We’re off across the pond – to England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland - our first trip to Great Britain, but hopefully not our last.  We travelled with a local group, Carolina Tours of Lexington.  Our friends Dennis and Vicky Shepard were part of the group, along with lots of folks we had met on previous outings.

Remember:  Click on any picture to make it larger (and easier to see).

ENGLAND – The accent, the Royals, the history, the food, the thatched roof, the little cars, the telephone booth, the humor, the theater, the music, the literature, the countryside – here we go …

Our first stop was LONDON, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom and the largest city in the United Kingdom.   For a thousand years it has been the principal residence of British monarchs as well as the center of business and government.

Westminster Abbey is London’s oldest and most important church and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This magnificent Gothic structure is the place where England’s kings and queens have been crowned and where some of England’s greatest figures are buried or memorialized since 1066. A thousand years of English history are here:  more than 3,000 people are buried throughout the church.  The remains of 29 kings and queens, and hundreds of memorials lie within its walls and under its stone slabs. 

 

The Church of St. Margaret stands in the shadow of Westminster Abbey.  It was founded in the twelfth century by Benedictine monks so that local people who lived in the area around the Abbey could worship separately at their own simpler parish church.  Situated between Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, it is often called the ‘parish church of the House of Commons.’

The House of Parliament is the meeting place of the legislative branch of British government.  The Houses of Parliament are located in what was once the Palace of Westminster, which was the palace of England’s medieval kings until it was largely destroyed by fire in 1834.  The rebuilt palace houses the landmark clock tower containing Big Ben, which is the biggest bell in the hourly chime that Londoners have been hearing for nearly 150 years.  

Whitehall is the main thoroughfare running north from Parliament Square towards Trafalgar Square.  The street is lined with government departments and ministries; it is recognized as the center of Her Majesty's Government.  Here is found the old Scotland Yard, the home of the Metropolitan Police until the end of the 19^th century.  Nearby is the home of the Horse Guards, the British Household Cavalry.  Their work is mostly ceremonial these days, including posing for tourists ….  

Further along is Downing Street, with the Prime Minister’s residence at Number 10.  We had hoped to be invited in for tea, but the street was closed off by a gate and a contingent of police who weren't very welcoming.  We soon learned the reason for their unease – a noisy parade of protesters unhappy about plans to cut funding for the National Health Service. 

 

Trafalgar Square is the site of many London gatherings, demonstrations and celebrations.  The square honors military hero Horatio Viscount Nelson who lost his life at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar against the French.  Nelson’s Column, with fountains and four bronze lions at it base, rises 145 feet about the square.  At the top is his 14-foot-high statue.

Admiralty Arch is a landmark building which incorporates an archway that provides access between Trafalgar Square and The Mall, the wide roadway leading to Buckingham Palace. Until recently, the building housed government offices, but in 2012 the government sold a 125-year lease over the building to a property developer for redevelopment into a luxury hotel.  That should be interesting.

Parallel to The Mall is St. James’s Park, a 60-acre green space with lakes, birds and beautiful landscaping.  Running through the park is a 7-mile long walking trail dedicated to the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.  The trail connects four city parks and passes five sites that are associated with Diana’s life: Kensington Palace, Spencer House, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, and Clarence House.

 

While walking along The Mall and in the park, we had the good fortune of meeting some of London’s Morris Men.  These are folk dancers known for their rhythmic stepping and execution of choreographed figures.  The dancers wear bell pads on their shins and wield sticks, swords and handkerchiefs.  These guys were in town for a big festival – a nice, unexpected big of local color. 

 

Buckingham Palace is the Queen’s London residence.  Buckingham is very much a working building; it houses the offices of those who support the day-to-day activities and duties of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and their immediate family.   For this effort, the well-guarded Palace has 775 rooms:  19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.  

Back along the River Thames, we took a look at the London Eye, an over-sized Ferris wheel in which 25 five people ride in 32 air-conditioned capsules for 30 minutes.  We heard from travelling companions that the experience is memorable, but we opted to see the city at ground level.

The Tower of London is the city’s oldest historic site; it was built by William the Conqueror in 1066 to protect the city against invaders. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has served as a castle in wartime, a monarch's residence in peace time, and, most notoriously, as a prison and execution site of rebels. It’s a grim-looking place except for the colorfully dressed guards, tour guides and clerics.

 

Within the Tower complex, a heavily guarded and fortified building houses the Crown Jewels including the largest diamond in the world (the 530-carat Star of Africa) and assorted other gems set into royal robes, swords, scepters and crowns. 

 

Nearby is one of the many bridges crossing the River Thames.  This is the Tower Bridge.

St. Paul’s Cathedral, capped by its 365-foot dome, is a London landmark visible from all over the city.  The current structure was built in 1666, but there has been a church on this spot since 604 AD.  Our first view of the church was from the other side of the river, along a grand pedestrian walkway filled with folks enjoying a rare sunny afternoon.  These young ladies were among many entertainers hoping to pick up a few coins from passers-by.  We made our way across the river for an up-close view; awesome!

 

The Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company and used for many years as the site for production of his plays until it closed in 1642.  Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction built by the U.S. actor/director Sam Wanamaker to once again bring Shakespeare’s plays to life along the Thames. 

For a different kind of history, we stopped at Harrods, the most famous department store in the world.  With over a million square feet of selling space, it is the largest department store in Europe.  The store has 300 departments and 32 restaurants.    We did not check them all, but enjoyed a brief visit in the tasting room, where a fine bartender mixed up exotic brews for us to try.

 

Can’t leave London without a look at a couple more city icons – the double-decker bus and the telephone booth.  Pesky tourists are everywhere.

 

Next we head to STONEHENGE, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is probably the most important prehistoric monument in Britain. The circles of vast monoliths date from about 3,100 B.C. and are built from bluestone, sarson and Welsh sandstone. Alignment of stones leaves little doubt that the circle is connected with the sun and the passing of the seasons and that its builders possessed a sophisticated understanding of arithmetic and astronomy. It is believed to have been built for lunar and solar worship – just being there was a spiritual experience, the high point of the trip for some of us.

Nearby, we got our first look at bright yellow fields of rapeseed.  This plant is cultivated for its oil-rich seed, the world's third largest source of vegetable oil.  In the U.S., we're more familiar with the Canadian variety, Canola.








The city of BATH, a beautiful spa town on the Avon River, has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Since the days of the ancient Celts and later the Romans, Bath has been famous for its hot mineral springs.  The Roman Baths complex is a remarkably well-preserved Roman site for public bathing.  The Roman Baths themselves are below the modern street level; the buildings above date from the 1800s. 

 

The Bath Abbey, also known as the Abbey church of St. Peter and St. Paul, is next to the Roman Baths complex.  It is part of a former Benedictine monastery built in the 10^th century.

The town of Bath is a grand legacy from the Georgian era, boasting beautiful rows of houses built in a long curving line curving.  The Crescent and the Circus are two of the famous crescent structures built of local honey-colored stone.

 

While in Bath, we stopped for lunch at Sally Lunn’s Tea Shop in the oldest house in Bath (1482).  Over 300 years ago, a young French refugee found work here and began making a rich, round bread now known as Sally Lunn Bread or the Bath Bun.  The recipe is a big secret, but we can attest that the bread is very tasty.

BRIDGNORTH is a charming town that is split into High Town and Low Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which flows through the town.   

After some pub grub for lunch, we had time for a walk around the High Town, starting at Northgate.  This wall was once part of extensive castle grounds housing the town’s main population around the 12^th-13^th centuries.






Sights along the way:  the old Town Hall in the middle of High Street, St. Leonard’s Church, the half-timbered house of a former pastor, an alms house built for poor widows, St. Mary’s Church, and the ruins of Bridgnorth Castle.  The castle tower leans at a precarious angle despite its great weight - not much left of this great Norman castle which once covered the whole cliff side and housed hundreds of people.

 

 

 


STRATFORD-UPON-AVON is a lovely old town with its distinctive black and white buildings.  The town dates back to at least Roman times, but its appearance today is that of a small Tudor market town.  Our hotel was in a building that dates way back – we found it to be a charming maze of narrow hall, winding staircases and low ceilings.  

 

Shakespeare’s Birthplace is a restored 16th century half-timbered house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood years.  Nearby is the King Edward VI Grammar School, where young Will learned his ABCs.

 

Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of 52 and is entombed in a place of honor, right in front of the altar inside the Holy Trinity Church, near the River Avon.  















From Stratford-upon-Avon, we headed into the Cotswolds, with a stop in the village of BROADWAY.  The "broad way" is the wide grass-fringed main street, centered on The Green, which is lined with red chestnut trees and honey-colored Cotswold limestone buildings, many dating from the 16th century, some with thatched roofs.   This is a one-street town: a few steps down a side alley and there’s a sheep pasture!

 

 





Further south, OXFORD is home to the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English speaking world (1096 AD).  Oxford consistently ranks among the top five universities in the world and is the home of the Rhodes scholarship.  Many of the 36 colleges which make up the university were founded between the 13^th and 16^th centuries and cluster around the city center.  The colleges were designed along the lines of monastic buildings surrounded by beautiful gardens.

 

For one of us, Oxford was especially memorable for food - we found a local pub and tried bangers and mash - sausages and mashed potatoes - this version was served with green peas, on top of a piece of Yorkshire pudding.  Cholesterol notwithstanding, it was delicious!

The town of WINDSOR is the home of Windsor Castle, one of The Queen’s official residences and the largest occupied castle in the world. The castle dates from the 12^th century but was expanded over the next 700 years and restored after a massive fire in 1991.  St. George’s Chapel is said to be one of England’s outstanding Perpendicular Gothic churches.  Ten monarchs are buried here.

 


To celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, a local artist painted a phone booth to celebrate all things British.  It features The Queen, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and a Union Flag.

 

CHESTER, founded as the Roman city of Deva, is the home of Britain’s most complete city wall, a nice 3-mile walk around the old town.   A number of its gateways are still in place; although much of the wall is medieval some Roman masonry can be seen.

Of medieval Chester, the most famous feature is The Rows, which features an upper tier of shops with its own walkway above street level.   The central streets house a mix of half-timbered Tudor, red brick Georgian and elaborate 19th century fake black and white buildings.  The Rows were built in the 13^th and 14^th centuries and the original structures can be seen in many places.

 

The Chester Cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery, is the dominant structure in the old town.  It was built in 1093 AD and struck a spectacular pose against the bluest sky we've seen in a week!










On the road again, more beautiful countryside.  Here’s a field of blooming rapeseed and one of the many canals used for transportation in days gone by (and still used today for lazy vacations living on a barge).

 

LIVERPOOL, founded in 1207, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Mersey River. There’s much history here, but Liverpool’s modern-day claim to fame is as the home of the Beatles.  The Beatles Story records the history of the Beatles’ meteoric rise to fame, from the first record, through Beatlemania to their last live appearance together in 1969, and their eventual break-up.  Lots of memories here …







Last but not least, the LAKE DISTRICT contains some of England’s most spectacular scenery.  Concentrated in just 900 square miles are the highest peaks, deepest valleys and longest lakes in the country.  Today’s landscape has changed little since the end of the Ice Age 10,000 years ago, the last major event in Britain’s geological history.

 

Rolling hills, stone fences, and sheep.  Lots of sheep, including one breed that is native to this area, herdwick sheep.  Herdwick lambs are born black and lighten with age.



This is also Wordsworth country, and we stopped in the little village of GRASMERE to pay our respects to one of England’s great poets.  William Wordsworth lived in Grasmere for many years and described it as "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found."  He and his family are buried here in the St. Oswald’s churchyard.  

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WALES - 641 castles, 3 national parks, 3 million people, 11 million sheep, 750 miles of rugged coastline, 2 languages and 1 royal couple. 




Our first stop was CARDIFF, the capital and largest city in Wales.  The main attraction here is Cardiff Castle, a medieval castle which began as a Roman fort.  A keep was built within the Roman ruins in the 12^th century.

 

In the late 1800s, the castle was restored and transformed into an ornate mansion rich in medieval images and romantic detail.  Every inch is decorated – floors, ceilings, fireplaces, everything!

 

Our visit to the castle included a meal of traditional Welsh foods.  The tastiest was the first course – Glamorgan Sausage, a vegetarian dish made of leeks, cheese and breadcrumbs.  












Leaving Cardiff, we saw plenty of evidence that sheep outnumber humans in this part of the world.  Many of the sheep are color-coded to help farmers keep up with age, breeding, shearing, etc.  And every farmer has a sheep dog to help with moving the sheep from place to place.

 

 

Our next stop was the market town of RHAYADER, just in time to witness the excitement of the weekly sheep sale.  

 

Elsewhere in town, we had a look at the local church and graveyard overlooking the River Wye.











Great scenery in BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK.  This park covers several mountain ranges, with lots of high open country and smooth grassy slopes.

More great scenery in SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK, named after the highest peak in Wales (Mt. Snowdon, 3560 ft).  For this outing, we rode the train from Porthmadog to Blaenau-Ffestiniog.  
This narrow-gauge railway was once used to haul slate from mines high in the mountains. 

The National Slate Museum is located at GILFACH DDU in the 19th-century workshops of the an old slate quarry   These workshops were built on land created from the continuous tipping of spoil from an adjacent quarry,   It’s a pretty grim place, but the slate splitting demonstration was most impressive. 

CONWY is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its magnificent medieval castle and surrounding city walls.  Conwy Castle and the town walls were built between 1283 and 1289, as part of Edward I’s conquest of Wales. Today the walls (30ft high and nearly a mile in length) are a great place for an afternoon stroll. 

 

The house named in the Guinness Book of Records as The Smallest House in Great Britain, with dimensions of 10 by 6 feet, is found on the waterfront. It was in continuous occupation from the 16th century until 1900 when the owner a (6 ft tall fisherman) was forced to move out on the grounds of hygiene. The house is still owned by his descendants today.

Welsh names can be a mouthful.   The village of LLANFAIRPWLLGWYN-GYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLLANTSILIOGOGOGOCH takes the prize for the longest place name in Wales, probably the world.  Fifty-eight letters, count ‘em.  The name means St. Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the church of St. Tysilio with a red cave.

CAERNARFON is renowned for its great stone castle, another UNESCO World Heritage site.  The castle was built in 1283 during Edward I’s conquest of Wales. Caernarvon is architecturally one of the most impressive of all of the castles in Wales – it was intended as a seat of power and as a symbol of English dominance over the subdued Welsh.  The castle was meant to be the capital of a new dominion and a palace for the dynasty of the new Prince of Wales. Prince Charles, the present Prince of Wales, was invested here back in 1969.

The village of LLANGOLLEN is known for its annual international music festival.  As with many ancient Welsh towns, there are old churches, a castle, old houses and a nice walk along the river.

Nearby is the amazing Pontcysylite Aqueduct, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by Thomas Telford, bridge-builder extraordinaire.  This is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee.  It is the longest and highest aqueduct in all of Britain.  











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SCOTLAND – the music, the kilts, the tartans, the history, the highlands, the lochs, the monsters, the castles, the haggis …
















GRETNA GREEN is one of the world's most popular wedding destinations, hosting over 5000 weddings each year.  Gretna's "runaway marriages" began in 1754 when age requirements for marrying in England and Wales were stricter than in Scotland.  Gretna Green was the first easily reachable village over the Scottish border.  The blacksmiths in Gretna stepped forward and became known as "anvil priests."   Age requirements have changed in Scotland, but Gretna still provides the marriage site for thousands of couples from around the world.  

 

The gift shop in Gretna Green had loads of haggis for sale - all done up with a nice tartan bow, just perfect for souvenirs.  Too bad we didn't have an ice chest ...

GLASGOW, situated on the River Clyde, is the largest city in Scotland.  The city grew from a small rural settlement to become one of the largest seaports in the world. By the 18th century, it had become one of Britain's main hubs of transatlantic trade with British North America and the British West Indies.

George Square is the heart of Glasgow, flanked on one side by the City Hall.  The square is decorated with statues depicting Glaswegians of note – James Watt (inventor of steam engine, Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott (two of Scotland’s famous poets).  There is also a statue of a skinny Queen Victoria riding a horse.  There is no statue of King George III, for whom the square is named - the stubborn Scots are still angry at George for losing the colonies.   

The Glasgow Cathedral is one of the only cathedrals to escape destruction during the Scottish Reformation by adapting itself to Protestant worship; it is a rare example of an almost complete 13^th century church.  







The Riverside Museum of Travel and Transport is filled with collections of vintage cars, trains, buses and bicycles.  Old Glasgow is seen through footage of the town in the cinema and a reconstruction of a 1938 street.

 

LOCH LOMOND and is Scotland’s largest inland lake, stretching from the suburbs of Glasgow to the fringes of the Highlands.  It featured in the song, The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond, first published around 1841.  The well-known chorus is:  “Oh, ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road, And I'll be in Scotland afore ye; But me and my true love will never meet again On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.”

The song’s author is unknown. One story is that it was written by a Scottish soldier who awaited death in enemy captivity; in his final letter home, he wrote this song, portraying his home and how much he would miss it. Another tale is that a soldier on his way back to Scotland from England wrote this song. The "low road" is a reference to the Celtic belief that if someone died away from his homeland, then the fairies would provide a route of this name for his soul to return home.

GLEN COE valley is notorious for the 1692 massacre of the Clan Macdonald.  Following the overthrow of King James II, the stubborn Scots were a wee bit cautious in accepting the new monarchs, William and Mary.  Thirty-eight members of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed on the grounds that they had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to William and Mary.  Many women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned.  Just another day in the often violent history of Scotland.  Note the snow on the mountains across the way - we're not sure it ever gets warm around here.

The CALEDONIAN CANAL, built in 1822, connects the Scottish west coast near Glen Coe with the east coast at Inverness.  The canal runs about 60 miles, including four lochs (lakes) – Dochfour, Ness, Oick, and Lochry.  The canal was conceived as a way of providing much-needed employment in the highland region, but it also was important for providing safe passage for ships sailing from one coast to the other. 

The city of INVERNESS is the ‘capital’ of the Scottish highlands, situated at the mouth of the River Ness.  The Inverness Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew, is part of the Scottish Episcopal Church. 

LOCH NESS, 24 miles long, one mile wide and up to 1,000 ft deep, is the reputed home of the Loch Ness Monster, aka Nessie.  The Loch Ness Monster is thought by believers to be the last of a line of long-surviving plesiosaurs.  The scientific community regards Nessie as a modern day myth, explaining sightings as misidentification of other objects, outright hoaxes and wishful thinking.  Inquiring minds need to know … so we embarked on a short cruise to see what we could see.  Nice scenery, even in the rain – no monster.  

 

NAIRN is an ancient fishing port and market town on the Moray Firth, part of the North Sea.  We spent a night here at the Newton Hotel, which was originally built as a family home in the 17^th century.  It stands on 21 acres overlooking the Moray Firth and has its own mini-herd of beautiful Highland cows.

 

It was here that we had our first (and last) taste of haggis – camouflaged with neeps (rutabagas), tatties (potatoes) and mustard sauce, but still disgusting.  For the uninitiated: haggis is Scotland’s national dish – a meat pudding containing sheep's heart, liver and lungs; onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal's stomach.  The hotel manager brought us all a glass of Scotch whiskey to make the stuff go down easier.  And, the hotel provided some great entertainment after dinner – accordion music, a piper in full regalia, and very talented dancers.

 

CULLODEN is a desolate stretch of moorland, which looks much as it did in 1746 when it was the site of the last land battle fought on British soil.  The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the so-called Jacobite Rising, which meant to overthrow the House of Hanover (King George II) and restore the House of Stuart to the British Throne.  At Culloden on 16 April 1746, troops loyal to King George II defeated the Jacobite forces and effectively halted their efforts to challenge Hanoverian power in Great Britain.




PITLOCHRY is a highland resort town from the Victorian era when the railway made it possible for people to escape the smog and sin of the big cities.  In addition to its spas, Pitlochry is also the home of the Blair Athol Distillery, which makes single malt Scotch whiskey.   "Single Malt Scotch Whisky" must be made exclusively from malted barley, must be distilled using a pot still, and must be aged for at least three years in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 180 gallons.

 

EDINBURUGH, with a population of about 500,000, is the capital of Scotland.  It is the world's first UNESCO City of Literature and, due to the historical character of much of the city center, it also is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Edinburgh has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress; and the neoclassical New Town. The contrast between the organic medieval Old Town and the planned Georgian New Town is what gives the city its unique character.

We arrived in Edinburgh in late afternoon and enjoyed a walk through the graveyard at Greyfriars Church, where we learned about Bobby, Edinburgh’s most famous dog.  Bobby was a Skye Terrier who belonged to the night watchman for the Edinburgh police.  When his owner died and was buried at Greyfriars Chuch, Bobby is said to have spent the rest of his life (14years) sitting on his masters’ grave.  Church officials tried on many occasions to evict Bobby, but eventually took pity on him, built him a shelter and fed him regularly. 

 

The Edinburgh Castle stands on an extinct volcano, defining the city’s skyline.  It is an assemblage of buildings dating from the 12^th to the 20^th centuries, reflecting its changing role as fortress, royal palace, military garrison and state prison.  This was the home of Mary, Queen of Scots, headquarters of Cromwell’s invading army and today it hosts the military tattoo during the Edinburgh Festival. The castle houses the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone, also known as The Coronation Stone.




The castle entrance is watched over by two of Scotland’s heroic leaders – Robert the Bruce and William Wallace (Braveheart).

 

St. Margaret’s Chapel at Edinburgh Castle is the city’s oldest building, dating to around 1130 AD.  This Romanesque chapel is King David I’s tribute to his mother, Queen Margaret.

The Royal Mile, the original and chief street of the city, runs from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle Rock, down to Holyrood Palace. The Royal Mile is the heart of the Old Town; many of the city’s most historic landmarks are on it.   Confined by the city wall, the “Old Town” grew upwards with some tenements climbing 20 stories. 

One landmark along the Royal Mile is Parliament Square, named after the old Parliament House which housed both the law courts and the old Parliament of Scotland between the 1630s and 1707.  St Giles' Cathedral, the High Kirk of Edinburgh, stands in Parliament Square.

Another is Jenner’s Department Store.   Jenner’s is Edinburgh's oldest department store, having maintained its original position at 48 Princes Street since 1838.  Its magnificent building is home to over 100 different departments, selling everything from international designer brands to locally crafted Scottish products.

Nearby is a magnificent statue of Sir Walter Scott, the romantic poet and author of the Waverly novels – one of Edinburgh’s favorite sons. 

At the eastern end of the Royal Mile is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, an official residence of the Queen, who stays there at least once a year, during Holyrood week in late June.  The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh entertain around 8,000 guests during Holyrood week. The Queen also carries out a wide range of official engagements elsewhere in Scotland.  Prince Charles resides at Holyroodhouse for one week a year, carrying out his official duties as The Duke of Rothesay. 

Holyrood Abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland.  During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Reformation the Palace was expanded further. The abbey church has been in ruins since the 18th century.








To wrap up our visit to Edinburgh, we headed into the hills for a view of the city – Old Town and New Town.  We also met the royal geese, who live in a pond here. 

 

And then we headed to the western coast to catch the ferry over to Ireland.

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IRELAND – Castles, Guinness, history, scenery, pubs, folklore, potatoes, wonderful people, and forty shades of green ….


















NORTHERN IRELAND

BELFAST is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland.  Known mostly as the scene of sectarian conflict between its Catholic and Protestant populations, today everyone was enjoying the fine day - lounging around the grass at city hall.  Belfast historically has been a center for the Irish linen industry, tobacco production, rope-making and shipbuilding.  The city's main shipbuilders, Harland and Wolff,  built the RMS Titanic.

Titanic Belfast is a tourist attraction that tells the story of the Titanic, from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her construction and launch, to her famous maiden voyage and tragic end. It is located in Titanic Quarter, right beside the historic site of this world-famous ship's construction.










REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

DUBLIN was founded as a Viking trading settlement in the ninth century and today is the capital of Ireland.  The city grew to be a center of wealth and commerce, reaching its peak as the second city of the British Empire in the late 18^th century. 

Much of the Georgian architecture from that era still stands.  The city features many green squares and rows of brick and stone buildings, with colorfully painted front doors.  

 

Trinity College was founded in 1592 and has long been Ireland’s most prestigious college.  The Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament is housed in the Treasury of the Trinity College.  Written on vellum (calfskin) in the last 8^th century by Irish monks on the island of Iona, Scotland, this decorated copy of the four Gospels in Latin was taken safely inland to the Irish monastery at Kells in 806 A.D. after a series of Viking Raids.  The book was moved to Trinity College in the 17th century.  

 

Near the college, Molly Malone welcomes visitors.   Immortalized in the song “Cockles and Mussels,”  Molly was a beautiful fishmonger who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin, but died young of a fever.

The Guinness Storehouse stands on the site where Arthur Guinness began brewing beer in 1759.  By 1868, it was the biggest brewery in the world, and today it brews more than 10 million pints a day. Here we had a chance to learn all about the ingredients, brewing, transport, cooperage, advertising and sponsorship of Ireland’s national brew.  More importantly, we had a chance to sample the stuff right where it is made. 

The River Liffey runs through Dublin – many new buildings are intermingled with historic structures along the waterfront.  There’s also a famine memorial dedicated to those Irish people forced to emigrate during the 19^th century potato famine.

Dublin is known for its pubs, and we had a fine night out at a pub named The Merry Ploughboy.  We tried some of the local lamb and settled back for showtime – traditional Irish music, song and dance.  Great entertainment!

 

Heading south from Dublin across the Plain of Tipperary, we saw the Rock of Cashel, one of Ireland’s most historic sites.    From the 5^th century it was the seat of the Kings of Munster whose kingdom extended over much of southern Ireland.  In 1101, the King donated his fortress on the rock to the Church.  It flourished as a religious center until it was finally abandoned in the late 18^th century.  

Also visible in the distance was Hoare Abbey, sometimes known as St. Mary’s.  This is a ruined Cistercian monastery built in 1270 AD.









Blarney Castle is in ruin but is still home to the legendary Blarney Stone.    Kissing the Blarney Stone is a long-standing tradition intended to confer “the gift of gab.”  It is set in the wall below the castle battlements.  In order to kiss the stone, you are grasped by the feet and suspended belly up and head back. Very graceful.

 

The town of KILLARNEY is the gateway to Killarney National Park, the first national park established in Ireland, created when Muckross Estate was donated to the Irish state in 1932.  Motorized vehicles are prohibited here, and we toured the park in a traditional ‘jaunting car.’

The park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1981. The Lakes of Killarney are Lough Leane (the lower lake), Muckross Lake (the middle lake), and the Upper Lake. These lakes are interlinked and together make up almost a quarter of the park's area.  We saw lots of blooming flowers and some wildlife.

 

Ross Castle, built in the late 15^th century, is the ancestral home of the O’Donoghue clan.  There is a legend that O’Donoghue leaped out of the window of the grand chamber at the top of the castle and disappeared into the waters of the lake along with his horse, his table and his library. He now lives in a great palace at the bottom of the lake where he keeps a close eye on everything.


The Ring of Kerry drive is a winding route with breathtaking sights of mountains and coastal views interspersed with quaint villages.   From Killarney, the route covers the 112 miles of circular road around the Iveragh Peninsula. 

 

Killorglin is the home of the Puck Fair, one of Ireland’s oldest festivals.   Every August, a group of people go up into the mountains and catch a wild goat. The goat is brought back to the town and a young school girl crowns the goat "King Puck". The "King" is then put into a small cage on a high stand in the middle of the town square which signifies that the festivities may begin.  After three days of serious partying, the goat is released and life goes on.

This round tower is an early medieval stone structure of a type found mainly in Ireland. The towers are generally found in the vicinity of a church or monastery, and it is thought that they were principally bell towers, places of refuge, or a combination of these.

Ringforts are circular fortified settlements that were built before 1000 AD.  There are an estimated 50,000 ringforts in Ireland; they come in many sizes and may be made of stone or earth.  Traditionally, it has been thought that the ringfort was a farmstead, the home of a free man and his family.  Archeological studies suggest that some ringforts may have been trading centers, defensive structures to protect against raiders, or just status symbols of the aristocracy.

As the road swung inland, we got our chance to see peat bogs.  The bog doesn't look like much – a damp, muddy field with moss and grasses growing.  Beneath that innocuous surface lie thousands of years of accumulation of decaying vegetation.  The bogs in Ireland formed after the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the last ice age some 12,000 years ago.

This mucky turf is cut out of the earth, dried and used as fuel.  Trees are scarce in this part of the world, and peat is used for cooking and domestic heating. Stacks of drying peat dug from the bogs can still be seen in the fields and along the road.   

Moll’s Gap offers some nice mountain views.  Here there is a good view of the Mountains of Kerry, the Black Valley and the Gap of Dunloe in the distance.  Here, too, was a chance to learn more about wool and weaving done in this area.

 

The fishing village of PORTMAGEE is as close as we would get to Skellig Michael, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was the home of an ancient Christian monastery built between the 6^th and 8^th century.  Monks settled here for solitude and lived a harsh, lonely, disciplined existence. Their rock dwellings are connected to the sea 600 feet below by a series of rock stairs.  They collected rainwater in cisterns and lived off fish and birds.    We enjoyed a visit to the Skellig Experience Centre, which has excellent film and education displays about the island and the monastery. 

The CLIFFS OF MOHER are 700 feet high and extend for 5 miles over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. The sheer rock face, with its layers of black shale and sandstone, provide sheltered ledges for birds’ nests.  O’Brien’s Tower stands proudly on a headland and in the distance one can see the Aran Islands.

 

From the sublime to the ridiculous, LISDOONVARNA is a spa town that holds an annual matchmaking festival.  Each September, 40,000 romantic hopefuls, bachelor farmers, and the accompanying party crowd descend upon this little town of less than a thousand residents.  Sixty-eight-year-old Willie Daly, a third-generation matchmaker, presides over the festivities.  He has brought together hundreds of couples over the years.

The village of BUNRATTY was settled by the Vikings in 970 AD and grew to become the home of Durty Nelly’s Pub.  Established in 1620, it is one of Ireland’s oldest pubs. 

The old Bunratty Church was built in the late 15^th century.  The church itself contains graves of important local people and the graveyard outside is filled with very old graves.

 

The Bunratty Castle is a large tower house built in 1425. The most important residents were the O’Briens, who lived here from around 1500 until the 1640s.  The present interior looks much as it did under the so-called “Great Earl” who died in 1624.  Abandoned in the 19^th century, the castle was derelict until it was restored in the 1950s.

Near the castle, there are several thatched-roof cottages that a part of a park that recreates 19^th century country living in Ireland. 

We visited in the evening, welcomed by a costumed butler as we crossed the drawbridge to enter the castle.   In the Upper Great Hall, we received a goblet or two of Mead (a fermented beverage made of water and honey, malt, and yeast).   We learned about the history of the castle and heard a medieval madrigal sung by the Castle Singers. Then we descended to the long oak tables of the banquet hall where bench seating, candle-light and long oak tables reflect the banqueting style of the medieval era.  Good food – no utensils – and entertainment is provided by the singers accompanied by harp and violin.  Good fun.  

GALWAY with a population of 70,000 is both the center for the Irish-speaking regions in the West and a lively university.  It is known as Ireland’s cultural heart.

Lording over the River Corrib, imposing Galway Cathedral (or, just the Cathedral of St. Nicholas) was dedicated by the late Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston in 1965. The cathedral's unwieldy full name is the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas, but its high, curved arches and central dome have a simple, solid elegance.  It is said to be one of the last great stone churches built in Europe.

We boarded the Corrib Princess for a cruise along the River Corrib and sailed past castle ruins, historic buildings and locals enjoying a beautiful afternoon on the river.

 

As a bonus, one of the crew gave us an Irish coffee to sip and a lesson in how to make this drink at home.  Drinking was followed by Irish dancing lessons.  We many try the drink recipe, but dancing days are done.

 

Rathbaun Farm is located in County Galway on 80 acres, down a narrow lane that seemed unlikely to accommodate our bus.  The same family has been farming here for two centuries.  We enjoyed seeing their 200-year old thatched-roof home, with peat turf burning in the fireplace.  After enjoying some home-baked scones with tea, we had a look at the daily workings of a sheep farm.