Hi Guys, Well, I'm home from the Ireland - Scotland trip and dead tired. We had a lovely time and I got to see loads of new stuff and well remembered stuff from our Ireland trip eight years ago. Had nice weather, all things considered. A bit cold and damp when we got to Co. Donegal but that's to be expected and we had brought a sweater for those days. We saw lots and lots of dry stacked stone walls and fields of grazing sheep, of course and loved seeing all of it. Poor DH did not have fun driving on the other side of the road while in Ireland. He was so exhausted by the end of the day that he decided it was time to join the "old folks" and take bus tours! Of course, we were touring all over Ireland -- from Dublin, through Waterford then a visit to Bunratty Castle, over to Limerick then on to Galway up to Belleek and finally to Dunfanaghy (way at the northernmost coast of Co. Donegal)then back to Dublin -- that we really did need to have a car. I bought loads of woolen stuff and tacky tourist-y stuff and was a great boost to the Irish economy, I'm sure. It was while we were in Dunfanaghy that DH realized the digital camera was not working properly
-- some photos were OK and then some were all wonky and he had no idea why! We had to take videos from then on. Saw absolutely NOTHING even remotely related to needlework except for yarns which I bought several skeins of. Regardless, we had a great time but were quite glad to return the rental car and hie off to Scotland. Scotland was a surprise -- almost cloudless the whole time!!! Now it never got horribly warm -- stayed in the mid 70's F on the warmest days but with all that direct sun (I DO NOT do well in direct sun) I was quite happy to get back to the air conditioned hotel room! Of course, the locals were in "hog heaven" laying about on any available patch of grass or empty bench with limbs exposed, just soaking up the sunshine :-). They looked at MOI with my visor and sunglasses like I was maybe from another country or something LOLOL! In Scotland we stayed eight days in Glasgow at the Radisson. I mention the hotel because it had an ICE MACHINE :-). Except for staying at the Airport Hilton in Dublin, we had to beg glasses of ice from the hotel pubs in Ireland so that I could have my diet soda done proper :-). Having an ice machine just a few doors from our room was sheer bliss for MOI. DH attended his engineering conference all day Monday through Wednesday and I got to do the Hop-on Hop-off Bus and see all the lovely things 'round about Glasgow those days. I will have to say, I helped out the Scottish economy nicely while shopping up and down Buchanan then Suchiehall!! Thursday was just a half day for him and we did the Hop-on Bus during the afternoon. Friday was an ALL DAY tour (as in twelve full hours) on a loaded bus. Of course, this meant that DH got to actually look at what was passing by outside the window and he was much happier. We went to Loch Lomond and Loch Ness (no, didn't get to see the real Nessie) and then drove down through Stirling & Perth and then back to Glasgow. I can't remember what all we say but it was beautiful and we got to see lots of fine heiland coos, too! Saturday was another tour bus trip but this time we were in a 19 passenger van so it was much more comfy. We saw a lot of the smaller lochs east of Loch Lomond, etc. and stopped at a number of beautiful spots to visit the loo, take photos and stretch our legs. We visited and toured the Glenturrett Distillery, Scotland's oldest distillery -- they produce The Famous Grouse blended whiskey which is apparently well know to scotch whiskey drinkers. anyway, we got to sample several different whiskeys they produce :-) :-) :-). I'm not a scotch whiskey drinker but some of that stuff wasn't all that bad. DSonIL *IS* a scotch drinker so I got him a bottle of the stuff that is only available for purchase there at the distillery. From there we stopped several times along the way to Stirling Castle -- which we didn't go through but DID get to take some lovely photos. From there we headed back to Glasgow and were only gone about eight hours before we returned to the hotel loaded down with our bags of tourist tchatchkis. Saturday we walked ti Queen Street Train Station and took the train to Edinburgh to see The Castle. We did the Hop-on bus again as it is relatively inexpensive all things considered. We got off at The Castle and walked all about the place. It is quite lovely and big, too! I again bought lots of souvenirs which Dh promptly left on the tour bus! I was NOT a happy camper but I just kept my mouth shut -- hard to believe, I know. The next day was yesterday -- Sunday and we returned home. It's a long flight when you have to go from Scotland to Amsterdam and then to Atlanta!!! We left the hotel at 10:00 AM Glasgow time and walked into our house at about 11:30 PM. With the 6 hour time difference that's a grand total of 17 1/2 hours of travel time. Today I am doing laundry and then more laundry! It's good to be home and to sleep in my own bed and SEE MY KITTIES. All in all a wonderful trip and I don't leave again until the middle of July to go back to the cabin. CiaoMeow >^;;^<
PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at