Second stay was near Aberfeldy in a different timeshare in Kenmore next to a lake and set in a rock wall village. The cottage was comfortable and well equipped and the people around very friendly and helpful with whatever we wanted or needed. I must say that Diamond Resorts never lets us down. While there we visited a Safari Experience and were able to feed the red deer on the site and saw a baby feeding from its mother. We learned much about the deer, their personalities and the antlers and how they grow and how they are used in the cycle of a deer's life. It gave me new appreciation of this wildlife and now I will have a better understanding of the deer that come down out of the forests above where we live. All of these deer at this place were rescue animals for one reason or another and then are raised and do have offspring on this protected property,
We also at this safari place learned of a barn owl that was rescued and now being raised and taken care of by a gracious man who dearly loves these animals. The female owl was gorgeous in her plume of white and coppery feathers. She was extremely intelligent and particularly noisy, She and the ranger had a unique communication going between them. The ranger had only had her for three weeks at that time. She trusted him and flew forth and back from her perch to his heavily gloved hand and her noise indicated that she was happy, He fed her and she got this exercise/feeding two or three times a day. The ranger spoke to her as if she was a human child and one could tell that they really like each other. What a special gift this man has!
We hiked up in the hills above this village as well. We got a beautiful overview of this serene area with the lake and the sheep on the hillsides. The trail was muddy at spots, but that was to be expected as it had been rainy and cold while we were there.
One morning we were surprised to hear and then see from a window a bagpiper welcoming in the Monday morning as she does on a weekly basis there. We learned later that she was one of the bagpipers marching in with the youth bagpipers. I rushed to take her photo. She was gracious to stop walking so I could get the shot. We enjoyed our daily glass of wine and/or beer on the deck by the lake. It was a quiet, relaxing part of the day and the scenery so green and beautiful.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
SCOTLAND
Ahhhhh! Scotland! The land of rolling hills with heather and peat, red haired deer, squirrels, cattle, and humans. The land of countless distilleries, round-abouts, and small cars root-beer colored streams and rivers, and huge blue firths and friendly people. And, of course, golf courses like we know Starbucks.
Our first stay was at Aberfeldy, home of Dewar's single malt scotch, We stayed at a timeshare on the golf course and it was a sweet cottage that was very comfortable and close to whatever we wanted to do. We hiked through the Burk of Aberfeldy...............a fantastic walk beside a stream that tumbled over many rocks and falls of different sizes. There was a bronze monument of Robert Burns at one point. Evidently, he liked to go to this area when he wanted to relax and get inspired. He had a favorite spot up on one side of the stream that had a cave-like rock indentation where he sat to write.
Also, I found it interesting that it was a place where Mendelssohn liked to go for relaxation and creative inspiration, If I lived there, I am sure I would hike/walk this place several times a month.
On the first Monday of the month there is a bagpipe concert at a park in nearby Pitlochary, so we took that in and were delighted in hearing a young bagpipe band, a local vocalist and a great MC that kept the crowd laughing and interested. This is a common community gathering during the summer months. Different bagpipers host the evening. It was festive and fun we felt very welcomed and part of this small community's gathering. We even knew some of the songs that we joined in singing upon request of the evening's program.
AWenother hike we did was to go up into a forested area above Aberfeldy to see the variation of the trees planted upon the order of King George I. Much of the vegetation there is much to the same as we know in the Pacific Northwest. Hydrangea, Rhododendron, Ferns, some pine and we were delighted to learn that Douglas Fir seeds were planted and the forest was heavy with these beautiful trees brought to Scotland from America. At one point were surprised to see a Totem Pole carved into a standing Douglas Fir. The Squamish First Nation of Canada ( Vancouver ) made it, That hit close to home. We were able to speak with a couple about it and they seemed very pleased to know we lived so close to the makers of this grand item gracing their park trail.
We had super hot chocolate at a special chocolatier's, we shopped at a renowned book store, we got soaked by rain, and we slept soundly in our quiet cottage. A very good beginning to our visit to Scotland.
Our first stay was at Aberfeldy, home of Dewar's single malt scotch, We stayed at a timeshare on the golf course and it was a sweet cottage that was very comfortable and close to whatever we wanted to do. We hiked through the Burk of Aberfeldy...............a fantastic walk beside a stream that tumbled over many rocks and falls of different sizes. There was a bronze monument of Robert Burns at one point. Evidently, he liked to go to this area when he wanted to relax and get inspired. He had a favorite spot up on one side of the stream that had a cave-like rock indentation where he sat to write.
Also, I found it interesting that it was a place where Mendelssohn liked to go for relaxation and creative inspiration, If I lived there, I am sure I would hike/walk this place several times a month.
On the first Monday of the month there is a bagpipe concert at a park in nearby Pitlochary, so we took that in and were delighted in hearing a young bagpipe band, a local vocalist and a great MC that kept the crowd laughing and interested. This is a common community gathering during the summer months. Different bagpipers host the evening. It was festive and fun we felt very welcomed and part of this small community's gathering. We even knew some of the songs that we joined in singing upon request of the evening's program.
AWenother hike we did was to go up into a forested area above Aberfeldy to see the variation of the trees planted upon the order of King George I. Much of the vegetation there is much to the same as we know in the Pacific Northwest. Hydrangea, Rhododendron, Ferns, some pine and we were delighted to learn that Douglas Fir seeds were planted and the forest was heavy with these beautiful trees brought to Scotland from America. At one point were surprised to see a Totem Pole carved into a standing Douglas Fir. The Squamish First Nation of Canada ( Vancouver ) made it, That hit close to home. We were able to speak with a couple about it and they seemed very pleased to know we lived so close to the makers of this grand item gracing their park trail.
We had super hot chocolate at a special chocolatier's, we shopped at a renowned book store, we got soaked by rain, and we slept soundly in our quiet cottage. A very good beginning to our visit to Scotland.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
REDWORTH, ENGLAND
A beautiful interlude is what it was. A treat for us both. Two nights in a country Manor house that is now a hotel. I felt like I was in a PBS movie set.
We left Newcastle and because we did not have a long drive to our next destination, we drove up to Bellingham, England near the border of Scotland. Why not see what this village had to offer? We ate lunch in a small café and many of the townspeople were having their lunch there, too. We told them where we lived and they smiled because they pronounce THEIR Bellingham much differently.
This town was set in the middle of farm country, but they had what looked like a beautiful school and school grounds. We bought some great bread at the bakery. People were not particularly friendly....a small place where we felt out of place.
After lunch we drove through farm country several miles to Redworth and there drove up a lovely tree-lined private road to the Manor House where we stayed and relaxed. We had to make a reservation for dinner. Everything seemed quite formal. Folks dressed for dinner. Like Sunday go -to-church-clothes. White tablecloths and napkins placed on your lap by the hostess. Great food, great service, great surroundings.
Dan was not feeling well, so we chilled and did nothing the next day. He slept, I read and knitted.
In the morning, Dan had a massage and I had a super swim in the large swimming pool. We took in a few sites of the town. It was a rainy, dark morning. We visited a work camp facility that had a very sad history, but it was good to learn what the government there and other places did for and to the destitute in the times after the plague and when folks were starving to death every day. A very blacktime in history for England and Ireland. This place was restored to bring the story of these people to light so they will not be forgotten.
After dinner and a good night's sleep, we woke up with Scotland on our minds. We had a full day ahead of us to drive to
We left Newcastle and because we did not have a long drive to our next destination, we drove up to Bellingham, England near the border of Scotland. Why not see what this village had to offer? We ate lunch in a small café and many of the townspeople were having their lunch there, too. We told them where we lived and they smiled because they pronounce THEIR Bellingham much differently.
This town was set in the middle of farm country, but they had what looked like a beautiful school and school grounds. We bought some great bread at the bakery. People were not particularly friendly....a small place where we felt out of place.
After lunch we drove through farm country several miles to Redworth and there drove up a lovely tree-lined private road to the Manor House where we stayed and relaxed. We had to make a reservation for dinner. Everything seemed quite formal. Folks dressed for dinner. Like Sunday go -to-church-clothes. White tablecloths and napkins placed on your lap by the hostess. Great food, great service, great surroundings.
Dan was not feeling well, so we chilled and did nothing the next day. He slept, I read and knitted.
In the morning, Dan had a massage and I had a super swim in the large swimming pool. We took in a few sites of the town. It was a rainy, dark morning. We visited a work camp facility that had a very sad history, but it was good to learn what the government there and other places did for and to the destitute in the times after the plague and when folks were starving to death every day. A very blacktime in history for England and Ireland. This place was restored to bring the story of these people to light so they will not be forgotten.
After dinner and a good night's sleep, we woke up with Scotland on our minds. We had a full day ahead of us to drive to
NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND
Our next stop: Newcastle. What a treasure! We loved it there. We stayed in a downtown hotel, an old building, but refurbished and in middle of much activity. It was a Bank Holiday ( in other words a three day weekend ). The town was buzzing with young people and beautiful they were and very fun to watch. It amazed me the groups of men together; four, six and sometimes eight at a time. Laughing, singing, reveling and just plain having a great time. Young women dressed to the nines in everything from hot pants to mini skirts ( and if you think mini skirts of the 70s were short, think again) hung out where the men were, of course. Gee, it was fun to take it all in.
We fell in love with the walkway along the River Tyne. There were five different bridges crossing the river and all of them with different architecture and one them was a double decker. The most interesting and beautiful was the newest named the Millennium Bridge that part of it rises a few times a day. Not that that is so unusual, but the way it was hinged to come up was an engineering feat. Absolutely amazing! Photos help tell about that. One whole half circle with a walkway is lifted to let boats come under this huge surface. Crowds gather to watch with big eyes and opened mouths. The city is home to two universities and several public parks. We walked about three miles to find a public market advertised in a brochure, only to find out that the market has not been at the place mentioned for about 4 years. It was okay anyway. We saw lots of dwellings and came into a big, green, lovely park that had a sweet gift shop. The park officials showed us the way back from whence we came. Also, I must mention that one of the nights we were awakened to the sound of the fire alarm. We put on our pants and grabbed our shoes ( Dan did not put his on?????). When we opened our door we could smell smoke. We followed the fire escape route and ended up in an alley where no one else was. Half asleep, we walked around to the front of the building and found the front door. We were the only ones who heeded the fire instructions. We were told that all was fine. Someone had candles lit in a bathroom and it set off the alarm. We only believed half of that story, but went back up a couple of flights of stairs and tried to go back to sleep. The next day was a Sunday and we had a good breakfast outside in the sun at The Quay restaurant where many people had the same idea.
We got in on a birthday party with some women that asked to share our table. A fun game was played and we even got the table of young darling men behind us involved. Photos tell that story somewhat as well. We'll always remember that very fun morning. It was a short stay in Newcastle, but very
We fell in love with the walkway along the River Tyne. There were five different bridges crossing the river and all of them with different architecture and one them was a double decker. The most interesting and beautiful was the newest named the Millennium Bridge that part of it rises a few times a day. Not that that is so unusual, but the way it was hinged to come up was an engineering feat. Absolutely amazing! Photos help tell about that. One whole half circle with a walkway is lifted to let boats come under this huge surface. Crowds gather to watch with big eyes and opened mouths. The city is home to two universities and several public parks. We walked about three miles to find a public market advertised in a brochure, only to find out that the market has not been at the place mentioned for about 4 years. It was okay anyway. We saw lots of dwellings and came into a big, green, lovely park that had a sweet gift shop. The park officials showed us the way back from whence we came. Also, I must mention that one of the nights we were awakened to the sound of the fire alarm. We put on our pants and grabbed our shoes ( Dan did not put his on?????). When we opened our door we could smell smoke. We followed the fire escape route and ended up in an alley where no one else was. Half asleep, we walked around to the front of the building and found the front door. We were the only ones who heeded the fire instructions. We were told that all was fine. Someone had candles lit in a bathroom and it set off the alarm. We only believed half of that story, but went back up a couple of flights of stairs and tried to go back to sleep. The next day was a Sunday and we had a good breakfast outside in the sun at The Quay restaurant where many people had the same idea.
We got in on a birthday party with some women that asked to share our table. A fun game was played and we even got the table of young darling men behind us involved. Photos tell that story somewhat as well. We'll always remember that very fun morning. It was a short stay in Newcastle, but very
WALES
Not trusting what might happen to travel by train, we got on an airplane and flew to Wales, then rented a car to take us to our timeshare near Prestatyn, Wales. At the time, little did we know how close we were to Holyhead where we spent many hours waiting for a ferry because we missed the scheduled one due to the train fiasco from London. We rented a car and traveled on the auto way misunderstanding how to make our way to Prestatyn. What should have been no more than a two hour drive took us four hours, so we were into the early morning of the night.....AGAIN. We arrived at the timeshare at 1:30 am and had to get the security man from his sleep to get the key and show us our unit. The timeshare had its plusses, but not many. But, we won't dwell on that. Pea foul held reign of the grounds and the buildings. It was fun to have a family of six using our porch as a resting place. Mostly, it was cold and very dark the days we were there. Very, very windy, too. But, we did go for a few nice walks. One on a trail ( just 2 miles ) from our unit to the town where we did our grocery shopping. We also walked in the other direction to another burg where a pretty waterfall held our attention in a public park. On that trek, we met some folk from London that were staying at the same timeshare that we were. We would come across them every now and then through the week. That was fun. I swam in a great pool on the premises twice and enjoyed getting into the rhythm of the crawl. Best was our trip and hike around the Cliffs of Mohor. Dan has posted some photos of this tremendous place. Also, Llindundo. A lovely village set beside the Conwy Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. We hiked up the mountain where sheep dwell all over and overcoming all kinds of dung, we were rewarded with a most fantastic panoramic view of the huge water, the villages and the surrounding mountains. Terrain was soft sod as well as rocky in many places. We had a great day there. Wore ourselves out.
Back at the timeshare, we were entertained by a singer named DEEMO, a bald headed tenor that was excellent. Tuesday and Thursdays are his time to be on stage in the lounge there and children are even allowed in. Probably the one thing, besides the pool that was worth anything. However, it is a beautiful part of Wales itself and many folks spend their holidays on the beaches and camping spots near that area.
Back at the timeshare, we were entertained by a singer named DEEMO, a bald headed tenor that was excellent. Tuesday and Thursdays are his time to be on stage in the lounge there and children are even allowed in. Probably the one thing, besides the pool that was worth anything. However, it is a beautiful part of Wales itself and many folks spend their holidays on the beaches and camping spots near that area.
Friday, August 29, 2014
pics from Scotland
Water fall in the Burks of Aberfeldy seen on a hike we took
Where Robert Burns would sit and read
The warehouse of the Aberfeldy distillery
Afternoon tea
Dewar's Distillary
Heather on the hill
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
EXIT TO IRELAND
We found our seats on the Virgin Line train, so off we started for Wales. If I thought bringing our car back in Paris was a nightmare, it was nothing compared to what lied ahead for the next 29 hours.
The train went a short distance before we were stopped for an hour while the track was cleared of a mal-functioning train on the same track. That passed, and then we started again for a short while before we stopped because there was a death on the tracks. Backwards we went from where we came and got on another train. Good, then, we thought. But, we thought wrong. We had to join up twice at different stops, to join up and get on another train,thus putting us back a couple of hours. We then knew that we were going to miss the connection to the ferry to Ireland. Having to stay awake for the 2:40 am ferry in the ferry terminal was not a picnic. Dan beat me at two games of Cribbage. We were awake since 6:00 am the previous morning. Finally the huge ferry came and we found a place among sleeping-all-over-the-place passengers covered in blankets, sweaters, coats and what not.
In the midst of all of this, we discovered that we did not have our laptop, the carry bag it was in, and the tickets to get on the ferry, not to mention the 2000 some photos Dan had saved from our travels.
We obviously were helped to get on the ferry, but our spirits were a bit shattered.
If one has wondered why the blog has waned, we were without a computer for several days and without WiFi access and whatever else got in our way of communication.
Picking up our rented car at the terminal, we drove into the countryside to the timeshare we would have for four nights on a golf course. Exhausted, we slept the first day and missed any touring we would have done. We liked our accommodations. The weather was very cold. Dark sky ruled most of the days and wind blew continually. Undaunted, we did hike the Cliffs of Motor and found that to be great fun and a place for some good photo ops. Another outing was that of viewing and learning of a Work House built in the 1800s for the desperately poor. A story that will turn a person's stomach. This part of Ireland's history is so sad, but should be remembered and known in honor of the poor folks involved and the awful way they were treated. A third day out had us looking for a small computer and other things lost with the bag while shuffling trains.
In Ireland, cars are driven as they are in England. Learn that and how to shift with your left hand in opposite of what you may be used to in another country. Now be a passenger on the opposite side of the driver from what you are used to. Also, drive on country roads that are as narrow as a horse cart.
I feared for our lives!!!! The verges of the roads were lined with vegetation at least 8 feet tall, sometimes taller. It was akin to being in a topless tunnel. But, even at that, the countryside was beautiful and fields were sectioned off with shrubs, trees or hedges and sometimes rock walls like you see in the movies. All is green from light to dark with various shades, thereof. Wi
With white dots that are sheep happily grazing, the rolling hills and valleys are breathtaking. We wish we could have spent more time in Ireland.
The train went a short distance before we were stopped for an hour while the track was cleared of a mal-functioning train on the same track. That passed, and then we started again for a short while before we stopped because there was a death on the tracks. Backwards we went from where we came and got on another train. Good, then, we thought. But, we thought wrong. We had to join up twice at different stops, to join up and get on another train,thus putting us back a couple of hours. We then knew that we were going to miss the connection to the ferry to Ireland. Having to stay awake for the 2:40 am ferry in the ferry terminal was not a picnic. Dan beat me at two games of Cribbage. We were awake since 6:00 am the previous morning. Finally the huge ferry came and we found a place among sleeping-all-over-the-place passengers covered in blankets, sweaters, coats and what not.
In the midst of all of this, we discovered that we did not have our laptop, the carry bag it was in, and the tickets to get on the ferry, not to mention the 2000 some photos Dan had saved from our travels.
We obviously were helped to get on the ferry, but our spirits were a bit shattered.
If one has wondered why the blog has waned, we were without a computer for several days and without WiFi access and whatever else got in our way of communication.
Picking up our rented car at the terminal, we drove into the countryside to the timeshare we would have for four nights on a golf course. Exhausted, we slept the first day and missed any touring we would have done. We liked our accommodations. The weather was very cold. Dark sky ruled most of the days and wind blew continually. Undaunted, we did hike the Cliffs of Motor and found that to be great fun and a place for some good photo ops. Another outing was that of viewing and learning of a Work House built in the 1800s for the desperately poor. A story that will turn a person's stomach. This part of Ireland's history is so sad, but should be remembered and known in honor of the poor folks involved and the awful way they were treated. A third day out had us looking for a small computer and other things lost with the bag while shuffling trains.
In Ireland, cars are driven as they are in England. Learn that and how to shift with your left hand in opposite of what you may be used to in another country. Now be a passenger on the opposite side of the driver from what you are used to. Also, drive on country roads that are as narrow as a horse cart.
I feared for our lives!!!! The verges of the roads were lined with vegetation at least 8 feet tall, sometimes taller. It was akin to being in a topless tunnel. But, even at that, the countryside was beautiful and fields were sectioned off with shrubs, trees or hedges and sometimes rock walls like you see in the movies. All is green from light to dark with various shades, thereof. Wi
With white dots that are sheep happily grazing, the rolling hills and valleys are breathtaking. We wish we could have spent more time in Ireland.
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