OT: Home again, home again, jiggity-jig! LONG

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

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Reply to
Tia Mary
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Welcome home...we missed you!

Thanks for the report. Someday I'll get over to Ireland and Scotland. Meanwhile, though, I've just discovered "Monarch of the Glen" at the library, and that will have to do. It's sort of a cross between "Ballykissangel" and "Fawlty Towers"....only in Scotland. Great craic.

sue

Reply to
Susan Hartman

It was a lovely country in which to live,. and we made many dear and local friends there.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Gill

Reply to
Gillian Murray

Ach - I love Monarch of the Glen - saw it on cable here a few years ago - but never seen it at the library! Enjoy. Funnily enough, DH was home the other day, and I was watching Ballykissangel, sort of trying to give him the very short what episode this is blurb - and he replied with a "yes I know it's the one with...." - only he was describing Monarch of the Glen. I guess he actually watched that!

Ellice

Reply to
Ellice K.

*big snip of Tia Mary's fabulous travelogue*

Glad to have you back. I do so remember those days of laundry mountains following big trips. But, you've now made my green eyes even more so...

Ellice - sadly not going anywhere for a while, but glad to hear of everyone else's adventures.

Reply to
Ellice K.

Sue - are these the books or the British TV series? I haven't read the books, but I adore the TV series.

MargW

Reply to
MargW

If you liked those then try the Hamish McBeth stories by MC Beaton. Bruce

Reply to
Bruce Fletcher

"Monarch of the Glen" is a TV series based on the books by Compton Mackenzie, which I haven't read. Here's the web page for the series:

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I've read a couple of MC Beaton books, but find I have to be in a particular frame of mind for them. I find that as I'm reading or listening to them, I think I ought to be enjoying them more than I do, and I'm not sure why that is. Though I think I've had more exposure to the Agatha Raisin series than Hamish McBeth.

sue

Reply to
Susan Hartman

Definitely have to be in the mood for either Agatha or Hamish - if I'm in "the wrong place" I spend the book wanting to hit them upside the head.

C
Reply to
Cheryl Isaak

Those don't intrigue me but I'm always looking for something great to read.

I just finished reading Girl With Dragon Tattoo and liked it enough to want to read the next one, Girl Who Played With Fire.

I was only doing a very little reading for a while and was out of the loop. Now that I'm back to reading a lot, I'm always open to suggestions for recommended books and so far I've gotten a lot of good information from RCTN so please keep them coming.

Lucille

Reply to
Lucille

Both the books and the TV show - Robert Carlyle is great as Hamish. The TV series is quite different from the books - I like the characters in the TV series better - especially TV John.

MargW

Reply to
MargW

Agreed - especially Agatha - in fact I find I'm reluctant to read any more of the Agatha Raisin books since she really is quite nasty. As for Hamish - I like him better in the TV series than in the books.

MargW

Reply to
MargW

I really want to read these, but they are on a very long reserved list at my library. I may just have to spring out the cash and buy them.

MargW

Reply to
MargW

The movie of "The Girl Who Played With Fire" opens this week. These were made in Europe, Dutch with subtitles, and the "Dragon Tattoo" was outstanding. Possibly even better than the book. (I can't believe I'd say that!)

I'm most of the way through "The Invisible Bridge" by Julie Orringer and it's engrossing. Well written tale of a young Hungarian Jewish man (and his brothers) in the late 30s/early 40s. (I've had to reluctantly put it aside to finish something else that's due back to the library first.)

It reminds me of Dr. Zhivago - weighted, but not heavy; subtle joys; love story at its core. Emotion and drama of ordinary lives heightened by extraordinary times. Characters are people you'd admire if you were lucky enough to know them.

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let me put in another plug - I think I've mentioned it before - for another piece of historic fiction, "Someone Knows My Name," by Lawrence Hill. Similar theme - ordinary person being called to lead an extraordinary life by circumstances beyond her control. Only this time it's an African woman during American Revolution time period. (And written by a Canadian man!)
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Reply to
Susan Hartman

Thanks. I'll look for them.

Wasn't Dragon Tattoo done in Swedish?

L
Reply to
Lucille

John Burdett. Bangkok 8 and the rest of the series. Lee Child's Reacher books. Andrew Vacchs. These are very, very dark.

And who wrote the series about the rare book dealer? They're in the bedroom where DH is sleeping so I can't check at the moment.

None of these are "cozy" like Hamish.

Sara

Reply to
Sara

Haven't seen the shows, but the earlier books, Hamish was much more "human", now he's turning into a unlikeable character.

Cheryl

Reply to
Cheryl Isaak

The paperbacks are at my local BJ's; do you have a local "wholesale club"?

Cheryl

Reply to
Cheryl Isaak

Excellent suggestion, Bruce! I love those books - and the short-lived series with Robert Carlyle was great fun. At least the books do keep on coming.

Last night was the local intro of for us a new Britcom - "Doc Martin" - a comedy set in a quirky (near Bournemouth, I think) little town, with a new to them Doctor who seems to offend everyone, without meaning to. He's just moved there after giving up the fancy London surgical practice when he developed an aversion to blood. It was good - definitely full of quirky small town characters. The DC PBS station had it, and we saw 2 episodes.

Ellice

Reply to
Ellice K.

In message , Ellice K. writes

It is filmed in Port Isaac in Cornwall, quite a few miles away form Bournemouth. Hugs Shirley

Reply to
Shirley Shone

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