time printing out the passes. We were down to 30 minutes as we ran upstairs to security. It took 20 minutes to get through this security check and I didn't even take the time to put my belt back on as we raced to our gate. We got there ahead of the others and saw Micki trying to hold the gate for her group. Once we were aboard, and settled in, the rest of the group arrived without Micki. She had left her bag at security with the group and it was rejected (Micki trying to smuggle in wine????) so she had to go back to security. By the time she got back to the gate, they shut the door, literally in her face.) We pulled out of the gate right on time, then sat on the tarmac. And sat. And sat. Two hours later, back to the gate to let us stretch our legs. We sort of hoped that Micki could board with us as we got back on 30 minutes later and tried desperately to contact her. But by this time, she already had a new ticket issued and was in a hotel. We finally took off almost 3 hours late and headed to Sacto. We were able to catch a few winks and landed about 1:30am. Ryan had parked the truck in economy parking and texted us with the location, so it was an easy shuttle ride out to 41H and we were back in our house by 2am. Good to be home!
British idioms
give it a lash (try it out)
that's by the by (whatever)
It's a bit soft (it's raining)
come as you is
quickie pickie (take a quick snapshot)
good on her
spuds, tatties (potatoes)
bop (buns, as in hamburger buns)
craic (fun in Ireland)
close (alley in Scotland which used to get closed up at night in days gone by)
wynd (street in Scotland)
na then (howdy in Yorkshire)
gnashers (teeth)
It doesn't take you (it doesn't look good on you)
post (mail)
get along sharp (get there early)
nappy bin (changing table)
georgie (a man from Newcastle)
gates (streets)
shambles (a street with all of the butcher shops)
no problem there. no problem there (no worries)
keep body and soul together (have a snack)
car booting (going to garage sales)
bang on 7 (7:00)
one and three quarters (1:45)
5 past 10 (10:05)
carry you off (die from)
tinker kids (hoodlums)
bureau of hatches, matches and dispatches (department of births, marriages and deaths)
when you have the urge, sir (cueing the driver to go)
tatties and neeps (potatoes and turnips)
scrum-o (delicious)
traffic calming (slow down)
happy snappy (take pictures)
chock a block (full)
twizzle around (turn aroound)
nip in (pop in)
hasty back (hurry back)
Stuart’s Bus Game
1. high volume and transparent
2. a paperback wiggler
3. at the fall of the panama
4. male deer molars
5. lobe bathtub circle
6. redwood split level
7. kernel holder spider house
8. bucks to blaze
9. left hook fish string
10. the fine boat sucker
11. dwarf and sugar
12. display and tattle
13. spotless broom
14. below the forecast
15. barrel circle ½ of a dress
16. unseen insane
17. direct from the nag’s lips
18. typhoon in a 4 o’clock container
19. lip smacking kin
20. you’re dragging my ankle
1. loud and Clear
2. a bookworm
3. at the drop of the hat
4. buck teeth
5. earring
6. tree house
7. cobweb
8. money to burn
9. punch line
10. the good ship lollipop
11. short and sweet
12. show and tell
13. clean sweep
14. under the weather
15. hoop skirt
16. out of sight, out of mind
17. straight from the horse’s mouth
18. tempest in a teapot
19. kissing cousins
20. you’re pulling my leg
No comments:
Post a Comment